A TV series(电视剧) in England，Away from it all，has surprised everyone by becoming a success with young people across the country. Its success is surprising because the series is about the relaxing lifestyles of people who live in the country. There is none of the action that we usually see on TV today. There are also no stressful moments, busy offices or crowded cities. Away from it all is set in the peaceful English countryside and tells simple stories about people’s kindness.
The director(导演) of the TV series says that its success is a sign of teenagers suffering from(遭受) stress. They say that watching Away from it all helps teenagers forget about the pressures of exams and homework, and the troubles that fill the world today. They also say that it’s a good sign of today’s young people turning to happier TV series as it shows they want a happier and healthier world.
Although the series’ success might have a good side, many teachers and parents are worried, however. They say that some of their students and children spend more time before TV and are using Away from it all as an excuse for not finishing homework. Some children have even refused to learn for exams because they say that they can only get personal happiness by avoiding stressful situations.
And what do the experts say? Paula Ray, a doctor of education, says that TV can influence children’s lifestyles. But she says that if a child reacts(反应) strongly, it’s likely that there are other reasons for his change in behaviour(行为). She says that there is nothing wrong with watching Away from it all but suggests that parents should let their children know TV is not the same as real life.The success of the new TV series is surprising because__________.
| A．it is about the English countryside |
| B．it is the same as other successful TV series |
| C．it is different from other successful TV series |
| D．it is about life in busy cities |
The director of Away from it all believes that the series helps young people deal with__________.
| A．stress | B．homework |
| C．busy life | D．exams |
The success of the series shows that young people would like__________.
| A．a world with no homework | B．English TV series |
| C．a happier and healthier world | D．relaxing jobs |
__________ are worried about the effects of the series.
| A．Teachers and parents. | B．Teachers and experts. |
| C．Experts and teenagers. | D．Young people and parents. |
I travel a lot, and I find out different “style” of directions every time I ask “How can I get to the post office?”
Foreign tourists are often puzzled in Japan because most streets there don’t have names; in Japan, people use landmarks (地标) in their directions instead of street names. For examples, the Japanese will say to travelers, “Go straight down to the corner. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop.”
In the countryside of the American Midwest, there are not usually many landmarks. There are no mountains, so the land is very flat; in many places there are no towns or buildings within miles. Instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distances. In Kansas or Iowa, for example, people will say, “Go north two miles. Turn east, and then go another mile.”
People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map; they measure (估量) distance in time, not miles. “How far away is the post office?” you ask. “Oh,” they answer, “it’s about five minutes from here.” You say, “Yes, but how many miles away is it?” They don’t know.
It’s true that a person doesn’t know the answer to your question sometimes. What happens in such a situation? A New Yorker might say, “Sorry, I have no idea.” but in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers “I don’t know.” people in Yucatan believe that “I don’t know” is impolite. They usually give an answer, often a wrong one. A tourist can get very, very lost in Yucatan!When a tourist asks the Japanese the way to a place, they usually _________.
| A．tell him the names of the streets |
| B．show him a map of the place |
| C．describe the place carefully |
| D．refer to (意指)clear buildings and places |
What is the place where people show distance in time?
| A．New York. | B．Los Angeles. | C．Kansas. | D．Iowa. |
Usually, People in Yucatan give a tourist a wrong answer _________ instead of saying “I don’t know”.
| A．to save time | B．as a test |
| C．to be polite | D．for fun |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．It’s important for travelers to understand cultural differences. |
| B．It’s useful for travelers to know how to ask the way properly. |
| C．People have similar understandings of politeness. |
| D．New Yorkers are generally friendly to visitors. |
An excerpt (节选) from The Card
Edward Henry Machin first saw daylight on the 27th of May, 1867, in Brougham Street in Bursley, the oldest of the Five Towns. Brougham Street goes down a hill to the canal (运河).The rent (租金) for one of these houses was not high — only about twenty-two pence (便士) a week.
Edward Henry’s mother (his father was dead) lived by making and washing clothes for fine ladies. She did not often laugh. She was a woman of few words, and saved time every day by calling her son Denry, instead of Edward Henry.
Denry did not work hard at school, and boys who were lazy and not very clever usually just found jobs in the potbanks. Luckily, at the age of twelve, he won a place at the best school in Bursley. It happened like this. On the second day of the examination, Denry arrived a little early. As he walked around the examination room, he came to the teacher’s desk, where he saw a list of names with marks for the first day of the examination. The highest possible mark was 30, but next to his name he saw the number 7. The numbers were written in pencil, and the pencil was on the desk. He picked it up, looked around the empty room, and at the door, and them wrote a 2 in front of the 7. Of course, this was not honest, but how many truly honest schoolboys are there? Denry was no worse than most of them.What was Edward Henry’s mother like?
| A．Patient. | B．Dishonest. |
| C．Hard-working. | D．Kind. |
What was the mark Edward Henry got in the end?
| A．30. | B．7 | C．2 | D．27 |
Are you always unwilling to do housework and cleaning for no reason? Well, you will be happy today. Today is No Housework Day. It’s time to forget about housework and be relaxed.
No Housework Day is always on April 7th. It is your chance to do anything, except housework. Better still, have someone else do housework for a day. Housework is a daily and endless job and most people think it’s boring to do housework. I have many friends and their wish is to stay away from housework. In fact, their wish can never come true.
Do you know how to celebrate No Housework Day? Well , there are two different ways.
If you usually do the housework around the house, forget it on this day. Instead, kick back and enjoy the day. Relax and do anything, except housework.
If you never do housework, you can do it for your family. It gives your parents a break from the housework. And, you just might get a chance to know how much housework your parents need to do every day.The writer has many friends and their wish is _________.
| A．not to do any housework any more |
| B．to ask others to do their housework |
| C．to celebrate No Housework Day |
| D．to ask all the family members to do housework |
If Lisa never does housework, the writer thinks she can _________ on No Housework Day.
| A．forget housework | B．do housework |
| C．feel relaxed | D．do anything except housework |
What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．It’s about the daily housework. |
| B．It’s about our duty and right. |
| C．It’s about No Housework Day. |
| D．It’s about some national holiday. |
A habit is any action that we have performed so often that it becomes something that we do almost without thinking. Some of them are thought to be bad habits. People spend countless hours and dollars each year trying to get rid of these bad habits but often fail. Why? Change is hard work and there is no shortcut to achieve it. However, there is still some advice for you to follow.
First, look at why you do it. In other words, what’s the result of doing this thing? If your bad habit is shouting at people when you are unhappy or under pressure, what do you get from it? It may make you feel a little better for the moment. Or maybe you have a bad habit of leaving your homework undone. The result could be that you get more time to spend on the Internet!
Next, take a look on the other hand. What are you losing because of your habit? Shouting at other people is a bad habit because it makes people around you feel bad and unhappy. Leaving your homework undone is a bad habit because you may be punished by your teacher. Having more Internet time means that you are losing the chance to learn the things that you need to learn. When you think that way, you’ll find that it’s not wise to keep your bad habit! Now it is time to make a decision. What will you choose? I’m sure you will choose to do what you think is more important.From the first paragraph we know that __________.
| A．a habit is a terrible thing that we can never change |
| B．people spend countless hours and dollars to get rid of habits |
| C．none of the people who try to break bad habits are successful |
| D．though it is difficult, we can still do something about our bad habits |
The underlined sentence “there is no shortcut to achieve it” means that ________.
| A．it is not easy to get rid of bad habits |
| B．there is a long way and a short way |
| C．something dangerous may happen |
| D．we must cut it in a short time. |
According to the reading, if you want to get rid of your habits, you have to _____.
| A．talk to others when you are in low spirits |
| B．know why you do what you do |
| C．finish your homework first |
| D．spend less time on the Internet |
Which of the following does NOT happen because of a bad habit according to the reading?
| A．You are punished later. |
| B．Making people around you feel unhappy. |
| C．You feel a little better after shouting at others. |
| D．You leave your homework at home by accident. |
The main purpose of this passage is to __________.
| A．introduce and describe | B．complain（埋怨）and disagree |
| C．explain and advise | D．discuss and argue（争论） |
Many people have a fear(害怕) of public speaking. According to a study, it has an influence on 3 in every 4 people. This fact is surprising and worrying, as most jobs require some speaking ability. The following will help you to make a speech better.
Write note cards. Write main ideas on your cards. Don’t write details. Put in some fun facts, questions, and other activities on the cards to share with the class. Don’t look at your note cards for a long time while speaking. If necessary, you’re only going to have a quick look at the card for information, not read every word.
Smile at your class. When it comes time to speak, there’s nothing that draws your class into your speech than a good old-fashioned smile. Be happy, because you’re about to teach your class something they didn’t know before. Studies have shown that smiles are infections. That means once you smile, it’s hard for everyone else not to smile. So if you want your speech to go off well, smile. That will make everyone smile and maybe those smiles will make you actually smile.
Make eye contact. Nothing is more boring than listening to a speaker who looks at the floor or at note cards. Relax. Your class is made up of your friends and you talk to them all the time. Talk the same way now. Have a look at every person in the classroom at least once. That way, everyone will feel like you’re communicating with them. Also, you know you’ll look like what you’re talking about.
Use hand motions. Move your hands along as you talk, using them to express your key points and keep the class interested. It will also lead your nervous energy into a better place.According to the passage, ______ of people might fear to speak in public.
| A．100 percent | B．75 percent |
| C．50 percent | D．25 percent |
How many points are mentioned in the passage?
| A．Three. | B．Four. | C．Five. | D．Six. |
In Paragraph 3 of the passage, “smiles are infections” means ______.
| A．smiles can be passed on |
| B．it’s hard to smile |
| C．smiles keep people fit |
| D．people should smile every day |
Which picture matches the last paragraph best?
The passage mainly talks about ______.
| A．a boy’s speech in class |
| B．how to write note cards |
| C．the fear of public speaking |
| D．how to make a speech better |