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WHAT can help you make a fortune in the future? Graduating from a top university might not be enough. A new study from the University of Essex in Britain has shown that the more friends you have in school, the more money you’ll earn later.
The idea that popularity could have a serious influence on one’s earning potential shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. The researchers noted that if you want to get ahead in life, social skills and networking are easily as powerful as talent and hard work.
“If a person has lots of friends, it means that he or she has the ability to get along with others in all kinds of different situations,” said Xu Yanchun, 17, from Nantou High School in Shenzhen, who totally agreed with the recent finding. “Also, friends always help each other. They not only create wider social circles for you but lift your mood when you are occasionally in low spirits,” said Xu. She believed that all this helps you “earn a higher salary.”
Maybe that’s why some people think the younger generations are in the age of Friendalholism (交友狂症). A woman even complained that the networking website Facebook’s 5,000-friend limit was too low for her large reserve of social contacts.
But what does a friend mean? Should friends be regarded as a form of currency?
“Call me uncool, but I think of a friend as an actual person with whom I have an actual history and whom I enjoy actually seeing. It seems, however, that this is no longer the definition of friend”, said Meghan Daum, who works with The Los Angeles Times in the US.
Daum dislikes the idea that quantity trumps quality in the age of Friendaholism. She thought the idea of friendship, at least among the growing population of Internet social networkers, was to get as many of not-really-friends as possible. For example, a friend might be someone you might know personally but who could just as easily be the friend of a friend of some other Facebook friend you don’t actually know. Although she agreed that social ties grease (润滑) the wheels of life, she also warned. “Too bad one thing money can’t buy is a real friend.”
What will be needed if you are to achieve success according to the researchers?

A．Social skills, friends, good mood and fortune.

B．Social skills, networking, talent and hard work.

C．Social skills, networking, potential and fortune.

D．Social skills, talent, hard work and the facebook.

What can friends do in the eyes of Xu Yanchun?

A．They can help you with your schoolwork.

B．They teach you how to make more money.

C．They help you get rid of sadness and cheer up.

D．They always get on well with you.

We learn that Meghan Daum’s attitude towards friends is somewhat _______.

A．up-to-date	B．optimistic
C．confused	D．traditional

What does the word “trumps” in the last paragraph mean?

A．is better than	B．is equal to
C．is worse than	D．is similar to

高三（14）班同学开展了一场“司机醉驾是否应该处罚乘客”的讨论。请你根据下表提供的信息, 给报社写一封信, 介绍讨论的情况, 并发表你的看法。
［写作内容］

少数同学赞成处罚乘客	大多数同学反对处罚乘客
1. 减少交通事故,促进交通安全 2. 不乘坐醉酒司机的车,不仅是对自己负责, 也是对司机和路人负责	1.乘客难以判断司机是否醉酒 2. 即使乘客知道司机饮酒, 如果司机不听从乘客的劝诫, 处罚乘客是不公平的
你的看法：……

［写作要求］只能使用5个句子表达全部内容；开头已为你写好，不计入句子总数。
［评分标准］句子结构准确，信息内容完整，篇章结构连贯。
Dear Editor，
I’m writing to tell you about the discussion we’ve had about whether passengers who ride in a car driven by a drunken driver should be punished.
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Yours sincerely，
Li yan

The Pew report---which was based on surveys carried out in Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, Poland and the Czech Republic --- concluded that the European Union was “ the new sick man of Europe”.
The percentage of Europeans with a favorable view of the EU has plunged from 60 percent last year to 45 percent now.
The UK may be considered the most Eurosceptic（欧洲怀疑论者）country, but its support for the union has barely changed in the past 12 months, slipping only two points to 43 percent.
By contrast, France’s backing for the EU has slipped sharply, from 60 percent last year to 41 percent today.
On the question of whether to remain in the EU, 46 percent of the British want to leave the union and surprisingly, the same percentage went to stay.
The Pew report’s authors said, “The long-drawn economic crisis has created bad forces that are pulling European public opinion apart, separating the French from the Germans and Germans from everyone else.”
They added, “The effort over the past half century to create a more united Europe is now the main disaster of the euro crisis. The European project now stands in a bad reputation across much of Europe.”
The only European leader rated highly by their own voters was the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, with 74 percent voters in favor of her.
Prime Minister David Cameron was the next highest with a positive score of 37 percent among the British public, although he can take some comfort from the fact that 58 percent of Poles and half of all French people think he is doing a good job.
In spite of the dark economic future and growing doubt of the EU, there were strong majorities of more than 60 percent in favor of keeping the euro in the five countries surveyed that use the single currency.
Which of the following is TRUE about the recent Pew report?

A．The UK has the smallest number of people against the EU.

B．There’s a slight change of the UK’s support for the EU.

C．More than half the Germans raise doubt about the EU.

D．A vast majority of French people are in favor of the EU.

As to whether to remain in the EU, ______.

A．The British are divided equally

B．few British want to stay

C．half British want to leave

D．many British don’t care about it

What’s the Pew report’s authors’ attitude towards the relation between France and Germany?

A．Enthusiastic.	B．Optimistic.
C．Negative.	D．Neutral.

Why does Prim Minister David Cameron feel a little bit comfortable?

A．Only a score of 37 percent of Britons go against him.

B．Many of the Poles and French think well of him.

C．More than 60 percent of the Europeans are in favor of keeping the euro.

D．Angela Merkel has 74 percent voters supporting her.

Pilling a cat can be a “terrible” experience. Cats don’t want something pushed down their throats, and they’ll fight with all their strength to prevent it. In fact, it’s amazing how powerful their small bodies can be.
The easiest way of pilling a cat is to press the pill into powder. Then mix the powder with a small amount of wet food. If your cat usually eats dry food, she will probably view the wet food as a treat and eat it up.
If your cat won’t eat the wet food that contains the pill or if she is too ill to eat, you can get a “pill gun”. There are some basic instructions. Getting your cat’s mouth to open is going to be the most difficult part. First, be sure the pill is in a handy place. Then you can put your cat on a bookshelf with her bottom in a corner or you can put her on your lap firmly tied. Have your cat facing to the right if you’re right-handed. With your left hand, hold your cat at the cheekbones, putting your palm at the top of her head. Keeping your finger off the trigger (扳机), with your right hand, insert the pill gun until the pill is positioned over the tongue and open throat. Be sure to give your cat a treat directly after giving the pill.
If you don’t feel comfortable using a pill gun, you can try giving the pill by hand. Push your cat’s head backwards just far enough so that her nose is pointing towards the ceiling. At this point, most cats will slightly open their mouths. With the little finger or ring finger of the hand holding the pill, open the bottom jaw a little more. You may need to hold her top jaw with your other hand while doing this. Aim straight and lightly throw the pill or drop it. Most cats will then swallow the pill.
Pilling a cat can be a terrible experience because cats ______.

A．are amazingly powerful and dangerous

B．may fight with all their strength against pills

C．refuse something pressed down their throats

D．are difficult to treat once they’ve got ill

What can be inferred according to the second paragraph?

A．Wet food with medicine is usually a treat to cats.

B．Cats used to dry food must reject wet food.

C．The easiest pilling is to press the pill into powder.

D．Cats are probably interested in something new.

Using a “pill gun”, you had better hold your cat ______ if you’re left-handed.

A．facing to the right	B．with your right hand
C．at the head	D．on your lap firmly

A cat probably opens its mouth naturally when ______.

A．its nose is straight upwards

B．it is touched by fingers

C．its head is turning around

D．it is served with its favorite pills

These eco-inspired books get kids thinking about nature and environment.
How to Raise Monarch Butterflies
—By Carol Pasternak
Have you ever watched a monarch transform from a caterpillar （毛虫） to a butterfly from up close? In this book, learn everything about the monarch life cycle and how to raise monarchs from eggs to adult butterflies. You will also get to know the efforts involved to protect the species.
A Kid’s Guide to America’s Parks
—By Erin McHugh
This year, the US National Park Service’s National Park Week is on April 21-29. During the week, all the national parks offer free admission. Enrich your knowledge with this book, as it introduces the national parks and some interesting places in the US, including their geography, specific animals as well as environmental challenges. The book’s featured places include Yosemite National Park, Ellis Island (home of the Statue of Liberty) and the National Park of American Samoa, the only U.S. national park south of the equator（赤道）.
Where Do you Recyclable Materials Go?
—By Sabbithry Persad
Tiana had been learning about recycling at school. But when her dog, Bubbles, gets lost running after a recycling truck, she ends up learning a lot more about recyclable materials than ever! Follow Tiana and her family as they search for Bubbles around town and at the Material Recovery Facility. Along the way, readers will learn a lot about recycling and how they can do their part in protecting the environment.
Scrap Kins Build-It Book Volume1
—By Brian Yanish
Meet the Scrap Kins. They are creative, friendly monster who live in a recycling center, known as Scrap City. They’ll show you how to turn junk into pretty cool things. Readers will learn how to create cute bags from old jeans, beautiful ships from milk boxes, and more. Remember that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure!
Why is the National Park of American Samoa special?

A．There is a famous statue in it.

B．It lies south of the equator.

C．It has its specific animals.

D．It is free for admission.

Which book is most probably written in the form of a story?

A．How to Raise Monarch Butterflies

B．A Kid’s Guide to America’s Parks

C．Where Do Recyclable Materials Go?

D．Scrap Kins Build-It Book Volume 1

The common goal of the four books is to _____.

A．teach kids practical skills

B．comment on kids’ behavior

C．raise kids’ environment awareness

D．make kids interested in geography

A．eating habits	B．living places
C．learning activities	D．communication methods

A．Video	B．Visions of Earth
C．Your Shot	D．Photo of the Day