The English test will be removed from China’s college entrance exam by 2020, according to the Ministry of Education. The national college entrance exam, known as the “Gaokao” has been used to evaluate Chinese students for three decades. The Ministry of Education has worked out a plan for reforming exams and enrollment. Tests will be held several times a year to allow students to choose when and how often they sit the exam so as to reduce study pressure and change China’s once-in-a-lifetime exam system.

The decision has aroused a heated discussion among Shanghai educators and parents who doubted whether the reform would re­duce the burden of learning English or if the substitute test could reflect a student’s English skills and help students learn English better.

“As far as I see, the reform doesn’t mean English is no longer important for Chinese students after it is excluded from the unified college entrance exam,” Yu said. “In a way, English is even more important than before since the test would only serve as reference, while every college and university, even every major, can have different requirements of a student’s English skills under a diverse evaluation system.”

Yu said some students will have their study pressure reduced if the major they choose doesn’t need excellent English while others still need to study hard if they want to be among the best students.

The education ministry said the reform would not affect students attending the college entrance exam over the next three years.

1.What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A. English will become less and less important in the stage of compulsory education.

B. It has been 30 years since English became one subject of national college entrance exam.

C. China’s once-in-a-lifetime exam system is unacceptable at all.

D. The system that tests are held several times does more good than once-in-a-lifetime exam system.

2.According to the passage, Shanghai educators and parents argue that _____.

A. the new exam and admission system will make no difference

B. English shouldn’t be removed from China’s college entrance exam

C. the reform may accomplish the very opposite

D. Western educational system does not apply to China

3.What does the passage try to express in the underlined sentence?

A. Students needn’t lay a good foundation during the period of high school.

B. Whether students should study English hard may depend on their major.

C. Students can constantly strive for perfection only in their major.

D. English must be close to full mark.

4.What’s the purpose of the passage?

A. To advise students not to devote themselves to English.

B. To call on Education Department to remove English from “Gaokao”.

C. To support the act of Ministry of Education.

D. To encourage students to do as they have planned.

It was a Saturday morning，a day I believed would end in victory．For weeks，I had been preparing for the match at the county fairgrounds，sponsored(贊助)by our local riding club．My horse，Tonka, and I could run faster than any kid in the county, and I hoped to bring home a blue ribbon．

My mother usually drove me to the riding events, but on this day, my father planned to drop us off at the fairgrounds with the horse trailer(馬車(chē)) ．

Although we never discussed it, my father’s struggle with alcoholism had become the silent center of our family life．My mother was paralyzed with fear and indecision．Her salary as a part-time nurse couldn’t possibly support four children．No one talked about alcoholism in those days，and it was my family secret．

We climbed on the trailer and my father pulled out of our driveway and headed toward the fairgrounds，picking up speed once we hit the main road．It wasn’t until we felt a big bump that I realized the trailer was out of control．The dream of my riding winner disappeared．Tonka lay on the floor, completely still．No words were possible．I knew he was dead．

Suddenly a man appeared．“Are you all right?” he asked．“Yes．”I answered，although I knew that nothing was all right．“Sit here on the grass，”he said．He bent down to look into the trailer．Tonka remained still．He touched Tonka and then turned to face me．“He is going to be OK．He has just been knocked unconscious．” He rubbed Tonka’s cheeks and gently pulling his ears．Tonka rose to his feet．

Our father was talking to a police officer．He was upset and in pain and took little notice of me．I looked back；the man was gone．

I never forgot him．He gave me strength and a sense of hope in a dark and frightening moment．

1.The writer went to the fairgrounds because he wanted to ___________．

A．take part in a horse racing

B．buy Mum a blue ribbon

C．join the local riding club

D．train his horse there

2.We can learn from the third paragraph that ___________．

A．the family kept silent at home

B．the family lived a secret life

C．Father was addicted to alcohol

D．Mum was physically disabled

3.What does “he’’ in the fourth paragraph refer to?

A．Father B．The stranger

C．The horse D．The winner

4.What does the author want to tell the readers through the story?

A．Once formed，bad habits are difficult to break

B．Unexpected kindness is a light that shines in the darkness

C．However mean your life is，meet it and live it

D．Family is a place of encouragement, a safe harbor in the storms

If something that you’re doing doesn’t challenge you, then it doesn’t change you. We all need some normal stress in our lives, after all.1.So challenge the following limits:

1.Figure out what you’re scared of and do it continuously.

If you’re a salesman, and you’re scared of talking to people personally or over the phone, now, instead of being scared and thinking you’ll fail, spend at least five minutes a day to pick up the phone and make a call.2.But don’t stop on the first try! Eventually, you can look at fear in the eyes and say, “Go on, I’m not scared!”

2.3.

Make sure this hobby is not linked to your career; you have to relax and relieve your stress while performing this. Some examples might be cooking, sewing, painting and so on. Apart from helping you challenge yourself, taking a class for your hobby may also give you extra income.

3.Set aside at least nine minutes a day for physical exercise.

4.A simple 9-minute run around your neighborhood can do wonders for yourself. Exercise can not only help you maintain your regular weight, but also make you feel better about yourself.

4.Travel and allow yourself to be interested in new people.

Don’t just limit yourself to your fellow travelers-try to connect with the service staff. You never know what kind of people they’re going to be. Get out of your house or go online right now to book your class.5.

A. You should do it continuously.

B. Someone may hang up on you.

C. You don’t need to go to the gym.

D. Running in the gym may be a better choice.

E. Start to travel now and learn to challenge yourself.

F. Take a class for a hobby you’ve been waiting to develop.

G. You can never see any improvement if you stick to your comfort zone.

James sat outside the office waiting for the interview. He felt so that he didn’t know what to do with .The person who had gone in him had been there for nearly an hour. And she looked so confident when she went in. James. He felt that she had already got the . The problem was that he wanted this job 47 .It meant to him. He had it such a lot before the day of the interview. He had imagined himself brilliantly at the interview and the job immediately. But now here he was feeling .He couldn’t all those things he had to say. At that moment, he almost decided to get up and .But no—he had to do this. He had spent so much time considering it that he couldn’t like that. His hands were hot and sticky and his mouth felt dry. At last the door of the office opened. The woman who had gone in an hour earlier came out looking very with herself. She smiled sympathetically at James. At that moment James her. The managing director then appeared at the office door. “Would you like to come in now, Mr Davis? I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.” James suddenly that he had gone home after all. He got up, legs and forehead sweating and wondered whether he looked as terrified as he felt.

1.A. healthy B. nervous C. careless D. confident

2.A. the managing director B. the woman C. himself D. the situation

3.A. by B. with C. before D. after

4.A. Not like B. So did C. Do as D. Do like

5.A. doubtful B. sure C. angry D. astonishing

6.A. reward B. first C. prize D. job

7.A. hopelessly B. naturally C. easily D. so much

8.A. everything B. happiness C. difficulty D. nothing

9.A. dreamed of B. learned of C. thought about D. talked about

10.A. explaining B. performing C. answering D. performed

11.A. offered B. asked for C. being offered D. being asked for

12.A. crazy B. excited C. probable D. terrible

13.A. depend on B. afford C. believe in D. remember

14.A. kept B. been taught C. planned D. been supplied

15.A. leave B. go in C. prepare D. practise

16.A. take back B. put off C. give up D. put down

17.A. ugly B. pleased C. sad D. pretty

18.A. noticed B. loved C. missed D. hated

19.A. thought B. hoped C. wished D. regretted

20.A. shaking B. bending C. walking D. stopping

Every evening, Blackie would be waiting for Alan to come back from school. He would greet Alan with a woa woa 1.__________ a wagging tail. Blackie was a dog and Alan was his master. Blackie liked to play with Alan.

One evening when Alan returned from school, there was no woa woa and a wagging tail. Blackie was missing. Early the next morning, Alan and his brother went2.___________ (look) for Blackie. They walked and searched from morning to evening, 3.____________(shout) “Blackie, Blackie!”But there was no woa woa and a wagging tail. 4._______________ children were very sad and tired.

One day, the children heard a woa woa coming from a house. It sounded like Blackie. The children ran to the house and 5._____________(ring) the bell. A man opened the door. The children asked,“Uncle, have you seen a black dog?” The man replied,“No.”But the children still heard a woa woa coming6.__________ the house.

The children decided to climb a small hill 7._______________ leads to the back of the house. It was not easy to climb the hill. They had to hold on to twines and pull8._____________ (they) up the slope. When the children reached the top, they saw Blackie tied to a chain. Then the man realized that he could no longer hide the 9._____________(true) from the children so he returned Blackie to them. Blackie looked 10._____________(happiness) and greeted the children with a woa woa and a wagging tail.

你班正在舉行以”交友之道”為主題的英語(yǔ)演講比賽，請(qǐng)以此為題并根據(jù)下面的提示寫(xiě)一篇120詞左右的演講稿。開(kāi)頭已給出，不計(jì)入總詞數(shù)。

提示：1.對(duì)人要友善，用微笑吸引人；

2.要善解人意，設(shè)身處地地為別人著想。

3.不要吵架，遇事要商量

4.關(guān)心別人要?jiǎng)龠^(guò)關(guān)心自己

5.不要相信那些在危機(jī)時(shí)刻背離朋友的人。

6.根據(jù)你對(duì)交友之道的理解，進(jìn)行適當(dāng)?shù)难a(bǔ)充，并發(fā)表自己的看法。

How to make friends

Good morning,everyone!

The topic of my speech today is “How to make friends”.

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Thank you for listening.

“It takes an entire village to raise a child.” That’s an old proverb(諺語(yǔ)) that is being quoted more and more often these days. And I’m pleased about that.

Today, more and more schools are reaching out to involve parents, community members and businesses to help shape a child’s future.

Parents need to be involved in their children’s education in many ways. Helping children with homework and studying, going on a field trip, teaching a craft or coaching a child’s sports team are all great ways to be involved with your child’s education. And don’t forget to communicate with teachers---they need and respect your input. Studies show that children learn more and schools function better when parents and schools work together. It’s important to stay in touch with your child’s education all through his or her school career.

Communities can help children create and achieve new goals. Help with homework, read to a child, coach a children’s team, or provide emotional support. Help solve problems and build self-esteem. Kids need role models and advisers can be role models by sharing their experiences and wisdom.

Businesses can also help shape our children’s future. Invite a class from your local school to visit your workplace. You may be providing a glimpse that opens a new world of possibilities. Show students what goes on during a typical day. Give a mini course for students: how to use a computer; how products are made; how machinery works. You may have a developing electrician, teacher, nurse, or even a newspaper reporter on your hands.

It really does take an entire village to raise a child. So share the responsibility---and the joy---of bringing a child to his or her full potential.

1.The implied advice in the proverb “It takes an entire village to raise a child.” is that ______.

A. All the people in a village should give food to a child.

B.Schools, parents, and other organizations should share the responsibility

of shaping a child’s future.

C. Children’s should be brought up in the village where they were born.

D. Schools should be set up in the village where a child was raised.

2. The text was written mainly for _______________.

A. parents and members in organizations

B. teachers and students

C. newspaper reporters and developing electricians

D. education experts and government officials

3. Students can get developed in practical working skill through ______.

A. parental involvement B. community activities

C. business training D. school teaching

4.Which is NOT true according to the passage?

A. Parents play an important part in children’s education.

B. Communities have not a bit effect on the way to new and high ideal.

C. Educating a child well demands of the work not only from school but from other organizations.

D. Businesses may arrange some training courses for students.

Many people find themselves caught up in others’ problems, and then confused about how and when to help. In fact, all relationships need limits no matter whether they are friendships, sibling relations, mates/ lovers or business relations. On some level, all limit setting means saying no. However, it is usually a qualified “no” that says what, where, when, and under what conditions you will give or not give to another person. There are three points we should keep in mind about limit setting:

1.Decide where to set the limits. Think about the entire situation. Consider your time, emotions, and means. Then consider whether you are helping the other person. Aim to do something to help the other person without taking on the whole problem.

2.Express the limits clearly. For example, you say to your friend, “ I will lend you $20,000 no more than once every three months. And I expect you will pay me back within three months and certainly before you can borrow more.” You say to another friend, “you can stay here for three weeks but you must help me with expenses and cooking and make sure that you will find your own place before the three weeks is up”.

3.Stick to your limits. You are not responsible for making the other person obey the limits. You are only responsible for following the limits yourself. Your friend has repaid $12,500 of his/her $20,000 and asks for $20,000 more. You say no. He/She gets emotional and then says, “I need this money to cover a bad check. If you cared for our friendship, you would do it”.

Limit setting is often stressful and painful because people mistakes it for rejection. And limit setting certainly brings guilt. Bear in mind, it doesn’t mean you have given up or quit loving your friend, lovers, or sibling. It does mean you are expressing that love in a different and more helpful (to both of you) manner.

1.According to the passage, setting limits means___________________.

A. refusing always to say yes to your friend

B. saying no to your friend who turns to you

C. making different kinds of friends

D. breaking away from your friend

2.Once you decide to set limits, you should________________________.

A. announce it publicly to others

B. tell your friend about it clearly

C. be responsible for your friend

D. begin to help your friend

3.We can learn from the last paragraph that limit setting______________.

A. is often misunderstood

B. is actually a kind of rejection

C. does harm to your friendship

D.contains both love and hate

4.What would be the best title for the passage?

A. About friendship

B. How to make friends

C. Set limits with friends

D. Show your love in a new way

Thirteen, for me, was a challenging year. My parents divorced and I moved to a new town with my father, far from my old family and friends. I was terribly lonely and would cry myself to sleep each night. To ease my sadness, my father purchased an old horse for me at a local auction. I named him Cowboy.

Cowboy was without a doubt the ugliest horse in the world. But I didn’t care. I loved him beyond all reason. I joined a riding club and suffered rude comments and mean snickers about Cowboy’s looks. I never let on about how I felt, but deep inside, my heart was breaking. The other members rode beautiful, registered horses.

When Cowboy and I entered the events where the horse is judged on appearance, we were quickly shown the gate. No amount of preparation and love would turn Cowboy into a beauty. My only chance to compete would be in the speed events. I chose the jumping race.?

One girl named Becky rode a big brown horse in the race events. She always won the blue ribbons. Needless to say, she didn’t feel threatened when I competed against her at the next show. She didn’t need to. I came in next to last.

The stinging memory of Becky’s smirks made me determined to beat her. For the whole next month I woke up early every day and rode Cowboy five miles to the arena (賽馬場(chǎng)). We practiced running and jumping for hours in the hot sun and then I would walk Cowboy home totally exhausted. All of our hard work didn’t make me feel confident by the time the show came. I sat at the gate and sweated it out while I watched Becky and her horse charge through the course and finish in first place.

My turn finally came. I put on my hat, rubbed Cowboy’s neck and entered the arena. At the signal, we dashed toward the first fence, jumped it without trouble and raced on to the next one. Cowboy then flew over the second, third and fourth fences like a bird and I turned him toward the finish line. As we crossed the line the crowd was shocked into silence. Cowboy and I had beaten Becky and her fancy horse by two seconds!

I gained much more than a blue ribbon that day. At thirteen, I realized that no matter what the odds, I’d always come out a winner if I wanted something badly enough to work for it.

1.The underlined expression "shown the gate" (paragraph 3) most probably means ______.

A. told how to enter the arena

B. shown how to make the horse beautiful

C. removed from the competition early

D. told to enter the timed-speed events

2.When the final race finished, nobody cheered because .

A. the audience didn’t like Cowboy

B. people envied the writer

C. the win was unexpected

D. the writer bad run out of time

3.Why was the writer not confident of victory?

A. He was an inexperienced rider.

B. He had not practiced enough.

C. He believed he was unpopular with the crowd.

D. He thought his horse wasn’t as good as the others.

4. What did the writer learn from his experience?

A. Life can sometimes be unfair.

B. Anything is possible if one tries hard enough.

C. A positive attitude will bring success.

D. One should not make judgments based on appearance.

Last week, while visiting my dad with my daughter, we went to a restaurant for dinner. When we were seated, my dad asked the waitress if there were any soldiers eating at the restaurant. Then waitress said there was a soldier having dinner with his friend. My dad told the waitress to tell the soldier and his friend that their dinner was paid for! He also said that he did not want to be known as the benefactor(施主).

Then waitress later commented on my dad’s thoughtful behavior saying that she had never seen anything like this before. At a local college, she had studied opera and so she used this to thank my dad by performing a piece from The Pearl Fisherman. Her voice brought me to tears because it sounded perfect!

After a while, the soldier appeared at our table (I don’t know how he knew my dad paid the bill for him.) and said that he would be sent to the front the next morning and that he could not leave this country without saying “thanks” to my dad. My dad replied that it was he who wanted to say “thanks”. They shook hands as the soldier left.

Before we left, the waitress came by again. She did a magic show as another way to show her “thanks” to my dad. Her show was really great. My dad left her a note with email address asking for her next performance time in addition to a $ 50 tip.

Everyone witnessed something exemplary(可作榜樣的) in the human spirit that night. I can only hope to see more of this in the future.

1. What did the soldier do in response to the author’s father’s kindness?

A. He gave something to author’s dad.

B. He gave a big tip to the waitress.

C. He said thanks to the author’s dad in person.

D. He did a magic show for the author and her father.

2. The author considered her father’s action to be ____.

A. funny B. understandable

C. worthless D. honorable

3.Their passage mainly tells us that we should ____.

A. learn to be grateful to others

B. find ways to thank others

C. try to learn from each other

D. respect soldiers and waitresses