Agatha Christie (1890-1976) was born Agatha May Clarissa Miller in Devon，England in 1890，the youngest of three children in a conservative，well-to-do family．Taught at home by a governess and tutors，as a child Agatha Christie never attended school．She became skillful at creating games to keep herself occupied at a very young age．A bashful child，unable to adequately express her feelings，she first turned to music as a means of expression and，later in life，to writing．
In 1914，at the age of 24，she married Archie Christie， a World War I fighter pilot． While he was off at war， she worked as a nurse． It was while working in a hospital during the war that Christie first came up with the idea of writing a detective novel． Although it was completed in a year， it wasn’t published until 1920，five years later．
“The mysterious Affair at Styles” gave the world the unique Hercule Poirot， a retired Belgian police officer who was to become one of the most enduring characters in all of fiction． With his waxed moustache and his “little grey cell，” he was “meticulous (careful to do things correctly)，a tidy little man， always neat， orderly and a bit absurd． ”
Christie wrote more than 30 novels featuring Poirot． Among the most popular were” The Murder of Roger Ackroyd”(1926)，“Murder on the Orient Expredd”(1934)，and “Death on the Nile” (1937)．
Another of Christie’s most well-known and beloved characters was introduced in “Murder at the Vicarage” in 1930．Miss Jane Marple， an elderly single in the old- fashioned English village of St． Mary Mead， solved all manner of mysteries with intense concentration and instinct．
Christies ultimately (finally)became the acknowledged Queen of the Golden Age． In all， she wrote over 66 novel， numerous short stories and screenplays， and a series of romantic novels using the pen name Mary Westmacott． Several of her works were made into successful feature films， the most notable being Murder on the Orient Express (1974)．In short， she is the single most popular mystery writer of all time． In 1971 she was awarded the high honor of becoming a Dame of the British Empire．
Which of the following is the correct order in which the events happened？
A． Agatha became a Dame of The British Empire．
B． Agatha worked as a nurse
C． The Mysterious Affair at Styles was published．
D． Murder on the Vicarage Express was published
e． Murder on the Orient Express was filmed
f． Archie Christie went to the front as a fighter pilot．
A． f-b-d-c-e-a
B． f-b-c-d-a-e
C． f-d-b-c-a-e
D． f-d-c-b-e-a
What does the underlined word “bashful” probably mean？
| A．Shy | B．Conservative |
| C．Stupid | D．Sensitive |
Mary Westmacott is_________________．
| A．Agatha’s governess |
| B．the name of Agatha’s novel |
| C．another name for Agatha |
| D．the heroine of Agatha’s novel |
Which of the following is NOT true about Hercule Poirot？
| A．He was once a policeman |
| B．He paid much attention to details |
| C．He sometimes seems rather foolish |
| D．He solved mysterious with a sixth sense |
In Agatha Christie’s life， What were the most popular novels that she wrote？
| A．biography |
| B．detective novel |
| C．romantic fiction |
| D．science fiction |
NEWS BRIEF
● "New labels to show calories
The US government ruled that all food establishments(场所) should put the calorie information of their foods on their menus. Within a year chain restaurants, like fast food KFC, will have to say clearly on their menus how many calories their fried chicken wings, fries, and other items contain. Amusement parks, movie theaters and supermarkets will also have to follow the rules. The move is designed to fight against the problem of obesity(肥胖) in the US.
● Antibiotics leading to world problem
The entire world is facing this problem; antibiotic resistance. And the resistance will lead to the deaths of 10 million people across the world by 2025, predicted a new report released by the UK government. Antibiotics are used to destroy or slow the growth of harmful bacteria in our bodies. But overuse and misuse of them can encourage bacteria to develop new ways of overcoming antibiotics, which makes it increasingly difficult for humans to fight diseases.
●___________________________________
Australia is the world's most expensive destination for international students, according to a study done by Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC). They have to spend an average of $ 42,000 ( about 258 ,000 yuan) a year to study at Australian universities. Singapore is not far behind, with an average yearly cost of $ 39,229, followed by the US at $ 36,564 and the UK at 35,045. However, Australia's education quality only ranks joint fourth with Canada, well below the US, the UK, and Germany. In addition, international students studying in Germany only have to pay about one-sixth the cost of studying in Australia.
● New Games sports may be added
The International Olympic Committee has canceled the 28-sportcap for future summer Olympics But each summer Games will still only be allowed 10, 500 athletes and 310 events. Countries that could host the games will discuss plans with the committee during a new invitation stage before bidding. They are also allowed to hold events outside their own countries and get financial support from the committee. No changes will be introduced for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The news brief covers ______________.
| A．medicine, disaster, finance, events |
| B．health, medicine, education, sports |
| C．service, health, education, events |
| D．business, medicine, economy, sports |
The underlined word "antibiotics" in Line 7 refers to ___________.
| A．serious diseases | B．varieties of resistance |
| C．harmful bacteria | D．medical drugs |
Which of the following fits in the blank best in the news brief?
| A．Australian study most expensive |
| B．The cost of studying overseas |
| C．International students in Australia |
| D．Australia's education quality |
Which of the following statements is best supported by the news brief?
| A．Some events may be held outside the host country in future summer Olympics |
| B．It is Australia's best education quality that will cause students to make a wise choice. |
| C．It is necessary for the UK government to try hard to encourage using lots of antibiotics. |
| D．Popcorn sold in cinemas in the world will soon have calorie information labels. |
One day, Soapy Smith and I visited a shelter for badly-treated women located in a deserted section of the city. No one smiled a greeting, and they appeared uninterested in Soapy. One little girl in particular moved like a wisp (纤弱的小东西) in the background. The staff informed me that she had been there for over a month and had not spoken the entire time. Her mother said she had talked at one time but not in recent memory. I didn't want to imagine what could have happened to rob this little girl of the natural curiosity and enthusiasm so natural to childhood.
Spreading a blanket on the floor, I sat down and put Soapy on the blanket. As the silent child circled past me, I told the group that Soapy would come to talk to them if they sat on his blanket. Several children did this, including the silent girl. She sat rigidly at the edge of the blanket, legs held stiffly out straight in front of her. She was staring hard at Soapy. It appeared that he kept making eye contact with her. She didn't reach out to him or encourage him in any way. Rather she sat tensely, just staring.
Finally Soapy came to a stop about two inches from her. He quietly reached out and laid his chin on her knee. I was astonished. While a common behavior for dogs, this is not a behavior exhibited by rabbits, especially not by this rabbit.
The child did not reach out to touch Soapy. Instead, she slowly leaned toward him. When her face was within inches of his, she carefully reached out and circled him with her arms. So softly that no one in the room could hear, she began to talk. Folded around the rabbit, she pillowed her head on his back and whispered to him. Soapy remained motionless.
I looked up and noticed that the shelter workers had stopped talking. Every adult in the room froze in place. Time seemed to have stopped.
The little girl reappeared when I was preparing to leave. She reached her hands out and looked me directly in the eye. I held Soapy out to her. She wrapped him in a big hug and pressed her face against him. Suspended (悬挂) from my hands as he was, I was concerned that he would begin to struggle. Instead he reached out his head again and laid it on the child's shoulder. His breathing slowed and he closed his eyes. As quickly as it happened, the little girl released her hug and stepped back. As she turned away, I thought I saw the beginnings of a faint smile.
The rabbit in his cloud of soft, warm fur had touched something deep in the child — something that had died from too much hard experience. Soapy's innocence and trust appeared to arouse those very same qualities in the little girl. It seems the language of the heart is simple after all.The little girl didn't speak any word because ___________.
| A．she liked staying silent and still |
| B．she had no friends to talk with |
| C．she had too much hard experience |
| D．the people in the shelter all kept silent |
What is the correct order of the following events?
a. The little girl gave a faint smile.
b. Soapy reached out and laid his chin on her knee.
c. The little girl carefully reached out and circled him with her arms.
d. Soapy's breathing slowed and he closed his eyes.
e. The little girl began to whisper to Soapy.
| A．c; b; e; d; a | B．b; c; d; e; a |
| C．b; c; e; d; a | D．c; b; d; e; a |
The author's purpose of writing the passage is to tell us ___________.
| A．a moving story about a lonely girl who hasn't talked for years |
| B．to pay more attention to those children who have been deserted by their parents |
| C．a lot of kind people around us are offering help to those in need |
| D．the heart-to-heart communication between animal and human is powerful |
The best title for this passage may be ___________.
| A．Soapy Smith and A Little Girl |
| B．A Great Surprise |
| C．The Language of The Heart |
| D．Human Beings and Animals |
| Dear Applicant, A We regret to inform you that your application to the stated establishment cannot be processed at this time due to the fact that it does not exist. After consultation with out mythical advisors we have also determined that even if it didn’t exist, the course “wandology” would be highly in demand and hence require at least two As and a B in any of the following subjects: Advanced Spellcrafting Mystimatics Defence Against The Dark Arts History of the Occult Shaft Design Your hand written grade sheet claiming top marks in “waving a stick about”, “ waving a pointy hat” and “watching Paul Daniels TV specials” sadly is not suitable for submission, however by applying through clearing you may be suitable of Liberal Arts courses. Alternatively you may wish to resubmit next year by tying your letter to an owl and hoping for the best. On behalf of UCAS I wish you every success. Yours sincerely, XXX |
| Dear Duke University Admissions, B Thank you for your rejection letter of March 26, 2015. After careful consideration, I regret to inform you that I am unable to accept your refusal to offer me admission into the Fall 2015 freshman class at Duke. This year I have been fortunate enough to receive rejection letters from the best and the brightest universities in the country. With a pool of letters so diverse and accomplished I was unable to accept the rejection letters I would have been able to only several years ago. Therefore, I will be attending Duke University's 2015 Class. I look forward to seeing you then. Best, Siobhan O'Dell |
| Dear Siobhan, C I understand how disappointed you are that we were unable to offer you a space in our incoming class, I want to be honest with you and let you know that it’s very rare that we learn something that leads us to change our decision, in the last ten years we’ve about 500 requests for a review… and changed the decision four times Wish you all the best~ XXX |
Of the three letters, which is in response to which?
| A．A---B | B．C---B | C．C---A | D．B----C |
Chances for Duke University to change its admission decision in history were_______.
| A．none | B．big | C．slim | D．hard to tell |
What makes it impossible for the applicant to resubmit an application next year?
| A．Tying the letter to an owl and send it to UCAS |
| B．Printing out grade sheet |
| C．Applying for the Liberal Arts course as an option |
| D．Improving his scores |
What can we infer form the letter about college application?
| A．It is disappointing for sure. |
| B．Rejection letters are better written than offers. |
| C．It is no as fun as on imagines. |
| D．There could be extra work beyond normal procedure. |
Technological change is everywhere and affects every aspect of life, mostly for the better. However, social changes are brought about by new technology are often mistaken for a change in attitudes.
An example at hand is the involvement of parents in the lives of their children who are attending college. Surveys (调查) on this topic suggests that parents today continue to be “very” or “somewhat” overly-protective even after their children move into college dormitories. The same surveys also indicate that the rate of parental involvement is greater today than it was a generation ago. This is usually interpreted as a sign that today’s parents are trying to manage their children’s lives past the point where this behavior is appropriate.
However, greater parental involvement does not necessarily indicate that parents are failing to let go of their “adult” children.
In the context (背景) of this discussion, it seems valuable to first find out the cause of change in the case of parents’ involvement with their grown children. If parents of earlier generations had wanted to be in touch with their college-age children frequently, would this have been possible? Probably not. On the other hand, does the possibility of frequent communication today mean that the urge to do so wasn’t present a generation ago? Many studies show that older parents - today’s grandparents - would have called their children more often if the means and cost of doing so had not been a barrier.
Furthermore, studies show that finances are the most frequent subject of communication between parents and their college children. The fact that college students are financially dependent on their parents is nothing new; nor are requests for more money to be sent from home. This phenomenon is neither good nor bad; it is a fact of college life, today and in the past.
Thanks to the advanced technology, we live in an age of bettered communication. This has many implications well beyond the role that parents seem to play in the lives of their children who have left for college. But it is useful to bear in mind that all such changes come from the technology and not some imagined desire by parents to keep their children under their wings.The surveys inform us of ______.
| A．the development of technology |
| B．the changes of adult children’s behavior |
| C．the parents’ over-protection of their college children |
| D．the means and expenses of students’ communication |
The writer believes that ______.
| A．parents today are more protective than those in the past |
| B．the disadvantages of new technology outweigh its advantages |
| C．technology explains greater parental involvement with their children |
| D．parents’ changed attitudes lead to college children’s delayed independence |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Technology or Attitude |
| B．Dependence or Independence |
| C．Family Influence or Social Changes |
| D．College Management or Communication Advancement |
Which of the following shows the development of ideas in this passage?
One day when I was 12, my mother gave me an order: I was to walk to the public library, and borrow at least one book for the summer. This was one more weapon for her to defeat my strange problem — inability to read.
In the library, I found my way into the “Children’s Room.” I sat down on the floor and pulled a few books off the shelf at random. The cover of a book caught my eye. It presented a picture of a beagle. I had recently had a beagle, the first and only animal companion I ever had as a child. He was my secret sharer, but one morning, he was gone, given away to someone who had the space and the money to care for him. I never forgot my beagle.
There on the book’s cover was a beagle which looked identical（相同的） to my dog. I ran my fingers over the picture of the dog on the cover. My eyes ran across the title, Amos, the Beagle with a Plan. Unknowingly, I had read the title. Without opening the book, I borrowed it from the library for the summer.
Under the shade of a bush, I started to read about Amos. I read very, very slowly with difficulty. Though pages were turned slowly, I got the main idea of the story about a dog who, like mine, had been separated from his family and who finally found his way back home. That dog was my dog, and I was the little boy in the book. At the end of the story, my mind continued the final scene of reunion, on and on, until my own lost dog and I were, in my mind, running together.
My mother’s call returned me to the real world. I suddenly realized something: I had read a book, and I had loved reading that book. Everyone knew I could not read. But I had read it. Books could be incredibly wonderful and I was going to read them.
I never told my mother about my “miraculous” (奇迹般地) experience that summer, but she saw a slow but remarkable improvement in my classroom performance during the next year. And years later, she was proud that her son had read thousands of books, was awarded a PhD in literature, and authored his own books, articles, poetry and fiction. The power of the words has held.The author’s mother told him to borrow a book in order to_____.
| A．encourage him to do more walking |
| B．let him spend a meaningful summer |
| C．help cure him of his reading problem |
| D．make him learn more about weapons |
The book caught the author’s eye because_____.
| A．it contained pretty pictures of animals |
| B．it reminded him of his own dog |
| C．he found its title easy to understand |
| D．he liked children’s stories very much |
Why could the author manage to read the book through?
| A．He was forced by his mother to read it. |
| B．He identified with the story in the book. |
| C．The book told the story of his pet dog. |
| D．The happy ending of the story attracted him. |
What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
| A．The author has become a successful writer. |
| B．The author’s mother read the same book. |
| C．The author’s mother rewarded him with books. |
| D．The author has had happy summers ever since. |
Which one could be the best title of the passage?
| A．The Charm of a Book |
| B．Mum’s Strict Order |
| C．Reunion with My Beagle |
| D．My Passion for Reading |