Most painters discover a style of painting that suits them and stick to(坚持) that, especially if people admire their pictures. As artist grows older his picture may alter（改变）, but not very much. But Picasso, the great Spanish painter, was like a man who had not yet found his own particular style of painting. He kept on struggling（努力） to find the perfect expression till his death in 1973.
Some of Picasso’s paintings are rich, soft colored and beautiful. Others are ugly and cruel and strange. But such paintings allow us to imagine things for ourselves. They force us to say to ourselves, “What does he see that makes him paint like that?” And we begin to look beneath the surface of the things we see.
Picasso painted thousands of pictures in different styles. Sometimes he painted the natural look of things. Sometimes he seemed to break them apart and throw the pieces in our faces. He showed us what the mind knows as well as what the eye sees. At the age of 90 he remained as curious about the world as he had been when he was young. That is why people have called him “the youngest painter in the world”.In the text the author wants to tell us ______.
| A．about Picasso’s different styles of painting |
| B．Picasso was always strange |
| C．about some pictures of different style |
| D．it is not easy for a painter to find his own style |
The ugly, cruel and strange paintings by Picasso ______.
| A．allow us to ask questions about ourselves |
| B．force us to do with a lot of things |
| C．make us think of what is hidden in the things we see |
| D．make us think of funny stories |
The underlined sentence “Sometimes he seemed to break them apart and throw the pieces in our faces.” means ______.
| A．sometimes he tore his pictures into pieces |
| B．sometimes he showed some broken pictures to others |
| C．he broke something he was painting and threw them away |
| D．things in some of his pictures seemed to be in disorder |
The underlined word “curious” means ___________.
| A．可爱的 | B．可信的 | C．好胜的 | D．好奇的 |
Why do people call Picasso “the youngest painter in the world”?
| A．Because he looked young when he was old. |
| B．Because he never gave up looking for something new. |
| C．Because he observed things with his eyes and mind. |
| D．Because he never stopped painting even when he was old. |
Street art is a very popular form of art that is spreading quickly all over the world. You can find it on buildings, sidewalks, street signs and trash cans(垃圾桶) from Tokyo to Paris, from Moscow to Cape Town. Street art has become a global culture and even art museums and galleries(画廊) are collecting the works of street artists. 
Street art started out very secretly because it was criminal to paint public and private things without permission(允许).
People often have different opinions about street art. Some think it is a crime and others think it is a very beautiful new form of culture.
Art experts say that the street art movement began in New York in the 1960s. Young adults painted words and other images on walls and trains. This colorful style of writing became known as graffiti(涂鸦). Graffiti art showed that young people wanted to be against society. They didn’t want to accept rules and travelled around cities to create paintings that everyone could see. In many cases, they had trouble with the police and the local government.
One well-known New York street artist is Swoon. She cuts paper images of people and puts them on walls or sets them up on sidewalks. Swoon didn’t start her career as a street artist. She studied art, but as time went on, got bored with the works she saw in museums and galleries. People in New York enjoy Swoon’s strong and imaginative style. Some museums have already bought some of her works.
Advertising companies also use street art in their ads because it gives people the feelings of youth and energy.
In Today’s world the Internet has a big influence on street art. Artists can show their pictures to the audience all over the world. Many city residents, however, say that seeing a picture on the Internet is never as good as seeing it live.
The street art movement lives with the energy and life of a big city.What can we learn from Paragraph1?
| A．Street art is an old culture. |
| B．Street art is of great artistic value. |
| C．Many big cities are famous for street art. |
| D．Street art has been accepted by more and more people. |
Why do street artists usually get into trouble? Because _____________
| A．they can’t make a living by themselves. |
| B．it was criminal to paint pubic and private things without permission. |
| C．the local government doesn’t like them. |
| D．they are threatening (威胁) public safety. |
Swoon becomes famous mainly because_____________.
| A．her works are full of imagination |
| B．her works can be seen everywhere |
| C．she is good at cutting paper images of people |
| D．her works are collected by some museums |
Street artists can show their pictures to the whole world______________.
| A．on the Internet |
| B．by painting them on walls |
| C．through exhibitions in galleries |
| D．by drawing them on famous buildings |
Which of the following is NOT the reason young artists choose street art?
| A．It is closer to people. |
| B．They want to be against society. |
| C．It makes cities more beautiful. |
| D．They are tired of various rules. |
People have known since ancient times that aspirin（阿司匹林） reduces pain and lowers high body temperature. But that is not all the drug can do. In recent years, it has been used in other ways, too. Small amounts may help prevent a stroke or heart attack. One recent study showed that some people who took two aspirin pills a day had lower rates of colorectal cancer. And, some researchers say aspirin may help patients with colon cancer live longer. So, how did aspirin become so important? The story begins with a willow（柳树）．
2, 000 years ago, the Greek doctor Hippocrates advised his patients to chew on the bark and leaves of the willow. The tree contains a chemical called salicin. In the 1800s, researchers discovered how to make salicylic acid from the chemical. In 1897, a chemist named Felix Hoffmann at Friedrich Bayer and Company in Germany created acetyl salicylic acid. Later, it became the active substance in a medicine that Bayer called aspirin. The "a" came from acetyl. The "spir" came from the spirea plant, which also produces salicin. And the "in" ? That is a common way to end medicine names.
In 1982, a British scientist shared the Nobel Prize in Medicine in part for discovering how aspirin works. Sir John Vane found that aspirin prevents the body from making the natural substances called prostaglandins. Prostaglandins have several effects on the body. Some cause pain and swelling（肿）． Prostaglandins also make the heart, kidneys(肾) and blood vessels work well. So there is a problem. Aspirin works against all prostaglandins, good and bad. It can also harm the inside of the stomach, and sometimes it can cause bleeding.
But a British study released in 2009 suggested that taking another drug with a small amount of aspirin may help reduce the risk of bleeding. If this proves true, it would help thousands of people who are seeking to prevent life-threatening conditions.
| A．tell us the harm of aspirin |
| B．help us know aspirin better |
| C．explain why aspirin is useful |
| D．prove that aspirin is a good medicine |
| A．It is not used until recent years. |
| B．Using it for a long time may lead to cancer. |
| C．It is very dangerous if it is used in the wrong way, |
| D．It has gained important new uses in recent years. |
When was the acetyl salicylic acid created?
| A．about 2,000 years ago. | B．In the early 1800s. |
| C．In the late 1800s | D．In recent years |
What is waiting to be solved according to the last paragraph?
| A．The bleeding caused by taking aspirin. |
| B．How to reduce the risk of getting colorectal cancer. |
| C．How to help patients with colon cancer live longer |
| D．The problem of low body temperature caused by taking aspirin |
In most languages, a greeting is usually followed by "small talk". Small talk means the little things we talk about at the start of a conversation. In English-speaking countries people often make small talk about the weather: "Nice day, isn't it?" "Terrible weather, isn't it?" But there is something special about small talk. It must be about something which both people have the same opinion about. The purpose of small. talk is to let both people agree on something. This makes meeting people easier and more comfortable. People usually agree about the weather, so it is a safe topic for small talk. But people often disagree about religion or politics so these are not suitable topics for small talk in English. The topics for small talk also depend on where the conversation is taking place. At football matches, people make small talk about the game they are watching: "Great game, isn't it?" At bus-stops, people may comment about the transport system: "The bus service is terrible, isn't it?"
Greetings and small talk are an important part of conversation in any language. The way people greet each other and the things they talk about, however, may be different from one language to another. This shows that there is much more to learn when we learn a language than just the vocabulary and the grammar of the language. We also have to learn the social behavior of the people who speak it.
| A．we should know the culture about the country |
| B．we should only master the grammar and vocabulary |
| C．we should grasp the importance of the language |
| D．we should learn about the transport system of the country |
| A．have a conversation | B．begin a small talk |
| C．greet each other | D．ask a question |
| A．in English-speaking countries we should talk about the weather |
| B．different language has different grammar |
| C．small talk is an important part in a language |
| D．small talk depends on the purpose of the conversation |
Tips for avoiding traffic jams:
The radio has more than just music. Check the local news station for the latest traffic report. Or go online and check traffic cameras before you set out. If there is a jam, you'll be prepared and can try another route.
Take the road less traveled. Although highways may be the most direct route, back (偏僻的) roads can be much less crowded, which can save you from the frustration of the stop-and-go traffic.
Rush hour isn't just a lovely nickname. It means the morning and afternoon traffic lasts for several hours, but they're still called "rush hour" for a reason - everyone's on the road and in a hurry to get somewhere. Treat rush hour like bad weather - if you don't have to go anywhere, stay off the roads.
Tips for those unavoidable traffic jams:
Don't break the law. You've gone 30 feet in 30 minutes and all of a sudden you see people using the shoulders（紧急停车道）． Don't behave like them. Not only is this illegal, but also there's a good chance they'll get caught or cause even more problems.
Pay extra attention to zig-zaggers (Z字形行进者). When some people are anxious, they may start changing lanes（车道）every 5 seconds or cut you off, Keep checking your windows and mirrors. for these lane changers.
Look for an escape. If it is possible to exit the road safely, do it. Use a GPS unit, and you can change your route mid-trip if needed.
Be courteous. Good manners could help you avoid a possible accident. Allow people in from a lane that is ending. Speeding up to keep them out increases your chances of an accident.
| A．get traffic news before leaving |
| B．choose back roads. |
| C．avoid rush hours. |
| D．change lanes frequently. |
What should we do when there are zig-zaggers?
| A．Keep checking the mirrors |
| B．Stop and let them go first |
| C．Sound the hom loudly. |
| D．Drive quickly to keep them out |
What does the underlined word “courteous”in the last paragraph mean?
| A．Energetic | B．Polite | C．Careful | D．Honest |
In which part of a magazine can this passage be found?
| A．Entertainment | B．Market | C．Life | D．Advertisement |
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 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, " 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, "As to the secrets of long life, I do not have any disappointments in my own life."
She gained some fame when she voted for Mr. Obama in the US presidential election, 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.
| A．was very popular in the hospital |
| B．did good things for African Americans |
| C．did even better than John F. Kennedy |
| D．congratulated her on her birthday |
| A．Ms. Baines didn't like any presidents except Mr. Obama and John F. Kennedy |
| B．Ms. Baines' daughter died many years before her husband |
| C．Japanese woman Kama Chien is the second oldest in the world now |
| D．a positive attitude towards life is the main secret of .Ms. Baines' long life |
| A．Ms. Baines liked to live alone. |
| B．Ms. Baines died in a hospital in Los Angeles. |
| C．Ms. Baines and her husband had only one child. |
| D．Ms. Baines used to serve' others in Ohio. |
| A．how Ms, Baines lived for so long |
| B．why Ms. Baines voted for Mr. Obama |
| C．the world's oldest person, Ms. Baines |
| D．Ms. Baines and President Obama . |