Some people ski（滑雪） down mountains．Others climb huge rocks or photograph dangerous animals．Why do people enjoy risky activities like these？
Some people take risks simply because it makes them feel good．Psychologist（心理学家）Marvin says that this kind of explorers（探险者） are always looking for change and excitement．When people do something new or risky，a chemical（化学物质） in the brain creates a pleasant feeling．They love this feeling and want to experience itas often as possible．
Other people don't take risks for the feeling of excitement but to achieve a goal．For example，Mike Fay went on a dangerous 2，000﹣mile special journey in central Africa．He worked to help save the wildlife there．Fay's expeditionshelped create 13 national parks．
For other people，such as extreme athletes（极限运动员），taking risks is part of their job．Sports psychologist Shane says extreme athletes see the world differently．In a dangerous activity，most people probably do not feel in control．Extreme athletes are different：they feel in control in dangerous situations．The danger can even help them．For example，skier Daron Rahlves says that being afraid makes him try harder to succeed．
Most of us are not extreme athletes or explorers．However，we still take risks in our lives．Some of us take social risks，such as speaking in front of a large group of people．Sometimes，we take financial risks，such as buying a house．And sometimes we take career risks，such as leaving a job or starting a business．Most people take risks in some areas of life，but not in others．What kind of risk﹣taker are you？
（1）What does the underlined word "it" in Paragraph 2 refer to？
| A． |
The brain． |
| B． |
Something new． |
| C． |
A chemical． |
| D． |
A pleasant feeling． |
（2）What does the underlined word "expedition" in Paragraph 3 mean？
| A． |
Much money． |
| B． |
A journey with a special goal． |
| C． |
A great idea． |
| D． |
A plan for a dangerous journey． |
（3）How many kinds of extreme athletes or explorers are mentioned in the passage？
| A． |
Three． |
| B． |
Four． |
| C． |
Five． |
| D． |
Six． |
（4）Which of the following is true according to the passage？
| A． |
Mike Fay is a professional risk﹣taker． |
| B． |
Most people don't take risks in their daily life． |
| C． |
Extreme athletes deal with danger better than others． |
| D． |
Daron Rahlves takes risks mainly for change and excitement． |
I was twenty years old, and my parents were looking forward to the day when I would be earning my own living. Unfortunately, I had absolutely no idea what I wanted my future occupation to be. The only thing I did know was that I did not want to spend the next 45 years teaching, being a nurse or sitting in an office.But that was before the postman delivered a catalogue (目录) of courses that were being offered at the local college. As I looked through it, I was attracted by a page that talked about the difficulties faced by deaf people in their everyday lives and how students could help by learning sign language. It went on to say that graduates of the course usually find work in different organizations, such as law companies, the Stock Exchange, insurance companies and banks. Then I saw something that really caught my eye: “Singer” are also needed for sporting events, concerts, theatrical performances and, believe it or not, circuses! By the time I got to the bottom of the page, I knew I had found the perfect occupation.
I enrolled (注册) on the course, which to my parents’ great delight was free of charge. The course was brilliant. My favourite part was the final lesson, when our teacher asked us to sign our favourite song. It was really difficult because not only did we have to sign the words, but we also had to find a way of showing whether the song was happy or sad and whether the beat was slow or fast. It was the hardest thing I have ever done—but also the most rewarding. The only thing the writer knew that she .
| A．was too old to find a job as a teacher |
| B．wanted to work as a nurse in a hospital |
| C．had never liked being in a teacher’s office |
| D．would not get a job until she was at least 45 |
According to the catalogue the writer read, when students finish a sign language course, they .
| A．do not have to work with deaf people |
| B．can work in many types of different places |
| C．may not always find a job in their chosen field |
| D．almost always start their career in a law company |
The part of the course the writer enjoyed the most was when .
| A．she should sing a song with a fast beat |
| B．she should sign a song for the last lesson |
| C．her teacher sang a very sad song to the class |
| D．she realized that her parents didn’t have to pay |
Which of the following best describes the writer?
| A．A young woman who has found her ideal career. |
| B．A young deaf woman who wants to help the deaf. |
| C．A young woman who wants to be a businesswoman. |
| D．A young woman who wants to write songs for the deaf. |
Ken and Anthony were childhood friends. They went to elementary and high school together. They went to college in different states, and then they lost touch. That was twenty years ago.
One morning Ken was reading the newspaper with his morning coffee. Inside he saw an announcement for a poetry reading at a nearby bookstore. He was surprised to find that the featured poet was none other than his friend Anthony. Ken decided to see what his old pal was up to.
Ken sat in the last row of the area set up inside the bookstore. When Anthony was introduced and came up the podium, Ken hardly recognized him. Anthony was almost completely bald and had a little potbelly (大肚子). When Anthony was in high school, he was very handsome. What Anthony had lost in looks was made up for in talent. Anthony’s poetry was quite good.
Anthony recognized Ken sitting in the back row. When the reading was over, Ken stood in line with the others waiting for Anthony to sign a copy of his book. When it was Ken’s turn, Anthony stood up and hugged his long lost friend. Anthony invited Ken to stay until he had finished signing books. Ken did, and the two men grabbed a cup of coffee at a nearby café.
Even though so many years had passed since the two had seen each other, both men had a lot in common. Both graduated from college with degrees in comparative literature (比较文学). Both went to graduate school. Anthony got his Master’s of Fine Art in writing. Ken went to law school. Both men married Mexican women. Both men also had sons that were only a year apart. Ken and Anthony decided not to lose touch again. They planned to meet once a month for breakfast on Saturdays.Ken found his long lost friend from the .
| A．radio | B．TV | C．magazine | D．newspaper |
How did Ken probably feel while seeing Anthony at the bookstore?
| A．Worried. | B．Amazed. | C．Frightened. | D．Relaxed. |
What Anthony had lost in looks was made up for in talent. What is the meaning of the sentence in Paragraph 3?
| A．Although Anthony was out of shape, he became wise and talented. |
| B．Anthony had changed a lot, for writing poetry needed lots of energy. |
| C．Although Anthony was bald and a little fat, he was still very handsome. |
| D．Anthony looked wise because he was completely bald and had a little potbelly. |
What can be the best title for the passage?
| A．Childhood friends | B．Childhood memories |
| C．Changes of friends | D．Ways to get friends back |
The Quest Centre
Set in the wild Welsh countryside, the Quest Centre offers a wide range of activities for teenagers, from archery to rope climbing. Want to try something new? Why not take part in one of our special adventure activities?
MOUNTAIN BIKING
25th March—8th April, 10:00 a.m.—6:00 p.m.
Want to put your mountain bike to the test? Join our guide for a ride on the wild side. Cost: £15 per ride.
CLIMBING
1st—30th April, 10:00 a.m.—6:00 p.m.
Try out your mountain-climbing skills in the local countryside. Don’t worry! We won’t be doing anything dangerous: just short, safe climbs. Cost: £130 per person.
SURVIVAL TECHNIQUES
Daily, all year round, 10:00 a.m.—5:00 p.m.
Equip yourself with basic survival skills by taking part in this special 1-day course absolutely free of charge. Learn survival techniques like how to light a fire, build a shelter, find food and water, and cook over a campfire.
ABSEILING AND ROPE CLIMBING
27th August, 10:00 a.m.—8:00 p.m.
If you’ve been dying to learn about abseiling and rope climbing, now is your chance! Ken Wallace, our professional coach, will teach you everything you need to know on this special 1-day course. Cost: £150 per person.
Please note:
Phone the number at the bottom of the page for an application form.
All activities are suitable for beginners.
20% DISCOUNT (折扣) for groups of 6 or more.
The Quest Centre: St Davids, Wales Telephone: (0800)34655Kate and her family want to choose an activity during the May Day holiday, they can choose .
| A．climbing | B．survival techniques |
| C．mountain biking | D．abseiling and rope climbing |
If a group of 20 students go to the centre, ten of them want to take part in abseiling and rope climbing and the rest choose survival techniques, they have to pay .
| A．£3000 | B．£1500 | C．£2400 | D．£1200 |
“If you’ve been dying to learn about ….” Here “dying” perhaps means “ ”.
| A．冒险 | B．避免 | C．渴望 | D．同意 |
People like to tell me rubbish. Not just friends, but strangers ,too.
Once, at the airport, my husband stepped off an escalator(自动扶梯) before me. When he realized I wasn’t with him, he looked back and saw me hugging ( 拥抱) a stranger.
I’d asked the man behind me: “Did you have fun in Vegas?”
His answer broke me heart. After 50 years away, I’d come to say goodbye to the lover of his life, who was dying of cancer.
“I should have married her 50 years ago,” he said. I hugged him, and then he was gone.
Moments later, my husband said: “He told you all that on the escalator?” I nodded.
“Maybe he just needed to tell somebody, And I happened to ask.”
When someone wants to talk, you just need to ask a question. The words don’t matter. It’s the tone (语调) in your voice and the look in your eyes and the caring in your heart that count.
Sometimes I think the whole world is crying out to be heard.
And yet, we don’t ask the question or say the things we need to say to those who matter most to us while there is still time, and a chance, to do so.
Recently I heard from a reader who shared with me the eulogy(悼词) she’d written after losing her mother.
I wish her mother could have read it. I can only hope her mother knew all the things her daughter wrote about her—that she was known so well and loved so much.
I like to think people will say a few nice things about me when I’m gone. But given a choice, I would rather hear those things before I go. Wouldn’t we all?
That started me thinking. I need to tell my children I am proud of them. They know it, but it can’t hurt to say it again.
I need to tell my sister I will forever in her debt(欠她的情). I was the one who left. She was the one who stayed, who’s “been there” for our family—for our mother, our dad, our brothers and me.
And to my husband, I need to say, well, he puts up with a lot.
In fact, I need to say a lot of things to whole lot of people. Maybe you do, too. You can tell me, if you want. But maybe you should tell them first.What happened to the writer at the airport in Los Vegas?
| A．She developed a friendship with a stranger. |
| B．She helped a stranger with cancer on the escalator. |
| C．She listened to a stranger’s story and hugged him. |
| D．She told a stranger the story of her stay in Los Vegas |
According to the writer, what matters least when someone wants to talk?
| A．The question you ask. |
| B．The way you speak. |
| C．The way you look at someone. |
| D．the caring in your heart. |
What does the underlined word “who” stand for in the article?
| A．A woman the stranger loved very much but failed to marry. |
| B．A woman the stranger married 50 years ago and left for some reason. |
| C．A woman the stranger loved very much and succeeded in marrying. |
| D．The writer’s sister whose debt the writer will be forever in. |
What does the writer want to tell us with the article?
| A．It’s never too late to express your love. |
| B．It’s better to say what you need to say before it’s too late. |
| C．We should care about strangers to make the world better. |
| D．We should be careful about what we say to our beloved ones. |
FOOD, football, and fashion – Milan has it all. The city is perhaps most famous for its annual (一年一度的) Milan Fashion Week and its world-class soccer teams AC Milan and Inter Milan. And May will see it host the six-month Milan Expo(米兰世博会), the theme of which is food and nutrition（营养）.
Milan may not be the first place tourists think of when they think of Italy. Rome is the most famous city in Italian history, Venice draws visitors who want to travel along its canals(运河) and Florence is popular with the art lovers. Yet Milan can often be let off tourists’ lists. But although some see Milan as the “Ugly Sister” of these cities, in 2015, the city is “Suddenly back in fashion in a big way”.
The delicious Milan Expo will look at the future of food, trying to answer the question of how Earth’s fast-growing population can be fed in the future. According to the Lonely Planet website, “144 countries will set up shops in northwest of central Milan, forming a mini city-within-a-city”.
Milan’s famous opera house, La Scala, normally(通常地) closed in the summer, will also host daily performances during the Expo, reported Fox News.
Not interested in opera? Don’t worry. Visitors who prefer sports may want to visit the San Siro Stadium(体育馆), home of the soccer teams AC Milan and Inter Milan. The stadium is one of the most famous in Europe and has seen many important games over the years, both in Series A (甲级联赛) and the European Champions league（欧比赛）.
So even if all of its fashion and beautiful people can make Milan seem “Soulless(缺乏灵魂的)” as Lonely Planet said, it still has “a serious sense of history and place”. Many people will be discovering it this year, and eating great food from all over the world to help solve world problems. Will you?Which of the following statements is TRUE about the city of Milan?
| A．It is the largest city in Italy and has the longest history. |
| B．It is hosting the world’s largest Fashion Week in 2015. |
| C．Football, fashion and ancient canals are three features of the city. |
| D．The city’s La Scala opera house will offer additional performances in 2015. |
Which of the following features of Milan are mentioned in the article?
a. economy
b. sports
c. cultural performances and activities
d. geography and population
e. fashion
| A．acd | B．bce | C．bde | D．bcd |
The author’s purpose in writing this article is to ______.
| A．give an introduction to Milan as a good choice for traveling |
| B．tell readers about the theme and activities of the 2015 Milan Expo |
| C．give an proper review of the food culture in Milan |
| D．explain why Milan will be holding the world Expo in 2015 |