One of my wonderful memories is about a Christmas. Unlike other gifts, it came without wrap.
On September 11th, 1958, Mum gave birth to Richard. After she brought him home from hospital, she put him in my lap, saying, “I promised you a gift, and here it is. “ What an honor! I turned four a month earlier and none of my friends had such a baby doll of their own. I played with it day and night. I sang to it. I told it stories. I told it over and over how much I loved it!
One morning, however, I found its bed empty. My doll was gone! I cried for it. Mum wept and told me that the poor little thing had been sent to a hospital. It had a fever. For several days, I heard Mum and Dad whispering such words as “hopeless”， “pitiful”， and “dying”， which sounded ominous.
“Christmas was coming. Don't expect any presents this year，” Dad said, pointing at the socks I hung in the living room. “If your baby brother lives, that'll be Christmas enough.” As he spoke, his eyes were filled with tears. I'd never seen him cry before.
The phone rang early on Christmas morning. Dad jumped out of bed to answer it. From my bedroom I heard him say, “What? He's all right？” He hung up and shouted upstairs. “The hospital said we can bring Richard home！”
“Thank God！” I heard Mum cry.
From the upstairs window, I watched my parents rush out to the car. I had never seen them so happy. And I was also full of joy. What a wonderful day! My baby doll would be home. I ran downstairs. My socks still hung there flat. But I knew they were not empty; they were filled with love!What happened to the author on September 11th, 1958?
| A．He got a baby brother. | B．He got a Christmas gift. |
| C．He became four years old. | D．He received a doll. |
What does the underlined word “ominous” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?
| A．Impossible. | B．Boring. |
| C．Difficult. | D．Fearful. |
The sock the author hung in the living room are probably used to ________.
| A．decorate the room | B．receive gifts |
| C．amuse his doll brother | D．wear on Christmas |
Which word can best describe the feeling of the father when Christmas was coming?
| A．Excitement. | B．Happiness. |
| C．Sadness. | D．Disappointment. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A． A sad Christmas day | B．Life with a lovely baby |
| C．A special Christmas gift. | D．Memories of a happy family |
Cruising(乘船游览) with children has never been more
Cruising, with free parking, has never been more popular with families with children. It is an ideal family holiday - once you are on board the kids will have so much to do you may not see them at all!
With fantastic children’s clubs and a play area for under 2 years old, to circus skills school on top deck, Rock School, where teens can play guitar, and Noddy and Mr. Bump from the Mr. Men Show are regular visitors. With superliners created with enjoyment and comfort in mind why not take the stress out of your next family holiday.
Sail from UK in 2011 with free parking
Sailing from Southampton has never been better value with free parking on selected sailings, saving you up to an extra £200 off your holiday. Why not sail from Southampton in 2011 to a great range of classic and impressive destinations.
The sales continues more benefits added
The P&O Cruises sale has been extended! Book before 28th February and you can save up to £2,500 and receive up to £960 free onboard spend PLUS, you can now receive free car parking on selected sailings. Do as much or as little as you desire, with P&O – you make all the choices!
Get more from your holidays—free hotel stays
Looking for something a bit different? Why not try a cruise with a pre- or post-cruise stay. Spend a day or two in fantastic cities. Tour the St Peters Basilica in Rome, wander around Sagrada Família in Barcelona or wander the beach front of Miami. Best of all, this won’t cost you a penny!This passage is probably from________.
| A．a magazine | B．a report | C．the Internet | D．a travel book |
From the first advertisement we may reach a conclusion____.
| A．once you are on board the kids will leave you. |
| B．You can even take a one-year-old baby aboard. |
| C．There are two middle schools on top deck. |
| D．You’ll surely see Mr. Bump from the Mr. Men Show. |
What benefits can you get if you book before 28thFebruary?
| A．Money saved up to £ 250. | B．Some free onboard spend. |
| C．Free car parking. | D．A meeting with Noddy. |
Which of the following does NOT provide free parking?
| A．Cruising with children | B．Sailing from Southampton |
| C．P&O Cruises | D．Free hotel stays |
American colleges and universities consider a number of things about a student who wants to be admitted. Experts say the most important thing is the students’ high school record. Besides, student's interests and activities may also play a part in getting accepted. But in most cases another consideration is how well the student did on college entrance exams. Here we’d like to discuss two of these tests: the SAT and the ACT. Most American schools accept either one.
The SAT measures reasoning skills in mathematics and language. Students have almost four hours to complete the SAT. The newest part is an essay. Students have twenty-five minutes to write an answer to a question.
The SAT costs 41.5$. Besides, the international processing charge is 22$ more. And test-takers in India and Pakistan must also pay a 21.5 $ security charge.
Students may also need to take SAT subject tests in areas like history, science and foreign language. Subject tests cost eighteen dollars each.
The ACT is an achievement test. It is designed to measure what a student has learned in school. Students are tested in mathematics, English, reading and science. A writing test is offered but not required. Without it, the ACT takes about three hours to complete. The essay part adds thirty minutes.
The ACT costs forty-nine dollars to take outside the United States. The writing test costs an additional fourteen dollars. What’s most important in students’ admission to American colleges and universities?
| A．High school record |
| B．Interests and activities |
| C．Performances in SAT and ACT |
| D．Skills in mathematics and language |
If a student from Pakistan wants to take the SAT, how much should he pay at least?
| A．21.5 dollars | B．63 dollars | C．85 dollars | D．43.5 dollars |
Which of the statement is true according to the text?
| A．It usually takes about three hours to complete the SAT. |
| B．There are only two ways for students to enter a college or a university. |
| C．The ACT measures mathematics, English, reading and science. |
| D．The two tests are specially designed for students outside America. |
What might be the best title of this passage?
| A．College Entrance Exams in America |
| B．The Way to America Colleges |
| C．The Cost of American Colleges |
| D．Important Things in College Entrance |
Barack Obama was born on August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii. His father came to America from Kenya, which is a country in Africa. His parents, Ann and Barack, met when they were students at the University of Hawaii. Since Barack had the same name as his father, young Barack went by the nickname “Barry”.
In 1979, after he finished high school, Barry went to Occidental College in Los Angeles, California. There, he started to learn about his African roots and decided to use his African name, Barack. After two years in L.A., he went to Columbia University in New York City to study politics.
After college, he moved to Chicago, Illinois, where he worked to help poor people in his city. He traveled to Africa to meet his grandmother and cousins for the first time. He went back many times over the years to visit with his family and learn about where he came from. At work, he met a lawyer named Michelle Robinson. They worked together in a big law firm. Then he left Chicago to go to Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He did very well in law school.
After he was done with school, Barack moved back to Chicago and in 1992 he married Michelle. He worked as a lawyer, devoted to helping poor people for free who had been treated unfairly. He worked hard to get the people he helped to vote(投票).
He made many people believe that their votes were important, and helped them feel like they could make a difference.Barack Obama’s father was probably born in _________.
| A．Hawaii | B．California | C．Illinois | D．Kenya |
Which of the following is the right order according to the text?
①Getting married to Michelle.
②Travelling to Africa to meet his grandmother
③Going to Harvard Law School
④Going to Columbia University
⑤Working in a big law firm.
| A．④②⑤③① | B．④③②⑤① | C．③④①⑤② | D．②①⑤④③ |
How did Obama get people to vote?
| A．By cheating them to do so. |
| B．By making a difference to people. |
| C．By showing them the importance of their votes. |
| D．By helping poor people who treat others unfairly. |
According to the text, which of the following words can best describe Barack Obama?
| A．Humorous | B．Polite | C．Brave | D．Kind-hearted |
I have nothing to say about whether or not “A Day Without Immigrants(移民)” had a positive or negative effect on the question of how the federal government should deal with the huge population of undocumented illegal immigrants in this country. I'll leave that question to others.
Regardless of how you feel about the event, one conclusion is obvious. Using the theme of “A Day Without” as a way to focus national attention on a particular subject is a great idea, and could serve as a method for increasing public consciousness about other issues that affect daily life in America. Here are my top three examples:
“A Day Without Speeding.” How hard could this be? If all drivers would strictly obey every posted speed limit on highways, downtown, on neighborhood streets, and in parking lots for one 24-hour cycle, the benefits would be huge.
“A Day Without Losing Your Temper.” A higher degree of difficulty here, and I know that from personal experience. When something goes wrong at home or on the job, there may be brief satisfaction in yelling or kicking the furniture, but bursting into anger usually has nothing to do with the approach to the heart of the matter.
“A Day Without Having All The Answers.” I would like to get a break from hearing anyone speak the phrase, “Here’s what you’re doing wrong.” Right now the US is packed with citizens who believe they can point out the cause of every single problem in existence and then solve it in a moment. I believe they need to be quiet sometimes and use their ears instead of their voices.
I wonder how would average Americans react to such a national pause? Would it be a day of reaction against anger, or joyful celebrations?The first paragraph suggests ________.
| A．the writer is against “A Day Without Immigrants” |
| B．immigrants are not equally treated by the US government |
| C．the immigrants issue is so complex that the author has to refer to others |
| D．some move to America without the permission of the US government |
The author uses his “top three examples” to________.
| A．criticize the undocumented illegal immigrants in America |
| B．show public consciousness of some subjects could be raised |
| C．encourage common people to create more similar activities |
| D．indicate some bothering issues affecting people’s daily life |
According to the author, losing one’s temper is ________.
| A．unpleasant | B．pointless | C．relaxing | D．personal |
The writer suggests “a day without having all the answers”, because ________.
| A．he thinks the Americans are too proud |
| B．he wants to have a chance to speak his mind |
| C．he expects others to keep quiet and calm |
| D．he hopes to get a break from the problems |
Dear Dean,
It is my understanding that this college has received a large donation to be used to improve the quality of life for students: expand the bookstore or add computers to the lab. I strongly argue in favor of the addition of more computers.
We have to think about a greater goal and a more practical way to enhance the quality of life for students. Do we want our college to be known as a place with a great bookstore where you can find CDs and gifts, or as a place where the students can research in their field using the best tools provided by technology?
As a learning institution, this college has the responsibility to offer its students the best technology to help them prepare for their future, since many students will be expected to be familiar with the latest software and other tools when they go on to work.
While they are in college, students find they are expected to use computers. They are asked to create PowerPoint presentations and research many topics on the Internet. Being able to do projects using the computer also gives students the opportunity to find information that without a computer would be much more difficult to find. Since students are competing for good grades, those who have limited access to computers are at a great disadvantage.
If there are more new and faster computers accessible, students will be able to complete their work more efficiently. No more will they have to wait in line, paper and disk in hand, while scanning the room for an empty chair and computer. No longer will they have to sit and wait while an outdated computer struggles to follow their commands.
The more computers are used in society, the more colleges will depend on them as a tool of teaching and learning. Making computers more accessible to students facilitates their learning process by making it much easier and more engaging(专注), and eventually improves their quality of life.The purpose of the author in writing the passage is________.
| A．to explain why students are in great need of computers |
| B．to tell us what benefits students can gain from computers |
| C．to persuade the Dean to purchase more advanced computers |
| D．to describe the problems caused by lack of computers |
The author mainly wants to tell us in paragraph four that ________.
| A．computers are beneficial to students’ academic success |
| B．computers are the only access to good grades for students |
| C．students find it convenient to do homework by computers |
| D．students wish to use more money to buy more computers |
The underlined word “facilitates” can be replaced by________.
| A．furthers | B．equips | C．predicts | D．troubles |
Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?
| A |
B |
 |
 |
| C |
D |
 |
 |
CP: Central point P: Point SP: Sub-point(次要点) C: Conclusion