Mark Twain was a famous American writer. He wrote many stories and many of them were very funny. These stories are still read by many people all over the world. Besides writing, he also liked hunting and fishing very much, so one year he went to Maine（缅因州）for a holiday and spent three very pleasant weeks in the woods there.
When he had to go back home, he went to the station with his baggage. There he asked a porter（搬运工）to put it into the train. Then he got into the smoking car and sat down in one of the comfortable seats there. The car was empty when he got in, but a few minutes later, another man got in and sat down on the seat opposite his. Mark Twain looked at the man and thought that this man looked quite unpleasant. However, it would be impolite to say nothing in that situation, so he said good morning to the man, and they began to talk.
First they talked about the heavy snow and then they talked about Maine. The stranger said，"We have some beautiful woods in Maine. It would be a pity to come to Maine without spending some time there. I suppose you have been in our woods, haven't you?" "Yes, I have，"answered Mark Twain. "I've just spent three weeks there and I had a very good time, too. And let me tell you something. Although fishing isn't allowed in Maine during this season, I've got two hundred pounds of beautiful fish with my baggage in this train. I like to eat fish, so I packed it in ice to take it home with me. May I ask who you are, sir?"
The stranger looked at Mark Twain for several seconds and then answered，"I'm a police officer. My job is to catch people who hunt and fish during the wrong seasons. And who are you?"
Mark Twain was surprised and frightened when he heard this. He thought quickly and then answered，"Well, I'll tell you, sir. I'm the man who tells the biggest lies in America. " What does the underlined word "they" in Paragraph 2 refer to?
| A．Mark Twain and a porter. |
| B．The stranger and a police. |
| C．The porter and a police. |
| D．Mark Twain and the police. |
We can infer that Mark Twain had been to the woods in Maine in __________.
| A．summer |
| B．autumn |
| C．winter |
| D．spring |
Which of the following statements about Mark Twain is NOT TRUE?
| A．Writing, hunting and fishing were his favourites. |
| B．His fish was delivered home by train. |
| C．He felt pity for not spending some time in Maine. |
| D．in fact, he told lies to the police officer at last. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Mark Twain was one of the biggest liars in America. |
| B．The stranger was impolite to Mark Twain in the smoking car. |
| C．Mark Twain went to the woods in Maine for writing stories. |
| D．The stranger was the one who caught people fishing in winter. |
Apple has entered the textbook market. The tech giant（科技巨头） introduced iBooks textbooks a couple of weeks ago when it announced its iBooks 2 platform. They are digital books in many subjects taking in science, maths, history and geography.
Apple developed its iPad-based textbooks in conjunction with（连接）major textbook publishers. The company offers a collection of textbooks for high school students.
Apple says it offers a “new textbook experience” and suggests its iBooks textbooks are “the next chapter in learning”. It sounds like good news for pupils and students. Think of it. No more carrying heavy backpacks full of textbooks. Every textbook you require can be stored on your iPad. No more having to buy expensive textbooks which you will only use for a year or two and then sell or give away.
Of course there’s a catch. You need to own an iPad and as you know, it is not cheap. You also need to buy digital textbooks, mostly priced each at $14.99 (94.74 yuan) or less. Textbook publishing was worth $ 8.7 billion in the US alone last year. And the rest, as they say, is history. Will Apple revolutionize learning? Will digital books take over completely in education? That remains to be seen.What is the best title of the text?
| A．Apple Enters New Market | B．A Different Way of Learning | C．Experience Digital Texbooks | D．Say Good-bye to Tradition |
iBooks textbooks will do good to pupils and students because ________.
| A．they are free to get | B．they are easy to carry |
| C．they are ipad-based | D．they are favorite gifts |
The underlined words “a catch” in Paragraph 4 are closest in meaning to “________.”
| A．an advantage | B．a surprise |
| C．a problem | D．an order |
What can we know from that last paragraph?
| A．iPad-based textbooks have changed our learning. |
| B．Traditional textbooks will be replaced sooner or later. |
| C．Apple has earned a lot from the textbook market. |
| D．Digital books have disadvantages and advantages. |
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 |