阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中选出最佳选项。
An online post listing office people's four most hated modern inventions is gaining popularity. Read on to discover what modern professionals dislike.
Number one：The punch(打卡) machine.
32yearold Mr. Zhang works for an IT company. He lists the punch machine as his number one workday enemy after a number of unavoidable incidents made him late to punch in for work. Zhang says most of his colleagues are hardworking people，but they feel like the boss doesn't trust them when he uses a machine to evaluate their performance. Zhang plans to find another job at a company that does not use a punch machine.
Number two：Instant noodles.
More and more people today realize that instant noodles do not make a healthy meal，but lack of time forces many whitecollar workers to eat them instead of a regular dinner.27yearold Mr. Zhu is a salesperson who is so busy at work that he doesn't even have time to wash his socks. He regularly eats fast food takeaways or instant noodles for dinner.
Number three：Mattresses.
Some elder employees tell newcomers that having a mattress at work is just like having a home at the company. To encourage their employees to work overtime，a number of companies have issued their employees with mattresses so that they can take a rest under their desks at any time of a day. People have started refusing the mattress and taking better care of their health after the media reported on a number of people who died due to overwork last year.
And last，but not least，the mobile phone.
A surgeon from a Beijing hospital says more and more whitecollar workers are turning up with a strange disease which they call “mobile phone elbow”．The patients' elbows are painful，and sometimes they can't even raise their hands. The doctor says the disease occurs when patients spend more than 4 hours on their mobiles.Why do some employees want to find a job in a company without punch machines?
| A．They often meet with unavoidable incidents on their way to work. |
| B．They feel less trusted when evaluated with the punch machine. |
| C．It is unnecessary for them to punch in for work every day. |
| D．They can work less hard in companies without punch machines. |
Whitecollar workers have to eat instant noodles because they ________.
| A．can't make a healthy meal |
| B．can't afford a regular dinner |
| C．don't have time to wash their socks |
| D．are always so busy at work |
In the eyes of the boss，the mattresses can ________.
| A．make employees work more time |
| B．make the new comers love the company |
| C．make employees have a good rest at any time |
| D．take care of the employees' health |
According to the doctor，________.
| A．the painful elbow caused by mobile phone can't be cured |
| B．only whitecollar workers turn up with the painful elbow |
| C．long time of using mobile phones possibly causes the painful elbow |
| D．if your elbows are painful，or you can't raise your hands，you catch the disease |
What is the best title of this passage?
| A．Most hated modern inventions |
| B．Modern inventions are gaining popularity online |
| C．Modern inventions bring us inconvenience |
| D．Modern inventions and overwork |
This wonderful 16-day tour is designed to highlight South Africa’s amazing diversity of cultures, its curious mixture of old and new, as well as its wonderful scenery and wildlife, together with its unique history．
Join us to experience Cape Town and the exciting Kruger safari (游猎) on our tour to South AfricA． We believe that a more naturally beautiful country than South Africa would be difficult to find: from the rocky peaks of the Drakensberg Mountains, to the timeless semi-desert landscapes of the Karoo and then the forested seashores and mirror-like lakes of the Garden Route, the attractive valleys of the Winelands and the symbol of the country, Table Mountain — all under an endless blue sky．Quite amazing!
Included in our price:
Return flights from London Heathrow
Three-and-four-star hotels, sharing rooms, breakfast and lunch included
Internal flight to the beautiful Garden Route
Full-day guided safari in the Kruger National Park
Visit the legendary Zulu War battlefields of Isandlwana, Rorke's Drift, the historical Cape of Good Hope, Cape Town, Apartheid Museum and Blyde River Canyon
Travel on Outeniqua steam train or go whale watching depending on the season
For more information, call 0845 155 6706.On this 16-day tour, visitors might experience the _______ of South Africa.
| A．history, cultures and education |
| B．cultures, scenery and education |
| C．history, scenery and education |
| D．history, cultures and scenery |
What can we learn about the tour?
A． The tour is available all year rounD．
B． Tourists will have a single room each.
C． Tourists are sure to go whale watching．
D． Suppers are not included in the price.The passage is written to _______.[
| A．talk about touring experiences |
| B．attract people to the tour |
| C．talk about the history of Africa |
| D．introduce places of interest in Africa |
It’s well-known that meditation (冥想) has many benefits, but do you know how to practice it for a beginner?
Set a proper scene
Find a space for meditation．It should be private and quiet．Make sure the temperature is comfortable．Sit on a cushion (垫子) if the floor is uncomfortable．You may play soft music if you like.
Take a moment to loosen up．Remember that the goal of meditation is to relax．Loosen your clothing, remove your shoes and have a good stretch．Do your best to ease any muscle tension that might keep you from achieving relaxation．Make an effort to relax your facial muscles．
Focus on your breath
Sit down in the space you’ve prepareD． Close your eyes and breathe．Each time you breathe in, count “one”．Each time you breathe out, count “one”．The idea is to strengthen being in the moment — the last breath doesn’t matter, and the next one doesn’t matter; only this one matters．
Feel your breath inflate (胀大) your lungs and push on your diaphragm (隔膜)．Feel how sweet it is to inhale the fresh air．As you do this, your body will gradually begin to relax and all of your attention will be centered within your minD．
Return to real life
Once you feel fully centered in your mind, allow yourself to gradually drift back to real life．Move your fingers and toes and slowly wake your body up．Open your eyes and remain there for a few minutes until your senses come back, and then slowly stand up．
Even if you can’t make it fully into your mind, you still get some benefits from it．If you want to feel better, you just need to practice．Set about 10 minutes around the same time every day and repeat this exercise.The text is about _________.
| A．steps in practicing meditation for beginners |
| B．tips on how to breathe slowly |
| C．the benefits of practicing meditation |
| D．the best way to stay relaxed |
Which of the following can best fill in the blank?
| A．Forget yourself. |
| B．Prepare yourself for it. |
| C．Avoid being disturbed. |
| D．Pay attention to your inner self． |
The underlined word “inhale” in the text can be replaced by “__________”.
| A．look for |
| B．take in |
| C．keep away |
| D．think of |
To gain greater benefits of meditation, beginners are advised to __________.
| A．do some exercise in advance |
| B．listen to some popular music |
| C．practice it every day |
| D．spend a long time in practicing it |
There is no doubt that to study abroad gives you an excellent opportunity to learn things which are very helpful in your career building．Today Canada has earned a good name in providing quality education and safe healthy environment for its students．That is why more than 130,000 international students enroll(登记入学) every year in famous Canadian universities．It is an ideal education destination and gives students a unique experience education and its versatile(多样的) arts and culture．Canada spends a lot on education and is ranked the highest in G-8 countries.
To study in Canada is very cheap．These universities are affordable compared to other universities in the world such as in the US, New Zealand and UK where cost of education and living is very high．According to a survey in 2006, “Canada offered the lowest tuition fees(学费) for foreign students compared to UK and Australia.”
The low rate of crimes and the peaceful safe environment of the country also attract a lot of international students to Canadian universities．Canada has 92 universities and 175 community colleges and university degrees have three levels—Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral．
A Bachelor’s degree in Canada is for three or four years’ full-time study depending on the nature of the program you are doing．On the other hand, a Master’s degree consists of two years of study．For a Doctoral program in Canadian universities, you require a minimum (最低/小的) of three to four or sometimes five years of research and study.
You can also find many diploma（文凭）and certification (认证) programs in Canadian universities where the time is generally one year．Some of the Canadian universities are well-regarded worldwide and the degree and diploma obtained from these Canadian universities are recognized globally and promise bright future．After the completion of studies, a person could also find great job offers in Canada itself．International students require a work permit to work on campus.We can learn from the passage that ______________.
| A．Canada has 92 community colleges |
| B．Canada spends the least on education among G-8 countries |
| C．to study in Canada is cheaper than in Australia |
| D．130,000 Chinese students enroll in Canadian universities every year |
How long will you spend at least in total if you want to finish your Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Canada?
| A．11 years |
| B．9 years |
| C．8 years |
| D．7 years |
What advantages does Canada have to attract foreign students according to the passage?
(1) Quality education (2) Safe environment (3)Versatile culture
(4) Bright job future (5) High scholarship (6) Low tuition fees
| A．(1) (2) (4) (5) (6) |
| B．(1) (2) (3) (4) (6) |
| C．(1) (3) (4) (5) (6) |
| D．(1) (2) (3) (5) (6) |
What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．Study in Canada --- a unique experience |
| B．The life in Canada |
| C．Benefits of studying abroad |
| D．Canadian culture |
When I was in junior high school, I was really a bad boy．My history teacher—Mr．Oven criticized me a lot because I was naughty（淘气的）in his class．By the end of the first semester, I’d had enough of his words and had decided that I would get my revenge（报复）on him.
The opportunity arose one morning when Mr．Oven was called to the office for a certain reason．While Mr．Oven left, my company Billy and I took Mr．Oven’s lunch bag from under his desk．I opened his sandwich and placed a worm（虫子） in between the two slices of breaD． We put it back and closed it．To keep it in memory, Billy took photos of the whole process．We laughed for weeks over this.
Well, it all went south during Thanksgiving break．Billy’s mother found the pictures in his room, and demanded that he should tell her where these pictures were from．Billy told his mother the whole story, and Mr．Oven was informeD． Not only was I punished from school for two weeks, but also I was kicked off the football and basketball team．Before I could return to school, I had to turn in a 1000-word essay on what I did and why I did that．I really felt embarrassed every time I saw Mr．Oven in the hallway for the rest of the school year．I felt a little regret that Mr．Oven left our school the next year．Mr．Oven criticized me a lot because________.
| A．I didn’t go to his class |
| B．I was naughty in my homework |
| C．I didn’t answer his questions |
| D．I disobeyed his rules in class |
How can you imagine Mr．Oven would act when he had his lunch?
| A．He would cry out, shocked that the worm lay in his sandwich． |
| B．He would eat it as usual when he had his sandwich. |
| C．He would be glad to eat his delicious sandwich with the worm. |
| D．He would be very hungry when he found the worm in his sandwich. |
The underlined sentence “Well, it all went south during Thanksgiving break.” in Paragraph 3 probably means________．
| A．Billy and I went south during Thanksgiving break. |
| B．All the students left on Thanksgiving break. |
| C．All the students went south on Thanksgiving break. |
| D．It was not until Thanksgiving break ended that the secret was let out. |
Which one was NOT true according to the article?
| A．He had to eat the sandwich he had made for Mr．Oven. |
| B．He was kicked off the football and basketball team. |
| C．He had to be punished to leave school for two weeks. |
| D．He had to write a 1000-word essay to admit his mistake. |
It is easy for some people to learn a second language．However, others have difficulty in learning a new language．What can you do to help yourself learn a second language, such as English？
1.Feel positive about learning English．_Be patient．You do not have to understand everything all at once．It is natural to make mistakes when you learn something new．We can learn from our mistakes．In other words, do not worry about making mistakes.
2.Practice your English．For example, write a diary every day．You will form a habit of writing it in English, and you will feel comfortable expressing your ideas in English．In addition, you must speak English every day．You can practice with your classmates outside class.
3.You can write this in your journal．After each class, think about what you did．Did you answer a question correctly? Did you understand something the teacher explained? Perhaps the lesson was difficult, but you tried to understand it.
You must be positive about learning English and believe that you can do it．It is important to practice every day and make a record of your achievements．
| A．Go over the points you have learned. |
| B．Keep a record of your language learning. |
| C．Don’t give up when you meet some difficulty. |
| D．If you believe that you can learn, you will learn. |
E．Several weeks later, you will see that your writing is improving.
F．In these ways, you will enjoy learning English, and you will feel more confident in yourself.
G．There are several ways to make learning English a little easier and more interesting.