Be ______ — you can’t expect me to finish all this work in so little time.

A. confidentB. reasonableC. creativeD. grateful

Being popular with children, these toys ______ well and _____ in two days.

A. sell; sell outB. are sold; are sold out

C. are sold; will be sold outD. sell; will be sold out

— I don’t remember having ever seen John since last week. Has he gone somewhere?

— Not really. He ______ his newly-bought apartment.

A. has decoratedB. decorated

C. has been decoratingD. was decorating

Sometimes pleasures of life are so simple that I take them for granted, things that I've considered as my right, instead of a blessing. I this after a friend of mine, who served there as a volunteer, invited me to pay a visit to Honduras.

The night before I set off, I decided a warm bath would help calm my nerves and help me sleep. So I the hot water handle on the tub（浴盆）and waited. . . and waited. It took forever for the hot water to work its way through the pipes，so I the bath late at night. What an experience!

On the five-hour drive to my friend's home, I the beautiful countryside. On my arrival, she took me to some families, who were in great ，living in stick-and-mud houses and sleeping on dirt floors. ，even in these terrible conditions，everyone I met had a smile on their face. They were so nice as to we stay for coffee. Among them were two women beside a dirty pond. One pushed dirt back with a stick the other dipped the water into a bucket. I shot a toward the heavens,“Dear Lord, please don't let them offer coffee.” Suddenly，one little girl ran towards us, a mango（芒果）in each hand. The one in her left hand was half eaten. had mixed with the dirt on her skin and small streams of mango-mud ran down her wrist. She held out her hand and offered me the other mango, which I accepted. Her eyes danced and joy spread into a smile. When we left, my friend pointed at a small stream beside their home and said,“That is where they . It is also where the animals drink and defecate（排便）. ”I have to say I had never been so .

The evening I returned home, I went into my bathroom. The image of that poor little girl my mind. Her bath would only take place in the cold, dirty water in the stream. I eased into my tub filled with warm water, enjoying this simple pleasure. Clean water wasn't my ；it was a blessing, one I was determined to with others.

1.A. accepted B. provedC. imagined D. realized

2.A. excited B. disturbed C. worried D. delighted

3.A. opened B. touched C. twisted D. removed

4.A. broke through B. rushed throughC. looked through D. ran through

5.A. unusual B. interesting C. amazing D. awful

6.A. took in B. took outC. took up D. took over

7.A. debt B. poverty C. pleasure D. pain

8.A. ThusB. Rather C. Besides D. Still

9.A. command B. urge C. insist D. recommend

10.A. while B. after C. until D. when

11.A. dream B. prayer C. whisper D. glance

12.A. taking B. pressing C. holding D. lifting

13.A. Sweat B. Water C. Coffee D. Juice

14.A. dirty B. rightC. left D. clean

15.A. unwillingly B. coldly C. gladly D. cautiously

16.A. bathe B. play C. swim D. drink

17.A. angry B. calm C. happyD. sad

18.A. inspiredB. slipped C. crossed D. changed

19.A. possession B. favorC. treasure D. right

20.A. meet B. shareC. provide D. combine

Wondering if you’re overdue? Here are 4 signs. It’s time to rest and recharge yourself with a much-needed getaway, along with our suggestions of where to go.

1.According to the leaflet, a vacation trip will _____.

A. cure you of your heart trouble

B. help you to learn some new things

C. make you interested in your work

D. allow you to make some new friends

2.If you have an unhealthy lifestyle, _____.

A. a trip abroad will enable you to get rid of some bad habits easily

B. you are likely to restore your old habits once you return from a trip

C. you will learn about its harmful effects at the centre on a vacation

D. it is difficult for you to show your self-control in your own house

3.Where should you go if you want to get rid of your tiredness？

A. To a fountainB. To a snowy field.

C. To a hotspot. D. To some stores.

A culture’s values can be mirrored by its humor. Humor has been evaluated by many great minds such as Thomas Hobbes, who, in “On Nature”, disliked humor, “Laughter is nothing else but sudden glory arising from sudden thought of feeling far better than others.” He thought humor to be a negative quality of human narrow-mindedness.

However, Mordechai Gordon, Ph. D of Education, insists, “Humor allows us to view the world from an angle that is amusing rather than serious.” I agree with Gordon. Learning to look at the world through humor is important.

In the United States, every four years an election occurs. Without humor as a way to express their feelings, how else would Americans keep from clawing their eyes out and going the way of lemming? Television shows like “The Daily Show” have become important parts of American culture. They are mothering the masses by metaphorically(隱喻地) airplane-ing politics into our mouths. They make politics fun.

Of course, politics is only one type of humor. Social humor helps people through the twists and turns of the human condition. American pop culture promotes an unhealthy self- image. On the topic of self-image, Hari Kondabolu stands out. He has a joke about the popular musical group “The Pussycat Dolls”, describing their hit song “Don't Cha” as a negative representation of women. He points out an obvious offence in American culture.

A study from Loyola University of Maryland has shown that humor is one determining factor for selecting a mating partner. Amongst other things, mates look for an outstanding funny bone in a potential partner.

Of course, humor is not always used for good purposes. Humor can be linked to vulgarity (粗俗)and racism, but, like everything else, it has potential to unite human beings by allowing us to laugh at ourselves, our failures and our connection with one another.

Though 1ife may seem tough and depressing at times, all I have to do is look in the mirror at my increased wrinkles(皺紋) to know that there is a comedy out there that even Chaplin wasn’t aware of.

With that in mind, remember to laugh with humanity and sometimes at humanity.

1.Hobbes believes that humor__________.

A. was for people to view the world from another angle

B. resulted in narrow-mindedness of human beings

C. had the power to mirror personal glory and national values

D. was only a way to laugh at others to make oneself feel better

2.The fourth paragraph is developed mainly__________.

A. by comparisonB. by process C. by example D. by classification

3.What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?

A. The author is determined to face life with a sense of humor.

B. The author feels helpless and sad about getting older.

C. Never be the one who laughs at other people.

D. Chaplin wasn’t aware of being laughed at.

Think of the last time a song really moved you, or meant something to you．Listening to and playing music affects marry different sections of the brain, affecting us physically as well. Why are we as humans so connected to music?

Making music is something that we are born with. There's a reason we refer to music as the “universal language”；there has been no known human culture without music. Dancing and music came before agriculture, and possibly even before language．The fact that whale music and human music have so much in common suggests that music may exist before humans and that we may be latecomers to the musical scene rather than being the inventors of music．

We begin life being affected by music; babies first begin to respond to music even before their birth. Whether or not it's true, everyone has heard that playing classical music; for your baby supposedly helps him or her become smarter. A study done in the United Kingdom concluded that children were able to recognize and even preferred music that they had heard lip to three months before birth. Although it made no difference whether it was rock music or country music, the babies who were exposed to faster songs showed a stronger preference for that song than those who had heard something slower. Researchers have also found that the playing of soft background music or a mother's soft singing actually helps premature (早產(chǎn)的)babies. Those who were subjected to the music tended to gain weight faster and were able to leave hospitals earlier than those who weren't. However, the study in the UK uncovers no links between babies listening to music and increased intelligence or brain development.

Another experiment at the University of California at Irvine compared the puzzle-solving abilities of 3-year-olds who were given piano lessons with the ability of others who sang, used computers, or did nothing. The children studying piano were better at the puzzles. Also, high school students with a musical background seem to do better on their SATs. Whether it's natural intelligence that helps the children excel in both music and math, or the music that helps develop other areas, you can't deny the benefits of a musical background.

On the other hand, it's possible that some music and lyrics（歌詞）could be hard for children and teenagers．The lyrics of today's popular music are stated more and more clearly. A study oil mass media and teenagers showed that a group of 14- to 16-year-olds in 10 different southeastern cities listened to music an average of 40 hours per week. Obviously, the music they are listening to plays a large part in their lives，and especially influences self-identity. So any bad influences in the music will have a very direct effect on the teenagers. Several other experiments mentioned in the American Academy of Pediatrics' policy statement on the "Effect of Music Lyrics and Music Videos on Children and Youth" supported this idea. One study from Sweden found that children who developed a preference to rock music were more likely to be influenced by their peers than by their parents. Others showed links between a predilection for heavy metal and detrimental behaviors, including taking drugs, self-killing risk, and other risk-taking habits. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) doesn't support the idea of censorship（檢查制度）, but strongly encourages parents to monitor what their children are listening to.

1.Music is regarded as the “universal language” because ______.

A. music is important for human beings’ mental and physical health

B. music is played by people from all over the world

C. music is of great benefits to human language

D. music is present throughout the development of human culture

2.Which of the following proves a musical background benefits children a lot?

A. An experiment at the University of California.

B. A study done in the United kingdom.

C. A study on mass media and teenagers.

D. A study from Sweden.

3.According to Paragraph 3, what affects babies’ preference for songs?

A. The lyrics B. The tone C. The style D. The speed

4.The author mentioned several other experiments in the AAP’s policy statement to prove________.

A. parents should monitor what their children are listening to

B. music can have harmful effects on teenagers

C. teenagers are more likely to be affected by their friends

D. children shouldn’t be exposed to too much music

5.What will the author probably discuss in the paragraph that follows?

A. More bad effects of music on teenagers’ daily habits.

B. Some experiments about music and teenagers.

C. Tips for parents on monitoring the music their children prefer.

D. Benefits of listening to a variety of music.

Mr. Hungerton, her father, really was absolutely centered upon his own silly self. If anything could have driven me from Gladys, it would have been the thought of such a father-in-law. I am convinced that he really believed in his heart that I came round to the Chestnuts three days a week for the pleasure of his company, and very especially to hear his views upon bimetallism (金銀雙幣制).

For an hour or more that evening I listened to his tiring talk about bad money driving out good, and the true standards of exchange.

“Suppose,” he cried, “that all the debts in the world were called up at once, and immediate payment insisted upon,—what under our present conditions would happen then?”

I gave the self-evident answer that I should be a ruined man, upon which he jumped from his chair, scolding me for my thoughtless quickness, which made it impossible for him to discuss any reasonable subject in my presence.

At last I was alone with Gladys, and the moment of Fate had come! She sat with that proud, delicate figure of hers outlined against the red curtain. How beautiful she was! Gladys was full of every womanly quality.

I was about to break the long and uneasy silence, when two critical, dark eyes looked round at me, and the proud head was shaken disapprovingly. “I have a feeling that you are going to propose, Ned. I do wish you wouldn’t; for things are so much nicer as they are.”

I drew my chair a little nearer. “Now, how did you know that I was going to propose?” I asked in wonder.

“Don’t women always know? Do you suppose any woman in the world was ever taken unawares? But—oh, Ned, our friendship has been so good and so pleasant! What a pity to spoil it! Don’t you feel how splendid it is that a young man and a young woman should be able to talk face to face as we have talked?”

She had sprung from her chair, as she saw signs that I proposed to announce some of my wants. “You’ve spoiled everything, Ned,” she said. “It’s all so beautiful and natural until this kind of thing comes in! It is such a pity! Why can't you control yourself?”

“But why can’t you love me, Gladys? Is it my appearance, or what?”

“No, it isn’t that.”

“My character?”

She nodded severely.

“What can I do to mend it?”

She looked at me with a wondering distrust which was much more to my mind than her whole-hearted confidence.

“Now tell me what’s amiss with me?”

“I’m in love with somebody else,” said she.

It was my turn to jump out of my chair.

“It’s nobody in particular,” she explained, laughing at the expression of my face: “only an ideal. I’ve never met the kind of man I mean.”

“Tell me about him. What does he look like?”

“Oh, he might look very much like you.”

“How dear of you to say that! Well, what is it that he does that I don’t do? I’ll have a try at it, Gladys, if you will only give me an idea what would please you.”

“Well, it is never a man that I should love, but always the glories he had won; for they would be reflected upon me. Think of Richard Burton! When I read his wife’s life of him I could so understand her love! And Lady Stanley! Did you ever read the wonderful last chapter of that book about her husband? These are the sort of men that a woman could worship with all her soul, and yet be the greater, not the less, on account of her love, honored by all the world as the inspirer of noble deeds.”

“And if I do——”

Her dear hand rested upon my lips. “Not another word, Sir! You should have been at the office for evening duty half an hour ago; only I hadn’t the heart to remind you. Some day, perhaps, when you have won your place in the world, we shall talk it over again.”

1.Why did the writer often come round to the Chestnuts?

A. To learn Mr. Hungertong’s standards of exchange.

B. To hear Mr. Hungerton’s views upon bimetallism.

C. To find the opportunity of staying with Gladys.

D. To discuss the present economy with Gladys

2.What can we infer from the passage?

A. It was difficult for Gladys to choose an ideal husband from her friends.

B. It took great patience and courage for the writer to propose to Gladys.

C. Mr. Hungerton tried to stop the writer from proposing to his daughter.

D. It was impossible for the writer to have any chance to marry Gladys.

3.Why did Gladys refuse the writer’s proposal?

A. The writer didn’t live up to her standard at the moment.

B. Richard Burton and Stanly occupied all her heart.

C. The writer did not seem to be a promising young man.

D. She was now in love with one of their friends.

4.Which of the following words can best describe Gladys?

A. Simple-minded, active and attractive.

B. Unfriendly, cold and self-centred.

C. Careful, choosy and stubborn.

D. Lovely, confident, and idealistic.

請(qǐng)認(rèn)真閱讀下列短文，并根據(jù)所讀內(nèi)容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一個(gè)最恰當(dāng)?shù)膯卧~。

注意：每個(gè)空格只填1個(gè)單詞。請(qǐng)將答案寫(xiě)在答題卡上相應(yīng)題號(hào)的橫線(xiàn)上。

Does reading great literature expand our imagination and better our moral and social sensibilities? For most people, it’s just wishful thinking because there’s no evidence that people are morally or socially better for reading Tolstoy or other great books.

But just hold on a second there. Actually, there is such evidence, says US writer Annie Murphy Paul. She argues in Time magazine that “deep reading”, as opposed to browsing web pages, makes us nicer and smarter.

Her evidence includes several studies carried out by some psychologists.

One is based in Canada. Two psychologists found that individuals who often read fiction appear to be better able to understand other people, sympathize with them and view the world from their perspective.

But this improvement is only possible if we do deep reading, which isn’t just about understanding the meaning of each word, Paul explains. Deep reading is “slow, devoted, rich in sensory detail and emotional and moral complexity”. Through processing details, comparisons, and other literary device, the reader’s brain creates a mental representation as if the scene were unfolding in real life.

It’s said that reading a good book is like falling in love with the writer. Paul cites another study by psychologist Victor Nell from a university in South Africa, who found that when readers are enjoying the experience most, the pace of their reading slows.

The combination of fast, fluent understanding of words and slow, unhurried progress on the page gives deep readers tie to enrich their reading with their own thoughts, analysis, memories and opinions. It’s as if reader and writer were engaged in a deep and real conversation, like people falling in love.

None of this is possible when we browse web pages. We will eventually lose the ability to appreciate our literary heritage because novels, poems and other kinds of literature can be understood only by readers whose brains are trained to read them. And even some educators just meet young people where they are by adapting education to their onscreen habits.

With the electronic devices spreading universally, Paul warms, deep reading has become an endangered practice. We should care about how we read as much as what we read. So pick up a book, sit back, and let a spiritual journey begin that will take you places only deep reading can.

單詞拼寫(xiě) （共10小題；每題0.5分，共5分）

1.A frequent t_________ used by many players is to stare at the people they are playing against to make them feel uncomfortable.

2.He was able to see and touch a lion while still in the c_________ of the VR studio.

3.A c_________ advertisement is one which someone has paid for to advertise a product or service.

4.Some professors are doing an _________ （分析）of the education policy.

5.Water has become an increasingly p_________ resource in these days.

6.The Eagles went home angry and bitter because they did not win the t_________.

7.Grandfather found it difficult to begin a new r______ after his retirement last week.

8.This helps the IOC keep the Olympics’ b_________ under control.

9.Compared with others who focus on classic music, she writes a lot of _________ （當(dāng)代的） music for singers like Whitney Houston.

10.When it comes to advertisements, we must all use our i_________ and not be a slave to them!