“Where there is a will, there is a way.” Perhaps not many students can understand this better than 22-year-old Michael Ha. Because of his story of success, he has become an example to many young people.
Michael Ha was born in a very poor family. His parents worked in Vietnam before they moved to Britain in 1980. They couldn’t find work in Britain because they spoke little English. The whole family had to live on benefits (救济金) and they lived in a small house in Hackney, a poor area in East London. Growing up was not easy for Michael, but he never gave up.
At the age of 10, he set his heart on going to Cambridge University. It was not easy, either. Michael studied at a school, which used to be called “the worst school in Britain”. However, young Michael made up his mind to try his best, no matter what kind of school he was studying at. The smart boy studied very hard and did well in every subject at school. Once he made a bet (打赌) with his friend to learn further math. As a result, after spending just four months teaching himself from a textbook, he got an A in AS-level further math.
Now Michael is the star medical student at St. John’s College, Cambridge and has just won an award (奖) for his excellent grades. He hopes he will be an inspiration for other young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.When was Michael born?
| A．In 1994. | B．In 1980. |
| C．In 1990. | D．In 1984. |
Where did Michael’s parents work before 1980?
| A．In Britain. | B．In Vietnam. |
| C．In Cambridge. | D．In Hackney. |
What does Michael learn about in Cambridge University?
| A．English. | B．History. |
| C．Geography. | D．Medicine. |
Which of the following is TURE?
| A．Michael‟s parents couldn‟t find work in Britain because they had little work experience. |
| B．Michael had a dream of studying at Cambridge University when he was eleven years old. |
| C．In order to get an A in AS-level further math, Michael spent four months teaching himself. |
| D．Michael has won two awards for his excellent grades. |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．How to deal with the difficulties. |
| B．How to become a good student. |
| C．From a poor area to Cambridge. |
| D．From “worst school” to Cambridge University. |
A thief entered the bedroom of the 30th President of the United States, who met him and helped him escape punishment.
The event happened in the early morning hours on one of the first days when Calvin Coolidge came into power, late in August,1923. He and his family were living in the same third-floor suite (套房) at the Willard Hotel in Washington that they had moved in several years before. The former President’s wife was still living in the White House.
Coolidge woke up to see a stranger go through his clothes, remove a wallet and a watch chain.
Coolidge spoke, “I wish you wouldn’t take that.”
The thief, gaining his voice, said, “Why?”
“I don’t mean the watch and chain, only the charm (表坠). Take it near the window and read the words on its back, ” the president said.
The thief read, “Presented to Calvin Coolidge.”
“Are you President Coolidge?” he asked.
The president answered, “ Yes, and the House of Representatives（众议院）gave me the watch charm. I’m fond of it. It would do you no good. You want money. Let’s talk this over.”
Holding up the wallet, the young man said in a low voice, “I’ll take this and leave everything else.”
Coolidge, knowing there was 80 dollars in it, asked the young man to sit down and talk. He told the President he and his college roommate had overspent during their holiday and did not have enough money to pay their hotel bill.
Coolidge added up the roommate two rail tickets back to the college. Then he counted out 32 dollars and said it was a loan (借款).
He then told the young man, “There is a guard in the corridor(走廊).” The young man nodded and left through the same window as he had entered.What caused the thief to meet the President?
| A．He knew the president had lots of money. |
| B．He knew the president lived in the suite. |
| C．He wanted to be a rich businessman. |
| D．He wanted to steal some money. |
Why did Calvin Coolidge live at the Willard Hotel in those days?
| A．Because the former president was still in the White House. |
| B．Because the former First Lady hadn’t left the White House. |
| C．Because the hotel was suitable for the First Family to live. |
| D．Because the First lady liked to live there. |
Coolidge counted out 32 dollars______.
| A．in order to be out of danger |
| B．to make more money from the loan |
| C．in order not to be killed by the thief |
| D．so that the student could overcome his difficulty |
The young man’s roommate went back to college _____.
| A．by bus | B．by water | C．by train | D．by air |
Which of the following might happen afterwards?
| A．The thief was put into prison. |
| B．The young man repaid the 32 dollars. |
| C．The President told many reporters the thief’s name. |
| D．The President ordered the young man to repay the money. |
Europeans are being dug out from heavy snow after a week of very cold weather. The snowstorm is the harshest to hit Europe. Airports were shut down. And schools have been closed for a week.
Until Wednesday, at least 400 people across Europe had died because of the cold temperature. Several countries have said a state of emergency. In Ukraine, temperatures dropped as low as -33℉.
Although the situation is bad, at least one country is hoping the weather will last a little longer. In the Netherlands, the government is preparing for the country’s “11 Cities Tour”. The 125-mile ice-skating marathon will be held along a network which joins 11 towns and cities together in Friesland Province.
The ice along the way must be inches thick for the event. Up to 2 million people are thought to cheer on the race’s 16,000 competitors.
On Wednesday, Dutch soldiers joined in the preparations. They cleaned snow along the way. This will be the 16th time that the event has taken place since the first race in 1909. Dutch General Hans said his soldiers were happy to lend a hand. “We want to do our bit for this national party.” he said.What is “11 Cities Tour”?
| A．It’s a 125-mile ice skating marathon. |
| B．It’s a 11-mile ice skating marathon. |
| C．It’s a 16000-mile ice skating marathon. |
| D．It’s a 33-mile ice skating marathon. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Thousands of people across Europe died because of the weather. |
| B．The ice should be less than 6 inches thick for the event. |
| C．No country is glad to see the cold weather. |
| D．The first “11 Cities Tour” began in 1909. |
Who helped clean snow along the way?
| A．French soldiers | B．Dutch soldiers |
| C．Ukrainian soldiers | D．American soldiers |
The underlined word “harshest” means _______ in the passage.
| A．safest | B．most enjoyable | C．most serious | D．happiest |
The passage is mainly about______.
| A．the hard situation Europe faces |
| B．the European cold weather |
| C．preparations for a national party |
| D．the coldest season in Europe |
| Summer Camps for Children |
| ZEM, Education Language Summer Camp Ages:8-14 You can come to this 2-week camp to learn Spanish in a good environment. There you can take part in lots of activities, such as camping, swimming and mountain-biking with Spanish children. |
| Anglia Summer School Ages: 8-19 Our summer school is something special. You can learn about stage work, such as acting, singing and dancing. As well as improving these skills you will also be able to learn about teamwork. |
| Science Camp Ages: 4-14 Our camp provides the chance for children to make discoveries. It is not only fun but also educational. This camp has many activities in areas such as chemistry, nature and technology. You can also do plenty of exciting science experiments here. |
| A Rock Star Camp Ages:8-16 This camp is perfect for creating superstars. We are ready to discover and train musical children who want to become superstars. |
How many days does the language summer camp last?
| A．7 days | B．10 days | C．14 days | D．15 days |
Which of the following cannot you learn in Anglia Summer Camp?
| A．Acting | B．Singing | C．Dancing | D．Camping |
Peter is very interested in animals. Which summer camp do you think he should take part in?
| A．A Rock Star Camp |
| B．Anglia Summer School |
| C．Science Camp |
| D．ZEM, Education Language Summer Camp |
If you are fifteen years old this year, how many summer camps can you take part in?
| A．One | B．Two | C．Three | D．Four |
Where can you probably read this passage?
| A．In a book about children’s education. |
| B．On a poster about summer activities for children. |
| C．In a magazine about superstars. |
| D．On a website about schools for children. |
When women sit together to watch a movie on TV, at the same time they usually talk about a lot of subjects, including children, men, careers and what’s happening in their lives. When groups of men and women watch a movie together, the men usually end up telling the women to shut up. Men can either talk or watch the screen---they can’t do both---and they don’t understand that women can. Besides(此外), women think that the point of all getting together is to have a good time and develop relationships--not just to sit there like couch potatoes staring (盯着) at the screen.
During the ad breaks, a man often asks a woman to explain the plot(the story that is told in a novel or play or movie etc.) and tell him where the relationship between the characters is going. He is unable, unlike women, to read the small body language signals that show how the characters are feeling emotionally(情绪上). Since women originally spent their days with the other women and children in the group, they developed the ability to communicate successfully because they want to keep relationships. For a woman, speech continues to have such a clear purpose: to build relationships and make friends. For men, to talk is to connect to the facts.
Men see the telephone as a communication tool for sending facts and information to other people, but a woman sees it as a way of keeping relationship. A woman can spend two weeks on vacation with her girlfriend and, when she returns home, telephone the same girlfriend and talk for another two hours.
There is no convincing(令人信服的)evidence that social conditioning, the fact that girls’ mothers talked them more, is the reason why girls talk more than boys. Psychiatrist Dr. Michael Lewis, author of Social Behaviour and Language Acquisition, conducted experiments that found mothers talked to and looked at baby girls more often than baby boys. Scientific evidence shows parents reply to the brain differences of their children. Since a girl’s brain is better organized to send and receive speech, we talk to them more. As a result, mothers who try to talk to their sons are usually pointed to receive only short complaints in reply.While watching TV with others, women usually talk a lot because they ___________.
| A．are afraid of silence with their families and friends |
| B．can both talk and watch the screen at the same time |
| C．think they can have a good time and develop relationships |
| D．have to explain the plot and body language to their husbands |
After a vacation with her girlfriend, a woman would talk to her again on the phone for hours so as to ___________.
| A．experience the happy time again |
| B．keep a close tie with her |
| C．recommend her a new wonderful place |
| D．remind her of something forgotten |
What does the writer want to tell us most?
| A．Women’s brains are better organized for language and communication. |
| B．Women love to talk because they are more sociable than men. |
| C．Men do not like talking because they believe more in facts. |
| D．Social conditioning is not the reason why women love talking. |
Which of the following would be the BEST title for the passage?
| A．Women Are Socially Trained to Talk |
| B．Talking Keeps Relationships |
| C．Women Love to Talk |
| D．Men Talk Differently from Women |
If the rose can be said to be a special flower, then the apple can be said to be a special fruit. It is very important in American culture. American stories speak of Johnny Appleseed, who went throughout America collecting apple seeds and planting apple trees. He had a great love for nature and went through fields and farms adding richness and beauty to the country.
One of the first sayings taught to school children is, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” This short saying encourages children to eat fresh fruit to keep healthy. If someone always says good words to a person, people will call him an “apple polisher”. This, however, is not a good name. If someone is very dear to us, we say that he or she is the “apple of our eye”.
Most people believe that the fruit which Eve gave to Adam was an apple, even though the Bible(圣经) never says so. The apple, therefore, is a deep part of the language and stories of America.
An apple is also delicious. Apples can be cooked in many ways, used as a dessert, and made into sweet juice.
In many parts of the country during the harvest season, a popular activity is to go into an apple garden to pick apples. Washington, D. C. and New York are both famous for their apples.
Finally, when it’s time to take a vacation to American cities, one can always visit New York, which is “the biggest apple” of all the American cities. What does the underlined phrase “apple polisher” mean?
| A．Something for cutting apples. |
| B．A person who likes to please others. |
| C．A person who is dealing with fruits. |
| D．A machine for cleaning apples quickly. |
Which of the following is TRUE with apples?
| A．Apples are medicine. |
| B．Apples are the most important food. |
| C．New York is famous for its big apples. |
| D．The Bible says Adam was given an apple. |
The passage is mainly about.
| A．stories about the apple |
| B．apples in American culture |
| C．some famous sayings of the apple |
| D．big cities that is famous for apples |