Both of my parents worked full-time when I was a little girl, so my grandmother would stay at our house during the day. We would watch game shows in the living room. Our favorite was The Price is Right. We would call out our answers along with the contestants.

When I got older and started going to school, we couldn't watch our game shows regularly. That was okay with me, though, because the one thing I liked better than watching game shows with my grandmother was helping her bake cakes. Watching her in the kitchen was amazing: she never seemed to need the recipes but everything she made tasted delicious.

At first I would just sit in the kitchen and watch, even though I didn’t understand what she was doing, As I got older, she let me help with the easy parts, such as measuring the sugar. The day she let me separate the eggs, I felt like I had found complete pleasure.

At last, my parents decided that I could take care of myself, and my grandmother stopped coming over every day. The love of baking, however, stayed with me. I started baking by myself, and even if the cookies ended up burnt sometimes, more often they turned out pretty well. I tried out new recipes, and whenever I got to a thorny part, I would call my grandmother for advice. Sometimes I would call her just to talk, too. I felt like I could talk to her about anything.

My grandmother passed away ten years ago, but I still think of her every day. Last week, I found a recipe book she made for me. It included her recipes for brownies, cookies, and my favorite, lemon pie. As I looked through the pages, I thought I could hear her voice. She was the one who taught me not just about baking, but about life.

1.What’s the author’s purpose in writing this passage?

A. To show her good baking skills.

B. To remember her grandmother.

C. To talk about her happy family life.

D. To describe her childhood memories.

2.While helping her grandmother bake, the author ______.

A. found it interesting and appealing

B. turned out to be a troublemaker

C. hoped to make a living by baking

D. regretted missing the game shows

3.What does the underlined word "thorny" in Paragraph 4 most probably mean?

A. basic. B. common. C. special.D. difficult.

4.The passage is mainly developed by ______.

A. analyzing causes

B. making comparisons

C. following the time order

D. examining differences

Air conditioning, watermelons, ice cream-we have all kinds of gadgets and food to get us through the summer. But what could be better during the hot months? The following are a few special and well-known water parks around the world. Take a good look, and know what the real water parks look like.

Noah’s Ark

Location: Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, US

Noah’s Ark offers many water slides. The most notable ride is the Black Anaconda. At more than 400 meters in length, it is the US’ most thrilling water coaster and sends riders spiraling down at speeds of up to 48 kilometers per hour. Plus, with 18 indoor water parks, Wisconsin Dells offers plenty of splashes for water lovers.

Tropical Islands Resort

Location: Brandenburg, Germany

This resort offers the largest indoor water park in the world-at 65,961 square meters. And its indoor pool can hold 6,000 visitors at a time. As Europe’s largest tropical holiday world, Tropical (熱帶的) Islands is more than a water park. It’s a fully functional resort, featuring a theme park, an artificial rainforest, a lagoon, a beach, steam baths, saunas and many shops and restaurants. There are also several water slides and other activities that people of all ages can enjoy.

Las Cascada Water Park

Location: Aguadilla, Puerto Rico

Las Cascada is well known for its unbelievable beauty. It is surrounded by tropical mountain forests and situated close to the ocean.

The water ride, E1 Rio Pasivo, carries riders through the whole water park. They can see the mountains and waterfalls around it.

Chimelong Water Park

Location: Guangzhou, China

It is one of the largest water parks in Asia. With its advanced technology, it also has many new aquatic(水上的) facilities in the industry. One of the park’s rides offers a tube conveyor that transports riders up a 19-meter-tall tower. The park has implemented a special water treatment system that ensures safe PH(酸堿度) levels and removes harmful germs.

1.Which of the following water parks sounds the cleanest?

A. Noah’s Ark

B. Tropical Islands Resort.

C. Las Cascada Water Park.

D. Chimelong Water Park.

2.What is special about Tropical Islands Resort?

a. It has natural rainforests.

b. It has advanced equipment.

c. It’s the largest indoor water park in the world.

d. It has other fun facilities other than a water park.

A. ac B. cd C. abcD. abd

3.Where is the article most likely to have been taken from?

A. A science magazine.

B. A research paper.

C. A travel magazine.

D. An advertisement.

Scientists in Argentina have created the world’s first cow to own two human genes that will enable it to produce human-like milk, which is matchless up to now. It is a breakthrough in the area of clone.

Genetic engineering was used to introduce the "mothers’ milk" genes into the animal before birth, according to the National Institute of Agribusiness Technology in Buenos Aires.

As an adult, the cloned cow "will produce milk that is similar to humans" in what will prove "a development of great importance for the nutrition of infants", it said in a statement.

"The cloned cow, named Rosita ISA, is the first one born in the world that owns two human genes that contain the proteins present in human milk," the statement said.

In April, scientists in China published details of research showing that they had created GM Holstein dairy cows which produced milk containing proteins found in human breast milk.

But the Argentine team says the Chinese only introduced one human gene, whereas their research involved two genes meaning the milk will more closely resemble that of humans.

Rosita ISA was born on April 6 and was delivered by Caesarean section because she weighed around 100 pounds, roughly twice the normal weight of Jersey cows.

Adrian Mutto, from the National University of San Martin said "Our goal was to raise nutritional value of cows’ milk by adding two human genes, the protein lactoferrin and lysozyme, which can provide newly-born babies with anti-bacterial and anti-viral protection."

Cristina Kirchner, President of Argentina, said that the scientific institute "makes all proud.” She also revealed that she had rejected the "honor" of having the cow named after her. "They came to tell me that the name is Cristina, but what woman would like to have a cow named after her? It appeared to me to be more appropriate to call it Rosita.”

1.What can we know about Rosita ISA according to the passage?

A. It is as heavy as Jersey cows.

B. It is the first cow with a human gene.

C. Its milk has the same proteins as human breast milk.

D. Its milk has larger nutritional value than others’.

2. Lactoferrin and lysozyme in milk ______.

A. are good for babies’ health

B. help provide more milk from cow

C. can increase the production of milk

D. can offer more proteins in cow milk

3.We can infer from the last paragraph that ______.

A. it is hard to name the cow

B. honorable as it is, no women like the cow named after them

C. the president wants the cow named after her

D. Cristina Kirchner objects to creating the cloned cow

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

A. Scientists in Argentina could produce human milk

B. The cloned cow would bring about benefits

C. Scientists create cow that produces "human" milk

D. How was the cloned cow born?

“Community” is not a concept that is easy to define(定義). In this essay I will examine what turns individuals into a community, and discuss some different types. I will also look at what all communities have in common, the benefits they offer and draw conclusions about their increasing importance.

The word “community” may make you think of traditional communities in the developing world, where large families live together. We may also imagine the neighbours as people who are happy to help out whenever it is needed. The stereotypical(老套的) view is that of a village, where people have little but can feel very rich because everyone takes responsibility for the welfare of the others.

On the other hand, there are other types of communities: ultramodern(超現(xiàn)代的) ones, where the community members are unlikely to have actually met each other. These are online communities, where people blog or chat about particular issues that are important to them. They come across others on websites and may develop a relationship there with like-minded people, discussing the same topics. The view is often that these are artificial connections between people who are, in fact, still isolated(孤立的) strangers.

In reality, the connections are real. Moreover, there are many types of communities in between these extremes: people who join clubs, who sign up with voluntary, political or other organizations, or who take part in group discussions in their local area. They may be campaigning about issues or simply getting together for companionship and support.

Human beings are social by nature, so it should not be a surprise that we organize ourselves in groups. However, there is more going on: these groups provide something that we cannot achieve on our own. The main benefit of being part of a larger group is strength in numbers. For example, we can access and share more information, we can take part in team sports, we can complain and campaign more effectively and even if we are just having a chat, online or in person, we can feel supported in whatever we do.

Whatever forms communities take, what defines them is the sense of identity and safety that they provide for their members: the knowledge that there are people who we have something in common with and who can be relied on when we need each other.

1.In traditional communities, people ______.

A. live in a large family

B. are wealthy but unhappy

C. are isolated and don’t have connections

D. help and care about each other

2.According to the text, online community members ______.

A. develop a close working relationship

B. share opinions about issues on websites

C. communicate with each other in person

D. share the same interest but have no relations

3.Paragraph 5 mainly talks about ______.

A. the types of community

B. the culture of community

C. the benefits of community

D. the definition of community

4.Communities provide their members with ______.

A. a sense of identity and safety

B. a sense of social responsibility

C. chances of meeting new people

D. chances of developing their interests

“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”---Lao Tzu

If you are in a city where everyone rushes, realize that you don’t have to be like everyone else. You can be different. You can walk instead of driving in rush hour traffic. You can be on your iPhone or Blackberry less, and disconnected sometimes. Your environment doesn’t control your life---you do. I’m not going to tell you how to give you a step-by-step guide to moving slower. 1.

1. Do less.

Cut back on your projects, on your task list, on how much you try to do each day. 2. Pick 2-3 important things--- or even just one important thing--- and work on those first. Save smaller, routine tasks for later in the day, but give yourself time to focus.

2. 3.

Meeting are usually a “big waste of time”. And they eat into your day, forcing you to squeeze the things you really need to do into small windows, and making you rush.

3. Start to put off or cancel the unnecessary.

When you do the important things with focus, without rush, there will be things that get pushed back, and that don’t get done. And you need to ask yourself: 4. What would happen if I stopped doing them?

4. Practice mindfulness.

5. , rather than things so much about future or the past. When you eat, fully appreciate your food. When you are with someone, be with them fully. When you are walking, appreciate your surroundings, no matter where you are.

Try these things out. Life is better when unrushed. Remember the quote: if nature can get everything done without rushing , so can you.

A. Have fewer meetings

B. How necessary are these things?

C. Simply learn to live in the present

D. Focus not on quantity but on quality

E. Give yourself more time to get ready and get there.

F. The world likely won’t end if you don’t pass one of the examinations.

G. But here are some things to consider and perhaps adopt, if they work for your life.

The couple went ______ to prepare a spectacular feast for their guests.

A. just to show B. as a surprise

C. to an end D. all out

Though having lived abroad for years, many Chinese still ______ the traditional customs.

A. perform B. possess

C. observe D. support

I don’t believe you. What you said just doesn’t ______.

A. make an impression

B. make sense

C. come as a surprise

D. go on

Scientists are convinced ______ the positive effect of laughter ______ physical and mental health.

A. of；onB. by；in C. of；at D. on；at

It is ______ of you to call on your aunt from time to time.

A. common B. convenient

C. considerate D. concerned