Language changes all the time. The words used by young people in the UK can be very different to those used by adults. These extremely informal words and expressions are known as “slang”. Here are a few examples:
·Instead of using different tag question like isn’t it? Can’t you or don’t they? People use “innit”.e.g. It’s hot here, isn’t it?="It’s" hot here, innit!
·Instead of saying very, really or completely, they use “well”. e.g. I’m well tired.
· “Whatever” means “I don’t care”. e.g. A: But the teacher says we can’t leave until we’ve finished. B:Whatever. I’m going.
Nobody uses slang and not everybody likes it. A school in Sheffield, in the north of England, recently instructed its pupils to stop using slang words. The head teacher says that if young people learn to speak ‘correctly’ this will help them get a good job.
When British people use slang, it’s no surprise that some students say they can’t understand native speakers. But perhaps learners don’t need to worry about communicating with native speakers so much. Research shows that most of the English spoken in the world today is spoken between non-native speakers of the language. In fact, when we think about “International English”, there is no such thing as a native or non-native speaker.
How important is it to understand these slang words and expressions? If you watch films or TV, chat online in English, then understanding slang can be very useful. But you probably won’t see much slang in your English exam though. With over seven billion people living on our planet today, it’s easy to think one person’s actions won’t make a difference, however, from personal experience, I can say: each of us is capable of making a difference, however small, to someone’s life.Based on the slang mentioned above, what is the meaning of “I think you got me well wrong.”?
| A．I think you really hurt my feelings |
| B．I think you totally misunderstood me |
| C．I think you found the completely wrong person |
| D．I think you completely brought the wrong thing |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．It is essential to learn all the British slang |
| B．Native English speakers cannot understand each other well |
| C．English is used more between non-native speakers currently |
| D．Young people in Britain often use the same slang words as their parents |
In the author’s opinion, why shouldn’t English learners be concerned about slangs?
| A．British slangs can hardly come across to English learners |
| B．English learners won’t speak with the native speakers |
| C．English learners can make a difference in the world |
| D．There are more people who don’t use native slang to communicate |
The author may agree to the opinion that _______.
| A．individuals can play a part in others’ life |
| B．slang learning is an important part of language learning |
| C．one may express his doubt and disbelief by saying “Whatever” |
| D．English learners may feel difficult to communicate without slang |
New technology that can “ see ” through clothing and detect what ’ s underneath can now be used to scan crowds, making it a potentially effective tool to prevent terrorist attacks in public places.
The Thru Vision T5000 camera picks up Terahertz rays ，or T-rays, which are naturally sent out by all objects and can pass through clothes or even walls. The camera can then detect metallic and nonmetallic objects hidden under clothing on still or moving subjects without showing any body detail.
While similar technology is seen at airports around the world, the T5000 is designed to be used in large, open areas. With a range of 25 meters, the T5000 can screen people in public places, thus avoiding bottle-necks at border crossing or security checkpoints. It also means people can be screened without knowing it.
The technology develops from British astronomers ’ work in studying dying stars. Astronomers use T-ray cameras to see through dust and clouds in space. The company sees uses for its camera at other sites where political or business activities take place.
For privacy concerns，Thru Vision Chief Executive Clive Beattie said the image produced by the camera did not show detailed parts of the body. ” It's almost a shining light bulb(灯泡）.“ Beattie said. "You don' t see the detail that people might be concerned about. “ In London' s busy Piccadilly Circus—which is already filled with closed -circuit surveillance (监视）cameras— reaction to the new technology was mixed. Some said the camera was going too far and violating privacy，but others said they are willing to put safety before privacy concerns. “ There ’ s surveillance everywhere anyway, “ said one commuter. “I don' t think it’ s much of a difference. I don' t care that they can see through me because they can see me anyway.“
Some experts said the privacy violation of the camera was not worth the benefit. “ What we should consider is how much we want to lose our privacy in order to obtain a sort of national security，” said David Murakami Wood，director of the Surveillance Studies network，which deals with surveillance and privacy problems. “ In most cases this isn' t real security—it ’ s a sense of safety that has very little real effect. ”.
What can we learn about T5000?
| A．It can detect metallic and nonmetallic objects underneath. |
B．It can see through  clothing or walls by sending out T-rays. |
| C．It was first used to observe stars by astronomers. |
| D．It is widely used at airports around the world. |
.
What is the most probable purpose of the new invention?
| A．To improve people ’ s life standard. | B．For scientific research. |
| C．For commercial benefits. | D．For safety reasons. |
.
Which is most probably the opinion of people on using the new camera?
| A．Some agree to its use as it is new technology to protect privacy. |
| B．Some agree to its use because safety is the most important. |
| C．Some don' t agree to its use because it makes no difference. |
| D．Some people don' t care because they know little about it. |
.
What' s the main idea of the last paragraph?
| A．Safety is more important than privacy. |
| B．T5000 is more beneficial than harmful. |
| C．T5000 does not really provide security. |
| D．It's not worth giving up privacy for safety. |
Getting your teen to think beyond his own immediate needs can be more difficult than cracking a nut with a plastic fork．But don't worry．It's not impossible．There are many ways to encourage your teen to care about th
ose outside his immediate circle of friends．As he begins to have responsibility towards others, he will realize he feels even better about himself．
"Teens are thinking about career, college, an
d what their future might look like," explains Michelle Maidenberg, a clinical director of Westchester Group Works, a center for group treatment in New York．"This is very challenging and just one of the reasons why they are so focused on their own
world．" Once teens participate in community service, however, they begin to look beyond their personal needs．They also learn firsthand about the challenges others face, and they experience a sense of authority as they realize they can make a real difference in others' lives．
Not sure how to convince a teen to get away from the cell phone and into a community project? Teens buy into community service when the project or program is in an area of their interest．
"Finding something in an area of interest for them keeps them motivated and inspired," Maidenberg says．For instance, if he is interested in culinary （烹饪） school, he could volunteer in a soup kitchen or bake for a project that supports families in need．Volunteer projects in your teen's area of interest will build her knowledge base as well as help others．
Parents can do their part by participating i
n community service themselves．Teens can learn directly from their parents that personal enjoyment is not ,all that matters．
Let teens know the benefits they will obtain．“Give them every reason in the world to volunteer," Maidenberg advises．She says that working on 
community service projects builds confidence．"By working with others, teens improve managerial, interpersonal and communication skills．Community service helps to approach maturity when they take a step back to see the needs of other people," she adds．Another reward: service hours look great on a resume!.
According to Michelle Maidenberg, it's hard to get teens to think beyond their own immediate needs partly because ______．
| A．they care more about their circle of friends |
| B．they have no interest in doing anything |
| C．they have to work hard for college |
| D．they are facing many challenges |
.
The underlined phrase "buy into" in Paragraph 3 probably means ______．
| A．agree to join in | B．spend money on |
| C．get away from | D．are interested in |
.
The writer mentions the benefits in the last paragraph in order to ______．
| A．make teens feel much better about themselves |
| B．encourage teens to care about his own needs |
| C．help parents reason teens into volunteering |
| D．get parents to do more community service |
My students often tell me that they don’t have “enough time” to do all their schoolwork.
My reply is often a brief “You have as much time as the president.” I usually carry on a bit about there being twenty-four hours in the day for everyone, and suggest that “not enough time” is not an acceptable explanation of not getting something done.
Once in graduate school, I tried to prove to one of my professors by 
say
ing that I was working hard. His answer to me was, “That’s irrelevant (无关的). What’s important is the quality of your work.” Since then I have had time to think carefully about the “hard worker” dodge (诀窍), and I have come to some conclusions — all relevant to the problem of how much time we have.
If you analyze the matter, you can identify two parts of the problem: There is, of course, the matter of “time”, which we can think of as fixed. Then there is the problem of “work” during that time. But, as my professor suggested, it’s not how hard one works but the quality of the product that’s important.
That led me to a new idea: the quality of the work. That concept is perhaps best explained by a sign I once saw on the wall in someone’s office: “Don’t work harder. Work smarter.” There is a lot of sense in that idea.
If you can’t get more time, and few of us can, the only solution is to improve the quality of the work. That means thinking of ways to get more out of the same time than we might otherwise get. That should lead us to an analysis of our work habits. Since “work” for students usually means “homework”, the expression “work habits” should be read as “study habits”.
Then, as a smart student, you will seek to improve those skills that you use in study, chiefly reading and writing. If you learn to read better and write better, there are big benefits that pay off in all your studies..
From the passage, we know that the author is probably ______ .
| A．a poet | B．an educator | C．a novelist | D．an engineer |
.
We can infer from the 2nd paragraph that we students still _____ .
| A．have enough time | B．can meet the president |
| C．get everything done well | D．should accept the explanation |
.
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The author’s students make good use of their time to do all their homework. |
| B．The author tried to tell the professor that he/she (author) had done a good job. |
| C．You can’t improve the quality of the work if you can’t get more time. |
| D．You’ll try to improve your skills in reading and writing if you’re a clever student. |
.
What’s the passage mainly about?
| A．Students don’t have enough time. | B．Don’t work harder; work smarter. |
| C．No one can get more time. | D．Read better and write better. |
A Full-Time School Called Life
You are enrolled in a full-time school called “life”. Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. You may like the lessons or hate them, but you have designed them as part of your curriculum.
Why are you here? What is your purpose? Humans have sought to discover the meaning of life for a very long time. What we and our ancestors overlooked, however, is there is no one answer. The meaning of life is different for every individual.
Each person has his or her own purpose and distinct path, unique and separate from anyone else’s. As you travel your life path, you will be presented with numerous lessons that you will need to learn in order to fulfill that purpose. The lessons you are presented with are specific to you; learning these lessons is a key to discovering and fulfilling the meaning and connection of your own life.
As you travel through your lifetime, you may encounter challenging lessons that others don’t have to face, while others spend years struggling with challenges that you don’t need to deal with. You may never know why you are blessed wi
th a wonderful marriage, while your friends suffer through bitter arguments and painful divorces, just as you cannot be sure why you struggle financially while your peers enjoy abundance. The only thing you can count on for certain is that you specifically need to learn; whether we choose to learn them or not is entirely up to you.
The challenge here, therefore , is to align（与…保持一致）yourself with your own 
unique path by learning individual lessons. This is one of the most difficult challenges you will be faced with in your lifetime, as sometimes your path will be completely different from others. But, remember, don’t compare your path to the people around you and focus on the difference between their lessons and yours. You need to remember that you will only be faced with lessons that you are capable of learning and are specific to your own growth.
Our sense of fairness is the expectation of equity—the assumption that all things are equal and that justice will always prevail. Life is not, in fact, fair, and you may indeed have a more difficult lift path than others around you, deserved or not. Everyone’s circumstances are unique, and everyone needs to handle his or her own circumstances differently. If you want to move toward calm, you will be required to move out the comparing phrase of “it’s not fair”. Focusing on the unfairness of circumstances keeps you comparing yourself with others rather than appreciating your own special uniqueness. You miss out on learning your individual lessons by distracting yourself with feeling of bitterness and anger..According to the passage, how can the meaning of your life be realized?
| A．Having the same opinions as others. |
| B．Taking the distinct path from others. |
| C．Learning the lessons presented to you. |
| D．Doing the different things from others. |
. From the passage we can conclude ______.
| A．everyone has his own track to follow |
| B．the same thing usually happen to the peers |
| C．a painful divorce must lie in financial problems |
| D．a wealthy man must have a wonderful marriage |
. In your lifetimes, the lessons you are faced with ______.
| A．are beyond your power | B．keep you from growth |
| C．limit your development | D．help you with your success |
. Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．All things are equal and justice will always prevail. |
| B．You should learn to appreciate your specific uniqueness. |
| C．One has to fix his mind on unfairness of circumstances. |
| D．The teachers have designed the lessons as part of your curriculum in the life school.. |
. Life is called a full-time school, because ______.
| A．it is full of all lessons to learn |
| B．you have plenty of time to learn lessons |
| C．you meet with specific lessons every day |
| D．there are so many subjects for you to choose |
Researchers in Britain are driving the environmental movement to a new level. A team from the University of Warwick has built what it calls the world’s first completely environmentally friendly Formula Three racing car.
The car is made mainly of renewable materials, like plants and vegetables. The structure around the car is made from natural plant fibers and potatoes. The steering wheel(方向盘) is made from root vegetables like carrots. The engine uses bio-fuel made from vegetable oil and waste chocolate.
The new racing car is extremely fast. The car has a top speed of two hundred fifteen kilometers an hour. And it can go from zero to ninety-five kilometers an hour in just two and a half seconds. The racing car meets all of the Formula Three racing requirements except for its biodiesel(生物柴油) engine.
Automobile racing is one of the most widely watched sports in the world. But it is also considered one of the least friendly sports to the environment. Racing cars burn a lot of fuel, and create a lot of air pollution. In recent years, the racing industry has taken steps to protect the environment. More racing companies are now producing cars that use less energy. These cars produce less pollutio
n than cars that depend on traditional fuel, like gasoline.
Last month, the new racing car was set to run in its first competitive race at the Formula Three Championship Final at Brands Hatch. It would have been the first biodiesel-powered car to race at Formula Three. Current Formula Three rules let only gasoline-powered car to compete. Officials needed permission from all of the Formula Three racers for the biodiesel-powered car to compete. They were unable to contact one of the drivers, so the new racing car didn’t appear in the event. In test runs, the new racing car was the fifth fastest among the Formula Three race cars. Supporters are hoping to have the fuel problem solved in time to compete in the next season.. What’s the second paragraph mainly about?
| A．What materials the new racing car is made of. |
| B．Why researchers built the new racing car. |
| C．The characteristics of the new racing car. |
| D．The process of the new racing car being designed. |
.According to the passage, the _________ of the new racing car doesn’t meet the Formula Three racing
requirements.
| A．speed | B．appearance | C．weight | D．engine |
. It can be inferred from the passage that __________.
| A．the new racing car is the first environmentally friendly car |
| B．automobile racing could be forbidden in the near future |
| C．many people like to watch automobile racing |
| D．the new racing car will be allowed to compete in the next season of Formula Three racing |
. In recent years, racing companies are producing cars that __________.
| A．burn more fuel | B．go more quickly |
| C．produce less pollution | D．cost less money |
.Why didn’t the new racing car compete at the Formula Three Championship Final last month?
| A．Because the new racing car still needs testing. |
| B．Because officials needed each racer’s permission but failed to contact one. |
| C．Because there’re some technical problems to be solved. |
| D．Because few drivers think it is fast enough. |