It was very cold and I had been watching a homeless man make himself comfortable in a “shelter” on the river bank. His “shelter” was a tarpaulin (油布) tied to rocks to keep the wind from blowing it away. He had been living there for over a month. I never saw him with warm clothing or food. I knew what I wanted to do.
When I told my parents what I wanted to do they were alarmed. They said I could be putting myself at risk, taking a box to a homeless person at night! But I knew, in my deep heart, that I would be safe.
I got a box. My parents watched as I added warm gloves, a heavy blanket ... into the box until it was full! Then, I put a Christmas card on top. It said, “Even though we hardly know each other, I want to wish you a Merry Christmas!” I put ten one-dollar bills inside it as well.
My father insisted he went there with me as it was 10 pm on Christmas Eve. I said he could drive me but he had to stay in the car. He agreed.
I took the box and walked towards his “house”. I called, “Sir, I have a Christmas box for you!”
“Go away!” he shouted.
“Sir,” I repeated.
“Go away!” he shouted.
“Why?” I asked him.
He walked over and I expected to see an angry face. Instead I saw two of the most beautiful, gentle, blue eyes I have ever seen.
“Merry Christmas!” I said.
“Why are you doing this?” he asked.
“Because you matter to me,” I said. With that I gave him the box.
Tears came to his eyes and he thanked me. I got back to the car and watched him carry the box like it was filled with gold. I didn’t want to embarrass (使困窘) him by watching him any more so Dad and I left.The underlined word “alarmed” can best be replaced by _____.
| A．pleased | B．worried |
| C．disappointed | D．surprised |
Why did the author ask his father to stay in the car?
| A．Because he wanted to prove he was brave. |
| B．Because he believed the homeless man was bad. |
| C．Because he wanted to protect his father from being hurt. |
| D．Because he didn’t want the homeless man to feel bad. |
When the homeless man saw the author first, he was _____.
| A．quite angry | B．very excited |
| C．quite puzzled | D．very curious |
The author’s purpose in writing the text is to tell readers that _____.
| A．it is easier said than done |
| B．poverty is the mother of health |
| C．where there is a will, there is a way |
| D．a willing helper does not wait until he is asked |
The summer of 2012 was full of reports of extreme weather: one of the warmest years on record in the US, the wettest summer in the UK, and the worst drought (旱灾) in East Africa. In short, extreme weather seems to be becoming the new normal. Weather extremes are not that extreme any more. Heatwaves, droughts and wildfires are the new reality of a warming world.
And this should not come as a surprise. Scientists have been warning for years that as the planet heats up, we will have to deal with more dreadful weather. Although not every extreme weather event is the result of climate change, scientists are now much more confident about connecting weather events with climate change. In 2011, the UK had a warm November. Researchers say that it was at least 60 times more likely to happen because of climate change than because of natural changes in the earth’s weather systems.
All the news shows that climate breakdown is occurring faster than most climate scientists had expected. But isn’t it too expensive to stop the climate from changing? Well, yes it costs. So everything is just as usual. It would be wrong to believe that to let things continue as they always do is the cheap choice. Instead, it is very expensive. Just one example: droughts in the US, Russia and the Ukraine sent food prices to a record high. According to the World Bank, the price for corn increased by 113% in some markets in Mozambique and in Sudan. This is the kind of cost that often gets ignored.
I believe intelligent climate action can help create new opportunities for jobs in Europe, for encouraging creativity and competitiveness, for spending less money on energy.According to the passage, in 2012 _____.
| A．the UK had a warm November | B．the US had many wildfires |
| C．the UK had a dry summer | D．East Africa had little rain |
The author mentions the increase of food prices in Paragraph 3 to _____.
| A．show a lot of people are hungry |
| B．prove food prices are very changeable |
| C．prove we’re paying for extreme weather |
| D．show it’s expensive to stop the climate from changing |
Which of the following statements does the author probably agree with?
| A．Proper climate action will be useful. |
| B．Europe is providing limited job opportunities. |
| C．It’s everyone’s duty to protect the environment. |
| D．Everyone needs time to get used to extreme weather. |
Christmas is long gone. and Valentine’s Day is a distant memory. That means it's a slow time for jewelers, and a good time for you to make a purchase. Whether you’re out shopping for gold, or silver, here fife a few things you need to know:
What determines price?
The purity of the metal is one of the elements that determines the price. Gold purity is indicated with a stamp of 10K, 14K, 18K, or 24K. And different countries have their own standards. For example, for a piece to be considered gold in the US, it must be at least 10K. In Britain and Canada: 9K. In Italy and France: l 8K. Anything over l 8K is really too soft for everyday wear. That’s why jewelry stores in the US sell mostly 14K.
How much can you expect to pay?
That depends on the weight of the metal and the gemstone(宝石). So keep that in mind, especially when buying online. To keep yourself from getting ripped off, ask yourself the following:
●How long has the company been around?
●What is its return policy?
● Is the jewelry featured on the website visible from all directions?
● Is the company transparent with the gram weights and the size of the gemstones?
Yellow gold? White? Rose?
Yes, it's confusing, and while this is largely a personal decision, there fife a few things to keep in mind. For starters. white or rose gold costs about l 0% more than yellow gold. If you want the “look for less”, consider gold. plated jewelry. “Gold plated” and “gold overlay” mean the same thing and guarantee a thicker layer of finish than “vermeil” which is a flash finish that is thinner and less consistent, but more affordable. Buy vermeil finished pieces you want for a season or two just to follow the fashion. For pieces you want to wear for a lifetime, solid gold is best.
What about sterling silver(标准纯银)?
Sterling silver has been。an alternative for white gold during the difficult economy, and while it used to be more popular with just the younger these days it has much more mass appeal. So much so that retailers are now offering fine gemstones with silver--something you used to see only with gold.
Keep in mind that in the US. the sterling silver standard is 92.5% real silver. Don’t buy it if there isn’t a “925” stamp on it. And keep in mind that the lower price you’re paying for silver means more maintenance. To keep silver jewelry from becoming less shiny, consider keeping a piece of chalk in your jewelry box. According to the passage, the underlined phrase “getting ripped off” in Paragraph 3 probably means “_______”.
| A．being charged | B．being cheated | C．being affected | D．being attracted |
Which of the following is relatively good for only wearing a short time?
| A．A 14K necklace. | B．A gold-plated ring. |
| C．A vermeil ear ring. | D．A gemstone necklace. |
We call infer from the last paragraph that silver jewelry should be kept ________
| A．in a dry place | B．in a cold place | C．in a wet place | D．in a hot place |
The author writes the passage mainly to ________.
| A．encourage young people to buy fashionable jewelry |
| B．tell people the best time to purchase gold and silver |
| C．introduce the real value and popularity of gold and silver |
| D．inform people of the factors to consider in buying jewelry |
It’s a common belief that over time, pet owners start to look like their animals, and vice versa. Now conies the terrifying news that cats look up to their owners as role models and copy their behavior.
Next time you reach for your fridge, think twice. If Kitty is watching, she is likely to overeat as well.
What is your cat’s IQ?
In a new study from the University of Messina, it turns out that indoor cats who live closely to their owners “mirror” the lives of their caregivers. They sleep at the same time, eat at the same time, and can even become more or less social depending on the behavior of their owners.
“Cats are intelligent animals with a long memory, ”Jane Brunt, the executive director of the CATalyst Council, told Discovery News. “They watch and learn from us, noting the patterns of our actions. as evidenced by knowing where their food is kept and what time to expect to be fed, how to open the cupboard door that’s been improperly closed, and where their feeding and toileting areas fife. ”Because cats copy our habits, if you spend a lot of time raiding(搜刮)the fridge, your cat will return to its food bowl for that midnight snack, too. According to the study, this explains why “human and cat overweight rates often seem to match. ”So. if you felt guilty about leaving your precious kitty at home while you go to work, now you call feel even worse：You fife making your cat fat!
There’s no word if drinking green tea and making sure you go to Yoga will benefit your cat, but based on the study. it sounds like sticking to a healthy eating and sleeping schedule is best for both of you.
There’s a lot we can learn from our cats in return. “When they sit on our laps softly purring with rhythmic breathing and half-closed eyes. the sense of peace and calm that comes over us is like a private 1esson in inner meditation. ”Brant said. Sure. But cats don’t have to sit in rush hour traffic for an hour a day or worry about their in-laws. They’re probably pretty good at remaining calm.
So, according to science。even though we assumed that cats were not close to us all these years, it turns out they fife in fact learning from us and looking up to us. Scary, huh?According to the passage. which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Cats can copy humans’ schedule. | B．Humans can learn from cats in some way. |
| C．Cats are smart and have fl long memory | D．Green tea and Yoga can benefit cats. |
What does the underlined word “this” in Paragraph 5 refer to?
| A．Humans’ keeping searching the fridge. |
| B．Cats’ going to their owners for food. |
| C．Cats’ copying humans’ habit of looking for food. |
| D．Humans’ leaving cats home while working. |
What can we learn from our cats?
| A．To remain calm. | B．To be able to copy. | C．To stay proud. | D．To look up to friends. |
The best title for the passage could be ________.
| A．Your Cat Can Bring You Pleasure | B．You Are Copying Your Cat |
| C．You Can Make Your Cat Social | D．Your Cat Is Copying Your Habit |
Plagiarism(剽窃)is the act of taking another person’s writing, conversation, song, or even idea and passing it off as your own. This includes information from web pages, books, songs, television shows. email messages, interviews, articles. artworks or any other medium. Whenever you paraphrase, summarize, or take words, phrases, or sentences from another person’s work, it is necessary to indicate the source of the information within your Paper using ail internal citation(引用). It is not enough to just list t11e source in a bibliography at the end of your paper. Failing to properly cite(引述)or acknowledge someone else’s words or ideas with an internal citation is plagiarism.
Each of the 10 most common types of plagiarism is defined below. The types are ranked in the order of the seriousness of intention. 
In terms of seriousness, which of the following is the worst?
| A．REMIX. | B．MASHUP. | C．CLONE. | D．RECYCLE. |
If an essay contains copied passages, but without citation, it could still be regarded as _______.
| A．HYBRID | B．FIND-REPLACE | C．CTRL-C | D．RE-WEET |
The Code “404 ERROR” probably means “________”.
| A．No Citation | B．Not Found | C．Some Changes | D．Many Errors |
FFather was a hardworking man who delivered bread as a living to support his wife and three children. He spent all his evenings after work attending classes，hoping to improve himself so that he could one day find a better. paid job. Except. for Sundays, Father hardly ate a meal together with his family. He worked and studied very hard because he wanted to provide his family with the best that money could buy.
Whenever the family complained that he was not spending enough time with them, he reasoned that he was doing all this for them. Though he often longed to spend more time with his family, he weighed his contribution to his family above everything else.
The day came when the examination results were announced. To his joy, Father passed, and with distinctions too! Soon after, he was offered a good job as a senior supervisor which paid handsomely.
Like a dream come true, Father could now afford to provide his family with life’s little luxuries like nice clothing，fine food and vacation abroad.
However, the family still did not get to see Father for most of the week. He continued to work very hard, hoping to be promoted to the position of manager. In fact, to make himself a worthily candidate for the promotion, he took another course in an open university.
Again, whenever the family complained that he was not spending enough time with them, he reasoned that he was doing all this for them. Though he often longed to spend more time with his family, he weighed his contribution to his family above everything else.
Father’s hard work paid off and he was promoted. Happily, he decided to hire a maid to relieve his wife from her domestic tasks. He also felt that their three-room flat was no longer big enough. It would be nice for his family to be able to enjoy the facilities and comfort of a condominium. Having experienced the rewards of his hard work many times before, Father resolved to further his studies and work at being promoted again. The family still did not get to see much of him. In fact, sometimes Father had to work on Sundays entertaining clients.
Over again, whenever the family complained that he was not spending enough time with them, he reasoned that he was doing all this for them. Though he often longed to spend more time with his family, he weighed his contribution to his family above everything else.
As expected, Father's hard work paid off again and he bought a beautiful condominium overlooking the coast of Singapore. On the first Sunday evening at their new home, Father declared to his family that he decided not to take any more courses or pursue any more promotions. From then on he was going to devote more time to
his family, and it was a promise.
Father did not wake up the next day.Father worked and studied very hard because ________.
| A．he had to support his family |
| B．he was enthusiastic in attending classes |
| C．he wanted to bring his family a better lire |
| D．he had to so as to reduce his family’s complaint |
What CAN’T Father get through his hard work?
| A．Family time. | B．Higher education. | C．Better housing. | D．Vacation abroad. |
How would the family feel when “Father did not wake up the next day”?
| A．To their joy, Father can have a good rest in the end. |
| B．They should have stopped Father from working so hard. |
| C．Thank God, Father can stay home with them. |
| D．There is no point working hard for a better life. |
What is the function of the italicized(斜体)paragraphs in this passage?
| A．To make readers show sympathy for Father. |
| B．To show how stubborn Father was. |
| C．To make readers fee l how hard Father worked. |
| D．To imply a sad ending to the story. |