Microsoft has a problem：It desperately wants the remaining Windows XP users to upgrade to a newer version of the operating system but a good many of them still haven’t started．The latest numbers from NetMarket show that Windows XP still accounts for around 29．5％of all desktops in use even though Microsoft is due to end support for the l3-Year-old platform on April 8th．ZDNet reports that Microsoft plans to force remaining XP users to start next week by sending them notices reminding them again that it will end XP support within a month．
However, as Computerworld reports，Microsoft may have a tough time convincing some Windows XP users to upgrade because it's trying to sell them on Windows 8，the newest operating system that has angered many longtime PC users by removing the traditional Start menu and by adding the interface(界面)a special feature．Computerworld writes that many Windows users expressed anger last month when Microsoft asked them to help switch as many people as they could from Windows XP to Windows 8 partly because Microsoft hasn’t offered any sort of discount for Windows XP users making the switch．
This is particularly tiresome, these users said，because switching from XP to Windows 8 won’t just require a software upgrade but will instead likely force them to buy new machines capable(能够)of running Microsoft’s new operating system．Some users were also annoyed that Microsoft only mentioned Windows 8 and not Windows 7 as upgrade possibilities．
In the end，it looks like when Microsoft ends support for Windows XP next month there will still be a large part of the desktop PC world using the platform．Hackers who have been saving up all their best new malware(恶意软件)for the day when Windows XP support ends are about to have a field day．What problem does Microsoft have now?
| A．Windows XP is out of date and needs improvement． |
| B．Windows 8 runs worse than Windows XP． |
| C．No people like to upgrade their operating system． |
| D．Lots of users refuse to switch from XP to Windows 8． |
How will Microsoft remind users of the stop of XP support?
| A．By sending them notices． |
| B．By sending them daily emails． |
| C．By adding the interface a special feature． |
| D．By removing the traditional Start menu． |
Which is probably one of the reasons why users dislike Window 8?
| A．Microsoft hasn’t offered any discount for it． |
| B．They like Window 7 more than Window 8． |
| C．Microsoft refuses to offer them a new machine． |
| D．It’s impossible for them to use the new operating system． |
What does the underlined phrase “have a field day” probably mean in the last paragraph?
| A．Show up without warning． |
| B．Make rapid progress． |
| C．Make full use of the opportunity． |
| D．Come to an end completely． |
What can be inferred from the text?
| A．Windows XP will completely be out of use in a month． |
| B．Windows XP will still be in use for a period of time． |
| C．Windows 8 will have a longer history than Windows XP． |
| D．Windows 7 will easily be attacked by Hackers． |
Sam lives in New York. His father has a shop and his mother is a doctor. He's seven years old now and has begun to go to school this autumn. It's a little far from their shop and his father drives a car to take him to school every day. So he's never late for class and his teachers like him.
It's Monday today. Miss Hunt is teaching them to count the numbers from one to ten. Sam is studying hard. Soon he can count them. Miss Hunt is happy and asks, "How many people are there in your family, Sam?"
Sam stood up and said, "Two, Miss Hunt."
"Who are they?"
"My father and mother."
"Oh? "Miss Hunt is surprised. She said, "There're three people in your family."
"But now I'm not at home. I'm at school, you know!"Sam is ________.
| A．an English boy | B．an American boy |
| C．an English girl | D．an American girl |
Sam is in Grade _______ now.
| A．One | B．Two | C．Three | D．four |
Sam usually goes to school ________.
| A．on foot | B．by bike | C．by car | D．by bus |
______, so Miss Hunt is happy today.
| A．Sam is late for class |
| B．Sam studies Chinese |
| C．The children are good at English |
| D．Sam can count from one to ten |
Which of the following is wrong?
| A．Sam is at school now. |
| B．There 're two people in Sam's family. |
| C．There 're three people in Sam's family. |
| D．Miss Hunt doesn't know how many people there are in Sam's family |
One day an ant was drinking at a small stream and fell in. She made desperate(adj.拼死的) efforts to reach the side, but made no progress at all. The poor ant almost exhausted(adj.精疲力竭的) was still bravely doing her best when a dove saw her. Moved with pity, the bird threw her a blade of grass, which supported her like a raft, and thus the ant reached the bank again. While she was resting and drying herself in the grass, she heard a man come near. He was walking along barefooted with a gun in his hand. As soon as he saw the dove, he wished to kill it. He would certainly have done so, but the ant bit him in the foot just as he raised his gun to fire. He stopped to see what had bit him, and the dove immediately flew away. It was an animal much weaker and smaller than herself that had saved her life.The ant could not reach the side though _______.
| A．she cried for help | B．she asked the dove to save her |
| C．she tried very hard | D．she could smell well |
The dove saved the ant because _______.
| A．she was the ant's friend |
| B．she took pity on the poor ant |
| C．the ant was almost exhausted |
| D．the ant had been struggled in the water for a long time |
The ant succeeded in getting on the bank with the help of _______.
| A．a leaf | B．a piece of wood |
| C．a blade of grass | D．a raft |
Just as the man shot at the dove, _______.
| A．the dove immediately flew away |
| B．the dove hid himself in the grass |
| C．the ant told the dove to leave at once |
| D．he felt something biting him in the foot |
In writing the story, the writer wants to show _______.
| A．how clever the ant was |
| B．how kind the dove was |
| C．how the ant and the dove helped each other |
| D．we often need help from others, therefore we should help others as much as we can |
Once when I was facing a decision that involved high risk, I went to a friend. He looked at me for a moment, and then wrote a sentence containing the best advice I’ve ever had: Be bold and brave — and mighty (强大的) forces will come to your aid.
Those words made me see clearly that when I had fallen short in the past, it was seldom because I had tried and failed. It was usually because I had let fear of failure stop me from trying at all. On the other hand, whenever I had plunged into deep water, forced by courage or circumstance, I had always been able to swim until I got my feet on the ground again.
Boldness means a decision to bite off more than you can eat. And there is nothing mysterious about the mighty forces. They are potential powers we possess: energy, skill, sound judgment, creative ideas — even physical strength greater than most of us realize.
Admittedly, those mighty forces are spiritual ones. But they are more important than physical ones. A college classmate of mine, Tim, was an excellent football player, even though he weighed much less than the average player. “In one game I suddenly found myself confronting a huge player, who had nothing but me between him and our goal line,” said Tim. “I was so frightened that I closed my eyes and desperately threw myself at that guy like a bullet（子弹） — and stopped him cold.”
Boldness — a willingness to extend yourself to the extreme—is not one that can be acquired overnight. But it can be taught to children and developed in adults. Confidence builds up. Surely, there will be setbacks (挫折) and disappointments in life; boldness in itself is no guarantee of success. But the person who tries to do something and fails is a lot better off than the person who tries to do nothing and succeeds.
So, always try to live a little bit beyond your abilities—and you’ll find your abilities are greater than you ever dreamed.Why was the author sometimes unable to reach his goal in the past?
| A．He faced huge risks. |
| B．He lacked mighty forces. |
| C．Fear prevented him from trying. |
| D．Failure blocked his way to success. |
What is the implied meaning of the underlined part?
| A．Swallow more than you can digest. |
| B．Act slightly above your abilities. |
| C．Develop more mysterious powers. |
| D．Learn to make creative decisions. |
What was especially important for Tim’s successful defense in the football game?
| A．His physical strength. |
| B．His basic skill. |
| C．His real fear. |
| D．His spiritual force. |
What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?
| A．To encourage people to be courageous. |
| B．To advise people to build up physical power. |
| C．To tell people the ways to guarantee success. |
| D．To recommend people to develop more abilities. |
Food serves as a form of communication in two fundamental ways. Sharing bread or other foods is a common human tradition that can promote unity and trust. Food can also have a specific meaning, and play a significant role in a family or culture's celebrations or traditions. The foods we eat—and when and how we eat them—are often unique to a particular culture or may even differ between rural (农村的) and urban areas within one country.
Sharing bread, whether during a special occasion (时刻) or at the family dinner table, is a common symbol of togetherness. Many cultures also celebrate birthdays and marriages with cakes that are cut and shared among the guests. Early forms of cake were simply a kind of bread, so this tradition hits its roots in the custom of sharing bread.
Food also plays an important role in many New Year celebrations. In the southern United States, pieces of corn bread represent blocks of gold for prosperity (兴旺) in the New Year. In Greece, people share a special cake called vasilopita. A coin is put into the cake, which signifies (预示) success in the New Year for the person who receives it.
Many cultures have ceremonies to celebrate the birth of a child, and food can play a significant role. In China, when a baby is one month old, families name and welcome their child in a celebration that includes giving red-colored eggs to guests. In many cultures, round foods such as grapes, bread, and moon cakes are eaten at welcome celebrations to represent family unity.
Nutrition is necessary for life, so it is not surprising that food is such an important part of different cultures around the world.According to the passage, sharing bread______.
| A．indicates a lack of food |
| B．can help to develop unity |
| C．is a custom unique to rural areas |
| D．has its roots in birthday celebrations |
What does the coin in vasilopita signify for its receiver in the New Year?
| A．Trust. | B．Success. |
| C．Health. | D．Togetherness. |
The author explains the role of food in celebrations by______.
| A．using examples | B．making comparisons |
| C．analyzing causes | D．describing processes |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The custom of sharing food. |
| B．The specific meaning of food. |
| C．The role of food in ceremonies. |
| D．The importance of food in culture. |
Dear Santa Claus,
My name is Amy. I am 17 years old. I have a problem at school. Can you help me, Santa? Kids laugh at me because of the way I walk and run and talk. I have cerebral palsy. I just want one day when no one laughs at me or makes fun of me.
Love, Amy
At radio station WJLT in Fort Wayne, Indiana, letters poured in for the Christmas Wish Content. When Amy’s letter arrived at the radio station, Manager Lee Tobin read it carefully. He thought it wound be good for the people in Fort Wayne to hear about this special girl and her unusual wish. Mr. Tobin called up the local newspaper.
The next day, a picture of Amy and her letter to Santa made the front page of the “News Sentinel”. The story spread quickly. All across the country, newspapers and radio and television stations reported the story of the girl in Fort Wayne, Indiana, who asked for such a simple, yet remarkable Christmas gift—just one day without teasing.
Suddenly the postman was a regular at the Hagadorn house. Envelopes of all sizes addressed to Amy arrived daily from children and adults all across the nation. They came filled with holiday greetings and words of encouragement. Some of the writers had disabilities; some had been teased as children. Each writer had a special message for Amy. Through the cards and letters from strangers, Amy saw a world full of people who truly cared about each other.
Many people thanked Amy for being brave enough to speak up. Others encouraged her to ignore teasing and to hold her head high.
Amy did get her wish of a special day without teasing at South Wayne High School. Teachers and students talked together about how bad teasing can make others feel.
That year, the Fort Wayne mayor officially declared December 21st as Amy Jo Hagadorn Day throughout the city. The mayor explained that by daring to make such a simple wish, Amy taught a universal lesson. “Everyone,” he said, “wants to and should be treated with respect, dignity and warmth.”Amy’s letter showed that______.
| A．she wanted to win Christmas Wish Contest |
| B．she is more independent than before |
| C．she is often ignored in and out of class |
| D．her schoolmates can’t understand her disability |
We may infer from Amy’s story that_____.
| A．the disabled hate those who laugh at them |
| B．the news media played a key role in helping Amy |
| C．Amy will still be made fun of by her classmates |
| D．there are few disabled people in Amy’s country |
The mayor officially declared Amy Jo Hagadorn Day _______.
| A．to tell how bad teasing can make others feel |
| B．to encourage people to hold their heads high |
| C．to explain how brave Amy was by making her wish |
| D．to call on the public to treat everyone properly |