Of course, she wasn’t really my aunt and, out of fear, I never called her that to her face. I only referred to her as “My Aunt Fannie” because the name always made my father laugh quietly and gave my mother cause to look strictly at both of us—at me for being disrespectful of my elder and at my father for encouraging my bad behavior. I enjoyed both reactions so I looked for every opportunity to work the name into as many conversations as possible.

As a young woman, my mother had worked in the kitchen of a large Victorian farmhouse. During those years my mother helped Aunt Fanny make the best blueberry jam (藍莓醬) ever tasted by anyone in Glenfield. She was well-known for her jam and for never sharing the recipe with others. Even though my mother knew the recipe by heart, as long as Aunt Fannie was alive, she never made the jam without Aunt Fannie in our kitchen to direct the process and preserve the secret.

Each August, my mother would prepare me for Aunt Fannie’s visit. One year, after I had helped with the jam process Aunt Fannie gave me a coin and then made me promise that I would never spend it. “Hold onto this coin,” she said, “and someday you will be rich. I still have my very first coin, given to me by my grandmother.” So I kept the coin in a small box and waited to become rich.

I now have the blueberry jam recipe and the coin from Aunt Fannie. In people’s eyes Aunt Fannie's success resulted from that secret recipe. But to me, it was just a common recipe. Neither have significantly made me become a rich person, but I keep them as reminders to hold onto the valuable things in life. Money can make you feel rich for a while, but it is the relationships and the memories of time spent with friends and family that truly leave you wealthy. And that is a fortune that anyone can build.

1.Why did the author always use the name “My Aunt Fannie” in conversations?

A. She was frightened of Aunt Fannie.

B. She liked Aunt Fannie’s recipe.

C. She enjoyed her parents’ reactions.

D. She greatly respected “Aunt Fannie”.

2.The underlined word “she” in Paragraph 2 refers to ______.

A. Aunt Fannie

B. the author’s grandmother

C. the author’s mother

D. Aunt Fannie’s grandmother

3.In the last paragraph, the author encourages readers to______.

A. hold onto the first coin in life

B. make as many friends as possible

C. make money with their own hands

D. spend more time with family and friends

4.What could be the best title for this passage?

A. The Key to Success

B. Blueberry Jam Recipe

C. A Fortune Built from a Coin

D. A Relationship of Trust

For the last 10 years, job listing site CareerBuilder has put out a list called “The Most Unbelievable Excuses for Calling in Sick.” For example, an employee said he couldn’t come in because his false teeth flew out the window while he was driving down the highway. The excuses were gathered through a survey that ran among 3,000 workers and 2,000 hiring managers.

The list is entertaining but there is a more serious issue hidden in this story. Federal law does not require private employers to give any paid sick leave, making the US the only one of the world’s wealthiest nations that doesn’t guarantee workers this right. Since 2006, cities and states have been adopting their own paid sick leave laws. California, Washington. DC and 13 cities including New York now require many employers to provide some sort of paid sick leave. But according to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, 39% of private employees still have no access to paid days off. In the CareerBuilder survey, 38% of respondents said they go to work when they’re sick because they can’t afford to miss a day’s pay. The survey also shows that workers are taking a risk when they come up with far-fetched excuses. Nearly one in five employers says they have fired an employee for calling in sick with a fake excuse. If you’re spending the day at the beach while pretending to be ill, don’t post about it on Facebook. Nearly one in four employers (24%) has caught an employee lying about being sick by checking social media.

The motto of this story: If you really are sick, don’t come to work and spread your bacteria around the office. But if you just want to stay home, go with “I’m running a fever.” rather than one of these ridiculous excuses.

1.The underlined word “far-fetched” in Paragraph 2 probably means ______.

A. impossible to find B. likely to be true

C. difficult to believe D. easy to believe

2.What problem is exposed in the survey?

A. Many employees have no access to paid sick leave.

B. Private employers make their workers work extra hours.

C. Some employees are not satisfied with their boss.

D. Private employers sometimes break the Federal law.

3.An employee will run the risk of being fired if he ______.

A. asks for sick leave

B. lies about being sick

C. posts his holiday on Facebook

D. spreads bacteria around the office

4.What will the author present following the last paragraph?

A. A list of survey data.

B. A list of serious issues.

C. A list of reasonable facts.

D. A list of ridiculous excuses.

Siri is an artificial intelligence (AI) that you can carry around in the pocket, where it waits patiently to be told what to do. In the week we spent together, my AI assistant has performed admirably in finding me restaurants, or the location of the nearest coffee shop.

A typical command might be: “Reserve a table for two at a good French restaurant in San Francisco.” Siri responds by presenting a list of top-rated restaurants that can be booked on OpenTable.com. If you say which time you want, it can book you a table without your lifting a finger. In some ways Siri is just a fancy front-end (前端程序) to the 35 sites it can connect to, from taxi booking sites to movie review databases. But what’s new is the way it can analyze the intentions of its master or mistress and use those sites to put them into action.

Siri attaches probabilities to the explanation of each word and cross-references (對照檢索) with your location and other data, some of which you must provide yourself. To send email reminders, Siri obviously needs to know your email address. To “find me the flower shop closest to work”, it needs to know where you work. To pay bills or buy airline tickets, it would need access to your credit card.

That raises the question of how far we are willing to trust a piece of software that can go and do things for us based on what it “thinks” we mean, a topic that occupies some engineers working on artificial intelligence. The more data, and power, you give your virtual assistant, the more damage it could do. Siri may be simple, and always shows its explanation of a command before carrying it out. But it gives users a preview of a new balance between privacy, trust and convenience that the expansion of AI into everyday life is likely to develop.

1.What is Siri?

A. A digital e-book reader.

B. A music-sharing software.

C. A voice-controlled website.

D. An artificial intelligence software.

2.When asked “do I need my umbrella today?”, what will Siri probably respond with?

A. The list of umbrella makers.

B. The list of umbrella shops.

C. The local weather forecast.

D. The local climate conditions.

3.Siri is new in that it has the ability ______.

A. to understand what you speak

B. to connect a lot of websites

C. to give a variety of commands

D. to create computerized database

4.What question does Paragraph 4 answer?

A. Does Siri think itself? B. Can I trust you, Siri?

C. Is Siri simple for use? D. Will Siri be popular?

根據(jù)短文內容，從短文后的選項中選出能填入空白處的最佳選項。選項中有兩項為多余選項。

So, you just finished what you thought was a great project at work, and now your boss is listing all the things you need to improve upon. 1._____. After all, positive criticism（批評）is a key part of any job. Through this article, learn how to accept criticism and do your jobs well.

1. Accept that you are not perfect.

If you begin each task thinking that nothing will go wrong, you're fooling yourself. 2.______. The important thing is to learn from them.

2. 3.______.

After you've finished, and before you submit it to your boss, be sure you've gone over everything carefully. This can help you to avoid silly mistakes and ensure that your boss won't have to bother you about minor problems.

3. Listen carefully.

4.______. Take notes and remind yourself how to fix the problem. This step is the most difficult, as it can mean that one must put one's pride away and admit one's responsibility in one's work-related errors.

4. Agree with part of the criticism.

When faced with criticism, most people focus on the part of the negative feedback that may not be true and ignore the rest. This doesn't solve any problems, and you don't learn anything. When you agree with one part of the criticism, you become open to learning. 5.______. Even agreeing with one small aspect of the criticism will create an atmosphere of teamwork. The focus then can become how you'll work together to solve a problem, which will lessen your feeling of being attacked.

A. Don’t take it seriously.

B. Don’t get discouraged.

C. You will make mistakes.

D. Double check your work.

E. You don't have to agree with everything.

F. In fact you need time and courage to process the information.

G. Never ignore critical comments, or you will repeat the same mistakes.

完形填空

閱讀下面短文，從短文后各題所給的四個選項（A、B、C和D）中，選出可以填人空白處的最佳選項，并在答題卡上將該項涂黑。

Charles Rose lived in the country with his father, who taught him to read and to write.

When his morning lessons were over, he was allowed to _______ himself for one hour as he pleased.

There was a river nearby. On its bank _______ the hut(小木屋) of a poor fisherman. He could not teach his only son, Joe, himself, _______ he was too poor to send him to school.

Charles happened to _______ at the hut one day. He found Joe was making _______ with a piece of chalk.

“I am trying to write," said little Joe, "but I know only two words. If I could _______ learn to read and write," said he, "I should be the _______ boy in the world."

"Then I will make you happy," said Charles. “I can _______ you that.”

Both Joe and his father were ready to fall on their _______ to thank Charles. They told him it was what they wished _______ all things.

So, on the next day when the _______ came, Charles went to teach Joe.

Some time after, a _______ told Mr. Rose that his son often went to the house of the fisherman. “It is likely that he does not always amuse himself after the morning lessons. I _______ he goes out in their boat,” said the gentleman.

The _______ the neighbor left, Mr. Rose went in search of his son. He went along the river, in hope of seeing the _______. Not seeing it, he grew uneasy. _______ to leave without learning something of him, he went to the hut. There a pleasant sight _______ his eyes. Charles was at the table, ruling a copybook Joe was reading to him. Charles was a little _______. He feared his father might not be pleased, but he had no need to be uneasy, for his father was _______ .

The next day, his father bought books for Charles and Joe, with writing paper, pens, and ink.

Then Charles ran to Joe, his hands _______ with parcels, and his heart beating with joy.

1.A. amuse B. think C. treat D. study

2.A. built B. set C. stood D. had

3.A. so B. but C. or D. and

4.A. visit B. call C. pass D. approach

5.A. houses B. discoveries C. marks D. designs

6.A. even B. hardly C. again D. only

7.A. happiest B. cleverest C. strongest D. luckiest

8.A. manage B. acquire C. teach D. help

9.A. eyes B. knees C. hands D. heads

10.A. above B. of C. with D. for

11.A. hour B. order C. telephone D. message

12.A. friend B. neighbor C. policeman D. teacher

13.A. suggest B. expect C. fear D. promise

14.A. hurry B. remark C. day D. moment

15.A. boy B. fisherman C. boat D. hut

16.A. Unwilling B. Ready C. Anxious D. Uncertain

17.A. avoided B. met C. flashed D. reflected

18.A. satisfied B. confused C. excited D. interested

19.A. annoyed B. determined C. puzzled D. delighted

20.A. closed B. held C. filled D. kept

閱讀下面材料，在空白處填入適當?shù)膬热荩?個單詞)或括號內單詞的正確形式。

As I am getting older, I find a terrible problem that my memory is getting even 1. (bad). I always forget 2. (do) what I have exactly done. What’s wrong with me? I think I shouldn’t have been so forgetful just 3. I’m not old enough to forget things. It must be horrible if the situation 4. (continue) in the next years. Now, I have to take a note 5. (avoid) missing something I should do. However, several years ago, I took great 6. (proud) in my good memory because I would keep something in my mind easily. That’s 7. I don’t think study was a problem when I was in high school.

Perhaps, recently I was busy 8. some little things both in family and work so I was 9. (complete) tired. But meanwhile I had to admit that time had taken away my energy not only physically but also mentally. No matter who you are or how strong you are, you’re certain to be weak in front of 10. (nature) law.

短文改錯

假定英語課上老師要求同桌之間交換修改作文，請你修改你同桌寫的以下作文。文中共有10處語言錯誤，每句中最多有兩處。錯誤僅涉及一個單詞的增加、刪除或修改。

增加：在缺詞處加一個漏字符號(^ )，并在其下面寫出該加的詞。

刪除：把多余的詞用(＼)劃掉。

修改：在錯的詞下畫一橫線，并在該詞下面寫出修改后的詞。

注意：1. 每處錯誤及其修改均僅限一詞；

2. 只允許修改10處，多者（從第11處起）不計分。

The other day, as I walked to school, I passed small construction area. It was not far away in my school. I notice a man bringing a bunch of things: shoes, blankets, some canned food, and clothing. Perhaps the items were gathered from his family and some of his friend. He started laying it down for people to take. Certainly, I was curious about what things would be going. But I rushed there after school. I saw that much of the items were taken by others. I have read lots of inspired stories of kindness. This is probably the sweetest act of kindness I’ve been witnessed so far.

書面表達

假如你是李華，最近收到美國朋友Peter的信，他在信中講到了高中生活中印象最深的活動，并詢問你是否愿意跟他分享給你印象最深的活動。請你寫一封回信。內容應包括：

1. 簡述給你印象最深的活動；

2. 談談活動的啟發(fā)和影響。

注意：

1. 詞數(shù)100左右；

2. 信的開頭和結尾已為你寫好。

Dear Peter,

Thank you very much for your letter of March 20. It is kind of you to share the activity that has impressed you most. ________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Yours sincerely

Li Hua

Technology is making life easier for some dairy farmers. They use robotic systems to milk their cows. These systems are designed to reduce labor and increase milk production.

Cows are trained to follow a series of paths that lead to the milking stations. Only one cow at a time can enter the station. Once inside，the cow is rewarded with food. As the cow eats，a robotic arm cleans and connects the animal to the milking machine. A few minutes later，the milking is completed. The gate is lifted. The cow leaves and the next cow enters. The robotic systems are designed to operate twenty­ four hours a day. Cows are milked on average about three times a day. Some are milked four to six times a day. The cows wear collars(頸圈) around their necks that identify them to the system. A computer keeps records on their eating and milking. A cow is released from the station if the computer decides it should not be milked. The system also measures the temperature and color of the freshly produced milk. Milk is thrown away if it does not pass the tests. Cows need two to four weeks to learn to use the robotic milking systems. Once trained，the cows no longer require human assistance，unless something goes wrong.

Professor Plaut heads the Department of Animal Science at Michigan State University. She believes the systems will attract especially the next generation of farmers who are more interested in technology and less interested in working all the time on the farm. Still，she says the price of robotic milking systems will continue to limit their use. Doug Suhr has more than one hundred milking cows on his farm. Last year it became the fourth farm in southeast Minnesota to get a robotic milking system. A recent story in a local agricultural newspaper said the first robot cost $175，000 and the second cost $150，000.Doug says the increase in milk production reaches a high of more than 6kg per cow per day.

1.Under robotic milking systems，______ decide(s) whether a cow is suitable to be milked.

A．the robotic arms B．the dairy farmers

C．the cows themselves D．a(chǎn) computer

2.When is human assistance needed during the milking?

A．When the cows enter the milking station every morning.

B．When a robotic arm connects a cow to the milking machine.

C．When the cows are trained to use the robotic milking system in the first two to four weeks.

D．When the temperature and color of the freshly produced milk are measured.

3.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the last paragraph?

A．Since Doug got the robotic milking system，milk production on his farm has increased.

B．The price of milking machines decreases $25，000 every year.

C．Doug has the largest farm in southeast Minnesota.

D．There are four farms in southeast Minnesota that have robotic milking systems so far.

4.It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

A．the price of robotic milking systems will greatly decrease

B．robotic milking systems are still too expensive to be popular

C．most farmers are too old to use robotic milking systems

D．robotic milking systems don't need to work at night

Should parents ever hit their children?

Research suggests many of us are likely to respond “no”, and public support for spanking（打屁股） has been falling over the years．But surveys also show that 75 percent to nearly 90 percent of parents admit to spanking their child at least once．

I was raised in a zero-tolerance home for disrespect, and my parents often turned to physical punishment．And, no, I don' t feel I was damaged by it．

Nothing is more annoying than watching ill-mannered behavior from children．

But there is data to suggest that a return to old-school spanking isn't the answer．

Two years ago, Newsweek reported that it had found data suggesting that teens whose parents used physical punishment were more likely to become aggressive．

Murray Straus, professor at the University of New Hampshire in America, has studied the topic of children and spanking for decades．He said that children who were physically punished have lower IQs than their peers．It may be that children with lower IQs were more likely to get spanked, but the punishment may have been counterproductive （反作用的） to their mental development, as well．

Some researchers make the argument that occasional open-handed smacks （用巴掌打） on the bottom are not only harmless but can have some benefit．

Last year, Marjorie Gunnoe, a psychologist at Calvin College, studied teens who have never spanked．There are a greater number of children growing up without ever having been physically punished．Gunnoe’s research suggests they don' t turn out any better than those who were sometimes spanked．

There are some parents who simply cannot control their tempers （脾氣）．But I still believe that the best parents are the ones who are able to offer fair and firm discipline without ever turning to physical punishment．

1.According to the first three paragraphs, the author was probably hit by her parents when____________.

A．they were dissatisfied with her grade

B．she showed no respect for the elder

C．they cannot control their temper

D．their discipline turns out to be not strict enough

2.According to Murray Straus, children who are physically punished ______．

A．a(chǎn)re less aggressive toward others when they get older

B．have slower physical development

C．benefit from occasional spanking

D．may develop lower IQs than their peer

3.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the article?

A．40 percent of children grow up without ever being spanked

B．Children who suffer less physical punishment are better students

C．Occasional open-handed spanking on the bottom are mentally harmful

D．Researchers disagree over whether smacking is mentally harmful to children