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Royal palace and fortress for over 900 years , scene of mystery , murder and home to the Crown Jewels . KENSINGTON PALACE Birthplace of Queen Victoria , this royal retreat is home to magnificent State Apartments and the stunning Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection , which includes dresses worn by HM Queen Elizabeth II and Diana , Princess of Wales . HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES Hampton Court Palace is part of Historic Royal Palaces , a registered charity (N 1068852 ) that receives no public funding . We rely on the income from admission tickets to the palaces to pay for vital protection work, necessary for the preservation of these national monuments and collections for future generations . Please ask at the ticket office for more information or visit www.hrp.org.uk . VISITOR INFORMATION CARRIAGE RIDES Take a trip around Home Park in a horse-drawn carriage. Rides begin and end in Home Park at the entrance by the East Front Gardens. Available all day. 20 minute duration . PS10.00 per carriage . Subject to weather and ground conditions . ENQUIRIES For details of admission charges , group rates , the Friends of Hampton Court Palace and facilities for disabled visitors , call 0870 752 7777 or visit www. Hampton-court- palace.org.uk RESTAURANTS &SHOPS Choose from the Tiltyard Tea-rooms or the Privy Kitchen Coffee Shop. There are also a number of ice-cream kiosks open in the summer . The palace shops offer a wide range of gifts and souvenirs . AUDIO GUIDES Audio guides are included in the palace ticket and are available in English , French , German , Italian , Spanish and Japanese . Where can visitors see the dresses worn by some royal members ?

0A

School and Einstein did not mix well. His teachers thought that he was stupid and that Einstein's thoughts and words were jumbled . His schoolwork was poor. Playing the violin was all he was good at as a child. When he was ten, he met Dr. Max Talmy. Talmy talked with the boy and tried to help him. They discussed books and Einstein showed an interest in maths. He understood difficult problems and ideas. Inside this "stupid" boy was a genius. Schoolwork never became easy for Einstein. He could not learn things by heart. Paying attention was hard for him. He even did not passed his first test to enter college. Because of his learning problems, Einstein made few friends. He was shy in groups of people. Yet he overcame his shortcomings. He became a well-known scientist in the field of physics. He was one of the most important thinkers of the modern age. Einstein could not learn things by heart because _ .

3D

In a few years,you might be able to speak Chinese,Korean,Japanese,French,and English-and all at the same time. This sounds incredible,but Alex Waibel,a computer science professor at US's Car-negie Mellon University (CMU) and Germany's University of Karlsruhe,announced last week that it may soon be reality. He and his team have invented software and hardware that could make it far easier for people who speak different languages to understand each other. One application,called Lecture Translation,can easily translate a speech from one language into an-other. Current translation technologies typically limit speakers to certain topics or a limited vocabulary. Us-ers also have to be trained how to use the programme. Another machine can send translations of a speech to different listeners depending on what languagethey speak. "It is like having a s _ translator right next to you but without disturbing the person next to you,"Waibel said Prefer to read? So- called Translation Glasses transcribe the translations on a tiny liquid-crystal display(LCD) screen. Then there's the Muscle Translator. Electrodes capture the electrical signals from facial muscle movements made naturally when a person is mouthing words. The signals are then translated into speech.The electrodes could be replaced with wireless chips implanted in a person's face,according to research-ers. During a demonstration held last Thursday in CMU's Pittsburgh campus,a Chinese student named Sang Jun had 11 tiny electrodes attached to the muscles of his cheeks,neck and throat. Then he mouthed-without speaking aloud- a few words in Mandarin to the audience. A few seconds later,the phrase was displayed on a computer screen and spoken out by the computer in English and Spanish: "Let me introduce our new prototype." This particular instrument,when fully developed,might allow anyone to speak in any number of lan-guages or,as Waibel put it,"to switch your mouth to a foreign language". "The idea behind the universi-ty's prototypes is to create'good enough' bridges for cross- cultural exchanges that are becoming more common in the world,"Waibel said. With spontaneous translators,foreign drivers in Germany could listen to traffic warnings on the radio; tourists in China could read all the signs and talk with local people;leaders of different coun-tries could have secret talks without any interpreters there. Where can we probably find this passage?

1B

FreeRice.comis a non-profit website run by the United Nations World Food Program (UNWFP). It aims to provide education to everyone for free and help end world hunger. Join us and have fun with our vocabulary game. For each vocabulary word you get right, we donate free rice through UNWFP to those hungry people. How do you play the vocabulary game? Click on the answer that is closest in meaning to the word. If you get it right, you get a harder word. If wrong, you get an easier word. For each word you get right, we donate 20 grains of rice to UNWFP. How does the vocabulary game help you? This game may make you smarter. While learning new vocabulary, it can help you: Present your ideas better Write better papers, e-mails and business letters Speak more accurately and influentially Read faster because you understand better Get better grades in high school and college Perform better at job interviews Be more effective and successful at your job After you have done FreeRice for a couple of days, you may notice a phenomenon. Words that you have never consciously used before will begin to pop into your head while you are speaking or writing. You will feel yourself using and knowing more words. How does the FreeRice vocabulary program work? FreeRice has a database containing thousands of words at different levels of difficulty. There are words proper for people just learning English and words that will challenge the most learned professors. In between are thousands of words for students, business people, doctors, truck drivers... everyone! FreeRice adjusts to your level of vocabulary. It starts by giving you words at different levels of difficulty and then, based on how you do, designs a proper starting level for you. When you get a word wrong, you go to an easier level. When you get three words in a row right, you go to a harder level. There are 60 levels in all, but it is rare for people to get above Level 50. Sign up now and you will have fun as well as help end world hunger. According to the passage, the purpose of the vocabulary game is to _ .

0A

Heroes of Our Time A good heart Dikembe Mutombo grew up in Africa among great poverty and disease. He came to Georgetown University on a scholarship to study medicine--but Coach John Thompson got a look at Dikembe and had a different idea. Dikembe became a star in the NBA, and a citizen of the United States. But he never forgot the land of his birth, or the duty to share his fortune with others. He built a new hospital in his old hometown in the Congo. A friend has said of this goodhearted man: " Mutombo believes that God has given him this chance to do great things." Success and kindness After her daughter was born, Julie Aigner-Clark searched for ways to share her love of music and art with her child. So she borrowed some equipment, and began filming children's videos in her own house. The Baby Einstein Company was born, and in just five years her business grew to more than $20 million in sales. And she is using her success to help others--producing child safety videos with John Walsh of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Julie says of her new program: " I believe it's the most important thing that I have ever done. I believe that children have the right to live in a world that is safe." Bravery and courage A few weeks ago, Wesley Autrey was waiting at a Harlen subway station with his two little girls when he saw a man fall into the path of a train. With seconds to act, Wesley jumped onto the tracks, pulled the man into the space between the rails, and held him as the train passed right above their heads. He insists he's not a hero. He says: " We have got to show each other some love." Mutombo believes that building the new hospital is _ .

0A

The earth moves round the sun ,and the moon goes round the earth .When our part of the earth turns to the sun ,it is day ,When our part of the earth turns away from the sun ,it is night. The sun is much bigger than the moon .But sometimes the moon looks bigger than the sun, because it's much nearer to the earth. The sun is very bright .It gives a very strong light .The moon looks quite bright, too .But it doesn't give any light at all. The moon looks much bigger and brighter than the stars .But actually , the stars are much bigger and brighter than the moon .They look smaller than the moon because they're much farther away from us. The stars _ .

3D

A coal mine is what?

3D

Pedro Rossi is happy--he is very,very happy! He won $500,000! He won the lottery ! Pedro is happy for only a few days. Then he remembers his lottery ticket! He throws it in the garbage _ ! Pedro runs to the garbage can and looks in it. The garbage can is not over there at all! "The garbage is gone,"his wife says. "The garbage truck comes in the morning." The garbage truck takes the garbage can to the garbage dump ! Pedro runs to the dump. He looks for it for two days. But he can't find it. Pedro lives in town in Brazil. Pedro tells the people in the town,"Look for my lottery ticket at the dump. If you find it,I can give you half the money." Everyday hundreds of people go to the dump to look for the ticket. Five days later,a man finds it. Pedro gives the man $250,000. Pedro won $500,000 in the lottery. Now he won only 250,000. But he is not sad. "Before,one man was happy,"Pedro says. "Now two men are happy!" Pedro is very happy for only a few days because _ .

2C

Make a five-minute film and win! Do you love the winter holidays but hate being bored? Then why don't you enter the Film Street Summer Shorts Competition by making a short film this winter with your family and friends? What you have to do To enter the competition, you have to make a short film that is around 5 minutes long (It can be shorter but not longer!) on a digital camera, or mobile phone. Awards The best short film entered into our competition will be shown in Film Street's Cinema and you'll win a Cineworld Cinema pass for yourself and three more for other members of your filmmaking crew . If you have a Cineworld Cinema pass, you can watch as many films as you like for a year, for free, at any Cineworld Cinema. Rules We can't show films that tell others about either your or any other kids' names or addresses. We can't show films that hurt, harm or insult other people. We can't show films that have bad languages. Copyright Checklist Getting permission to use someone else's work in your film can be expensive, so check your film to make sure that: Your film is _ and you haven't copied anyone else's. There are no scenes of branding on shop signs, books, magazines or CDs. There are no scenes of anyone else's artwork. Address and Date Post your finished film on tape, CD or DVD by Monday, October 1st, 2011 to: Film Street Summer Short Competition First Light Movies Unit 6, Third Floor, The Bond 180-182 Fazeley Street Birmingham So what's stopping you? Start making your Film Street Summer Short now! Who is the passage mainly written for?

0A

One 7.0 kg bowling ball is lifted to a storage shelf 1.0 m above the floor. A second 7.0 kg ball is lifted to a storage shelf 2.0 m above the floor. Which of the following best explains why the measured force of gravity on each ball is nearly identical?

2C

The Petit Appetit Cookbook List Price: $35.00 Price: $23.10 You save: $11.90(34% off) Product Description: Fresh, healthy meals that give little mouths something to smile about...In the Petit Appetit Cookbook, mother and professional cook Lisa Barnes offers healthy foods to help create delicious menus and bagin a lifetime of proper eating habits for babies and very young children. Everyday Raw Express (Paperback) List Price: $19.99 Price: $13.57 You Save: $6.42(32% off) Product Description: Many people love eating raw food, but often the recipes take hours or even a period of several days to prepare. Everyday Raw Express offers delicious soups and smoothies, pastas and desserts, all prepared in 30 minutes or less. If You Give a Dog a Donut (Hardcover) Reading Level: Ages 4--8 List Price: $16.99 Price: $10.10 You Save: $6.80(40% off) Product Description: If you give a dog a donut, he'll ask for some apple juice to go with it. When you give him the juice, he'll drink it all up. Then, before you can say "Woof!" ...Dog is off on a backyard adventure! Good Night Sun Hello Moon (Board Book) Reading Level: Ages 4--8 List Price: $10.99 Price: $9.34 You Save: $1.65 Book Description: Bedtime is a special time and this beautiful book will be a special part of saying goodnight. As kids turn the page, a little bit of the sun goes away and a little piece of the moon appears. The sweet story about a little bunny who doesn't want to go to bed will help send little ones off to sleep night after night. Where the Wild Things Are (Hardcover) Reading Level: Ages 4--above List Price: $16.95 Price: $11.53 You Save: $5.42 Book Description: Max, a boy who feels misunderstood at home, as he sets out in a small boat, finding new worlds across the sea. He lands on the amazing island of the wild things, a place where being a beast isn't a bad thing. The wild things make Max their king, but he sails back to his own room where he finds his mother and his supper waiting for him. Lily, 5 years old, likes listening to some stories before going to bed, her mother will buy _ .

0A

Arthur Miller (1915--2005) is universally recognized as one of the greatest dramatists of the 20th century. Miller's father had moved to the USA from Austria-Hungary, drawn like so many others by the "Great American Dream". However, he experienced severe financial hardship when his family business was ruined in the Great Depression of the early 1930s. Miller's most famous play,Death of a Salesman,is a powerful attack on the American system, with its aggressive way of doing business and its insistence on money and social status as indicators of worth. In Willy Loman, the hero of the play, we see a man who has got into trouble with this system. Willy is "burnt out" and in the cruel world of business there is no room for sentiment: if he can't do the work, then he is no good to his employer, the Wagner Company, and he must go. Willy is painfully aware of this, and at a loss as to what to do with his lack of success. He refuses to face the fact that he has failed and kills himself in the end. When it was first staged in 1949, the play was greeted with enthusiastic reviews, and it won the Tony Award for Best Play, the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It was the first play to win all three of these major awards. Miller died of heart failure at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut, on the evening of February 10, 2005, the 56th anniversary of the first performance ofDeath of a Salesmanon Broadway. After it was first staged,Death of a Salesman _ .

0A

Google, the Internet search and mapping company, has developed a car that can steer without a driver. Sometimes the reality is stranger than science fiction: Google is road-testing cars that steer, stop and start without a human driver. The goal is to "help prevent traffic accidents, free up people's time and reduce carbon emissions." says Sebastian Thrun, who is the project leader for the driverless car, or Carbot. By developing the car and the software that drives it, Google wants to change how people get from place to p1ace. Eric Schmidt, one of the company's top officials, said, "Your car should drive itself. It just makes sense." So far, the driverless autos have gone about 140,000 miles on California roads without people taking over the driving. Many of the roads are very busy or full of curves that challenge human drivers. The autos' software makes it possible to know speed limits, traffic patterns and road maps. The vehicles use radar, lasers and video cameras to find other cars and avoid people crossing streets. There has only been one accident during the testing. And in that case, the Carbot was hit from behind by a human driver when Goog1e's car was stopped at a red light. Engineers say the driverless cars are safer than autos with people behind the wheel because the computers react much more quickly than humans. The Carbot is still in very early testing stages. Experts agree that it will be years before you will be able to buy one. But it is likely that one day you will be sitting in the driver's seat of a driverless car. When the auto was first invented it was called a "horseless carriage". Now it seems that it is time for the "driverless carriage" to be part of our 1ives. The driverless car is safer than an auto with people because _ .

3D

Soap operas from South Korea have been popular in China for more than twenty years now. So it is not the first time for the soap operas made in China to feel less popular. But this time, they are facing more difficulties, for The Heirs and My Love From the Star really made a full success. A senior official said he sometimes watched soap operas from South Korea, as well as House of Cards, an American opera about politics . These operas made both in South Korea and in America have a lot of lovers in China. Many people agree that China's soap operas can't be much loved by most Chinese, because they are not as interesting and exciting as those operas from South Korea and America, such as My Love From the Star, a South Korean love story between a time-traveling professor and a famous movie star. However, South Korea not only provides soap operas but also some variety shows . Where Are We Going, Dad? is not an original Chinese show. We learned it from South Korea although not many in China know about that fact. South Korea has created many popular shows and these stories tell there's no difference between men and women but in their country men are certain to _ The soap operas made in China are not as popular as those in South Korea or America, because _ .

1B

A famous study was done in a school by a professor from a university. At the start of the school year, the teachers were given the names of five children. They were told that these five were the most excellent students in the class. But the fact was that these students were only average ,and they were not the best students at all. Well, guess what? At the end of the year, all the five average students scored among the highest in the class. What made these average students change so much to become top students?The only difference was the change in their teachers' attitude . Because the teachers believed that these five kids were the top students,they expected more from them. And so these five average students began to believe and expect more from themselves. So they worked harder to do as well as they could. Do you know why? If you expect the best from people, they'll usually want to give you their best. A great leader said, "Treat a person just how he appears to be on the outside, and you'll make him even worse. But treat a person like he's already a success,and you'll help make him the best he can be." Like the true story of 7-year-old Johnny, his teacher got so angry with him that one day she said,"Johnny,you're the naughtiest boy in this class. I'm sure you'll never change." The next year Johnny had a new teacher. And on the first day of class,she met with Johnny after school and said,"Johnny, I've heard a lot about you! But do you know that I don't believe a word of it." And every day after that, this new teacher treated Johnny as if he was one of the smartest students even when Johnny did naughty things. Later on, Johnny became a school leader. Because that's the power of our belief and attitude toward children. The five average students became top students mainly because of _ .

2C

If you are sitting at a table with people you don't know, it is impolite to smoke without first asking if it will disturb them. At American restaurants and coffee shops, cold water is usually served before you order. You may find the bread and the butter are free, and if you order coffee, you may get a free refill. Most cities and towns have no rules about opening and closing time for stores and restaurants, though they usually do make rules for bars. Especially in big cities, stores may be open 24 hours a day. Serving in restaurants are often large. If you can't finish the meal but would like to enjoy the food later, ask the waiter or the waitress for a "doggie bag" . It may have a picture of a dog on it, but everybody knows you are taking the food for yourself. Tips are not usually added to check. You should leave a tip of about 15% on the table when you leave. In some restaurants, a waiter or waitress often brings your check on a plate, and you can put your money there. Then the waiter or the waitress brings you your changes. How can you give tips in America?

3D

Every student wants to learn English well, but how can we learn it well? It's a good topic for English learners. Here are some good methods, which can help you improve your English quickly. First of all, you must have correct attitude. Please love English, not hate it. And you don't feel shy when you say or speak English. Remember one sentence: _ Secondly, I think grammar rules, new words and phrases are important, but they are not enough. For example, some people are quite good at grammar and learned a lot of English words and phrases. But they can't speak English when they meet foreign friends. The most effective way to learn English well is to often use English. Don't be afraid and don't laugh at others. We'd better listen, speak, read and write more. You can go to English corner, talk with foreigners or talk with your friends. If you have time, listen to the radio or English program. Listening to this good material can help you improve your listening and understanding. And then, you can read English books, newspapers or novels. They are wonderful. You can use the internet, chat with net-friends or write E-mails, dairies ...Through these ways, you can get more for your English. English isn't so difficult that we can't learn it well. As long as we set our mind to learn English well, I'm sure everyone will be successful. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

0A

The tough economy is bringing new shoppers to the secondhand market. Plato's Closet in Charlotte, NC is a private company which mainly buys and sells used clothes. While Charlotte has outstanding secondhand stores offering high-end and sophisticated brands for women, most of their stock applies to adults. Plato's Closet targets teens and those in their 20s.Plato's Closet, with stores in Matthews and the university area, sells clothes and accessories that are currently popular at up to 70 percent off retail prices . The two hottest brands, for buying and selling, are Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch. Even though the offerings tend to be suitable for young people, there are a variety of shoppers at Plato's Closet of varying ages. Women in their 30s; 40s and older could easily find a purse, jacket or piece of jewelry they like. Customer Beth Gibbs, 52, who has three teenage daughters, said she used to shop at name-brand stores, but "this year I'm shopping more in secondhand stores", because of the economy. If you're selling Unlike higher-end resale stores which usually work on consignment , Plato's Closet buys on the spot. Items can be gently used, but must be in very good condition. Clothes should be less than two years old and styles should be the same as those still being sold at the shopping center. There is no negotiation; prices are set company-wide. If what you sell amounts to $30 or less, they'll give you cash. More than that, you'll get a Visa cash card. Secondhand success Don't get discouraged if you can't find something on your first trip. Resale shops are always getting new lists of goods and change their styles with each season. Be sure to check each piece carefully before buying. Price comparison Jackets: New York & Company black blazer, $12; retail: $37. Pants: Express Editor-style pants, $12; retail: $69.90. Shoes: Nine West black peep-toe pumps, $12; retail: $89. Jewelry: Necklaces, $3-$5; retail: $18-$30. (365) If you buy a pair of Express Editor-style pants in Plato's Closet, you can save _ .

0A

Sir Edmund Hillary is best known for being the first, along with climbing partner Tenzing Norgay, to reach the top of Mount Everest . However, he also made many visits to Antarctica . In 1957, he led the first trip over ice to the South Pole. Hillary also helped his home country, New Zealand, build a research center on Antarctica, called Scott Base. He visited it in January 2007, when he was 87 years old. In the 1900s, many people like Hillary saw Antarctica as an exciting place. Scientists are interested in how glaciers flow and melt. They also worry that global warming is making glaciers melt faster. It has caused a 75 percent increase in ice loss in the last 10 years, according to a new study. Scientists say ice loss could cause water levels around the world to rise faster than expected. Ice is melting faster than expected because of global warming. Researchers in Antarctica are studying many other subjects too. Some use the cold weather and clear air as a way to study things that affect other parts of the globe. Antarctica has the cleanest air in the world. That allows scientists to compare the air there to the air in polluted places. Antarctica is the darkest place on earth, so it is a great place to study the stars. Some scientists are even studying penguin droppings . They have developed a new test to learn more about penguins' diets. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

3D

Timothy likes to play sports. He spends his time after school playing basketball and baseball. Sometimes Timothy pretends he is a famous baseball pitcher for his favorite team with his friends. He plays with his friends Mandy and Andrew. Timothy also plays pretend when he is alone. He has an imaginary friend named Sean. Sean is an elephant who watches television with Timothy. Mandy likes playing baseball but she also likes to paint. Mandy's favorite class at school is art. She likes making pictures of flowers. Her teacher says she is a good artist. She painted a picture of a tree for her teacher. There were red and yellow leaves on it. It had apples on it. When Andrew goes home after baseball, he likes to eat a snack. He eats carrots and bananas. If he is a good boy his mom, Mrs. Smith, sometimes gives him milk and cookies. Afterwards, Andrew finishes his homework. What does Andrew eat after baseball?

2C

Below is adapted from an English dictionary. Use the dictionary to answer the following questions. figure / fig@ / noun, verb * noun 1. a number representing a particular amount, especially one given in official information: the trade / sales figures 2. a symbol rather than a word representing one of the numbers between 0 and 9: a six-figure salary 3. (informal) the area of mathematics that deals with adding, multiplying, etc. numbers 4. a person of the type mentioned: Gandhi was both a political and a religious figure in Indian history. 5. the shape of a person seen from a distance or not clearly 6. a person or an animal as shown in art or a story: a wall with five carved figures in it 7. the human shape, considered from the point of view of being attractively thin: doing exercise to improve one's figure 8. a pattern or series of movements performed on ice: figure-skating * be / become a figure of fun: be / become sb. that others laugh at * cut a...figure: sb with a particular appearance: He cut a striking figure in his dinner jacket. * put a figure on sth: to say the exact price or number of sth. * a fine figure of man / woman: a tall, strong-looking and well-shaped person * figure of speech: a word or phrase used in a different way from its usual meanings in order to create a particular mental image or effect * figurehead: someone who is the head or chief in name only (with no real power or authority) * verb 1. to think or decide that sth. will happen or is true: I figured that if I took the night train, I could be in Scotland by morning. 2. to be part of a process, situation, etc. especially an important part: My opinion of the matter didn't seem to figure at all. 3. to calculate an amount or the cost of sth: We figured that attendance at 150,000. * figure in: to include (in a sum): Have you figured in the cost of hotel? * figure on: to plan on; to expect sth. to happen: I haven't figured on his getting home so late. * figure out: to work out; understand by thinking: Have you figured out how much the trip will cost? * It / That figures!: That seems reasonable. Which sentence is used as figure of speech?

3D

I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. Some of you are probably wishing it were still summer and you could have stayed in bed just a little bit longer this morning. But I'm here because I want to talk with you about your education and what's expected of all of you in this new school year. Every single one of you has something that you're good at. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That's the opportunity an education can provide. Maybe you could be a great writer, but you might not know it until you write that English paper that's assigned to you. Maybe you could be an inventor, but you might not know it until you do your project for your science class. I know it's not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork. But the circumstances of your life---what you look like, where you come form, how much money you have---none of these is an excuses for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude in school. I know that sometimes you get that sense form TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work---that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star. Chances are you're not going to be any of those things. The truth is, being successful is hard. You won't lose every subject that you study. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right at this minute. And you won't necessarily succeed in everything the first time you try. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who have had the most failure. J. K. Rowling's first Harry potter book was rejected 12 times before it was finally published. So I expect all of you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. This passage is a speech of _ .

1B

Nick is a knight . But he doesn't like to ride and he doesn't like to fight. Nick likes to read and write, and he likes to knit . One night, there was a knock at the door. "I need you to fight a dragon !" cried King Kareen. "But I'm the wrong kind of knight!" said Nick. "I don't like to fight." "Never mind! Hurry up!" cried the King. "The dragon is in my bed!" said the King. Nick's knees were knocking. He lifted the blanket and saw a little dragon. "I'm freezing." The dragon said. Nick quickly started knitting. He knitted a coat, some long socks and some pants for the dragon. The dragon was glad. "Thank you!" he said and off he went. "I think you're the right kind of knight!" said the king. The dragon was in the King's bed because _ .

2C

In department stores and closets all over the world, they are waiting. Their outward appearance seems rather appealing because they come in a variety of styles, patterns, materials, and color1s. But they are eventually the biggest deception that exists in the fashion industry today. What are they? They are high heels -- a woman's worst enemy (whether she knows it or not). High heel shoes are the downfall of modern society. Fashion myths have led women to believe that they are more beautiful or stylish for wearing heels, but in reality, heels succeed in creating short as well as long term troubles. Women should fight the high heel industry by refusing to use or purchase them in order to save the world from unnecessary physical and psychological suffering. For the sake of fairness, it must be noted that there is a positive side to high heels. First, heels are excellent for aerating lawns . Anyone who has ever worn heels on grass knows what I am talking about. A simple trip around the yard in a pair of those babiesgets rid of all the need to call for a lawn care specialist, and provides the perfect-sized holes to give any lawn oxygen without all those messy blocks of dirt lying around. Second, heels are quite functional for defending against oncoming enemies, who can easily be scared away by threatening them with a pair of these sharp, deadly fashion items. Regardless of such practical uses for heels, the fact remains that wearing high heels is harmful to one's physical health. Talk to any podiatrist , and you will hear that the majority of their business comes from high-heel-wearing women. High heels are known to cause problems such as misshapen feet and torn toenails. The risk of severe back problems and twisted or broken ankles is three times higher for a high heel wearer than for a flat shoe wearer. Wearing heels also creates the threat of getting a heel caught in a narrow sidewalk gap and being thrown to the ground--possibly breaking a nose, back, or neck. And of course, after wearing heels for a day, any woman knows she can look forward to a night of pain as she tries to comfort her aching feet. It can be inferred from the passage that women should _ .

0A

A crust is a portion of

1B

What do you have if you throw chocolate chips, peanuts, coconut, and dried strawberry into a bag?

1B

There are thousands of things to be sold that are of all colors and shapes in a supermarket, making you believe that they are good enough for you to have a try. How packaging is the quiet but persuading salesman? There on the shelves,each bottle, can and box has been carefully designed to speak to the inner self of the consumer , so that he is buying not only a product but also his belief in life. Scientists have studied on this and found that the look of the package has a great influence on the "quality" of the product and on how well it sells, because "Consumers generally cannot tell between a product and its package. Many products are packages and many packages are products," as Louis Cheskin, the first social scientist studying consumers' feeling for packaging, noticed. Colors are one of the best tools in packaging. Studies of eye movement have shown that colors draw human attention quickly. Take V8 for example. For many years,the bright red color of tomatoes and carrots on the thin bottle makes you feel that it's very good for your body. _ Shapes are another attraction.Circles often mean happiness, because they are pleasing to both the eye and the heart. That's why the round yellow M sings of McDonald's are inviting to both young and old. This new consumer response to the colors and shapes of packages reminds producers and sellers that people buy to meet the needs of both body and heart. What's the best title of the passage?

1B

According to a recent survey, Canadian parents realize their role as protectors and providers to raise their children both emotionally and physically. That's not very different from the way our parents saw themselves. But with more two-career families and busy schedules, one thing parents today recognize more than ever is the need to set aside special time for their children. These 'nurturing moments' are changed into memories that they will treasure all their lives. Nurturing moments might be the time between our work and life,bringing your child to work with you to see what you do during the day,visiting your child's make-believe world,discussing his other school day and exploring the natural world outside your door. These times are not merely a luxury , they're a necessity. It's during these moments that parents pass values and attitudes to their children. Over time, children pick up good habits and positive self-image. Here are a few tips for making the most of your family time together: Regularly sit down as a family to share a meal. Allow each person to describe something interesting about his or her day. Make one night a week family night. Family members take turns choosing a special activity for the evening everyone partakes in the fun. Show your children you care about their interests by having them teach you about their activity or hobby. Nurturing healthy children involves body, mind and spirit. The little things you do to your care are the building blocks for confidence, self-esteem and a healthy outlook. By giving your children these tools, you prepare them for life. The purpose of the author in writing this article is _ .

0A

The first English dictionary was published in 1604. The dictionary was actually nothing more than a list of about 3, 000 difficult words, each followed by a one-word definition. The author, Robert Cawdrey, made no attempt to include everyday words in his dictionary. No one, he reasoned, would ever have to look up a word in a dictionary if he already knew the meaning of the word. During the 1600's more dictionaries were published. Each followed Cawdrey's lead and presented a few thousand hard words. Around 1700 one dictionary maker, John Kersey, did define easy words as well as hard words. But until the 1750's all the dictionaries were rather crude and not very valuable. A man named Dr Samuel Johnson changed all this. In 1755 Dr Johnson produced the first modern dictionary. He included in his dictionary all important words, both easy and hard, and he gave good meanings. He also gave good sentences to show how each word was actually used in speech and in writing. By the end of the 1700's most dictionary makers had followed Johnson's example. Dictionaries were getting better and better. The 1800's saw the greatest improvement in the quality of dictionaries. In England scholars planned and prepared the Oxford English Dictionary, a twenty-volume (;;) work. One of the most interesting features of the Oxford Dictionary is its word histories. It traces (;) the history of each word from its earliest recorded use up to the time of the printing of the dictionary. The most interesting feature of the Oxford Dictionary was that _ .

3D

The illegal ivory trade has been a major problem in Africa for decades. Poachers and hunters have killed off hundreds of thousands of elephants to obtain this precious material. Now, affected areas are taking action. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced on Wednesday that key states where poaching takes place have promised to stop the ivory trade and protect Africa's elephants. In the 1980s, as many as 1 million elephants across Africa were killed for their ivory tusks. This continued until 1989, when the Convention on International Trade in Species (CITES) voted to ban all trade in ivory. With trade , demand for ivory fell. Elephant populations slowly began to increase. However, this progress was short-lived. According to the IUCN, 2011 saw the highest levels of poaching and illegal ivory trading in at least 16 years. Around 25,000 elephants were killed in Africa that year. Preliminary data from the IUCN shows even higher levels of illegal trade may have been reached in 2013. "With about 22,000 elephants illegally killed in 2012, we continue to face a critical situation," said John E. Scanlon, CITES Secretary-General. "Current elephant poaching in Africa remains far too high, and could soon lead to local extinctions if the present killing rate continues." At the African Elephant Summit, key African states where elephants make their home agreed to develop a "zero-tolerance attitude" towards poaching. The deal calls for maximum sentences for poachers and hunters, and increased cooperation between affected states. Officials are determined to classifying wildlife trading as a serious crime -- and to making sure that the people who commit it are punished. All participants at the conference agreed to sign the deal. With these states coming together, there may yet be hope for elephants. (293 words) All of the following measures will be taken to protect elephants EXCEPT _ .

2C

Understanding one's own history is important for young people's learning and development. Students are often asked to write a story about their own family's history or about a special person in their family. But too rarely do students focus on the history of their own community or their own people, in a way that helps them to understand why they find themselves in a particular situation. When people understand their own history, they are able to _ the influence of the social structures that sometimes limit the possibilities in their lives. Taking this approach opens the door for young people to be managers of their own learning and development as they understand why they find themselves where they are. , Many people I have been talking to about this issue agree that not only schools but also public bodies and families have failed to educate young people about their own history. And I know from my own experience how difficult it was for my father to talk about his family's experience in 1944.This may be a reflection of the sadness that people feel about that history and not wanting to make it a burden on their young people. But in today's situation, those I spoke with now clearly see that as a mistake. If our society is ever to find a way to properly deal with the influence of our own history, including what has happened to our Native American, African-American and Latino friends, our schools must step up to help young people understand their own stories. Families and related social bodies must do the same. The passage mainly encourages us to _ .

1B

This is a song millions of Americans will hear this New Year's Eve. It is called Auld Lang Syne (<<>> ). It is the traditional music played during the New Year's celebration. Auld Lang Syne is an old Scottish poem. It tells about the need to remember old friends. The words "auld lang syne" mean "old long since". No one knows who wrote the poem first. However, a version by Scottish poet Robert Bums was published in 1796. The words and music we know today first appeared in a songbook three years later. The song is played in the United States mainly on New Year's Eve. The version you are hearing today is by the Washington Saxophone Quartet. As we end our program with Auld Lang Syne. I would like to wish all of our radio friends a very Happy New Year! This is Buddy Thomas. ,. Who is introducing Auld Lang Syne to us?

3D

A lot of people are interested in sea animals, especially the ones that are beautiful and smart. Although some are wild, and can be deadly, each is also unique in its own way. Whales, sharks and dolphins are the main subjects of sea-animal research, with dolphins standing out from whales and sharks for their friendly behavior with humans. No doubt the desire to learn some interesting things about dolphins has led you to this article, and you too are eager to know more about these sea creatures. It is sometimes believed that Dolphins have been evolved from land mammals . Among sea mammals, dolphins are the most advanced in intelligence. You may be surprised to learn that they are close s of camels and cows. The debate on the origin of the dolphin is an unending one, however. Some believe that they evolved from land-based hoofed mammals, others believe that they evolved from other different kinds of mammals many millions of years ago. There are about 32 types of dolphins that live in salt water, each unique in its color1 and body shape. Five other types live in fresh water. A grown-up dolphin eats nearly 20 to 22 kilos of fish every day. The eating habits of dolphins depend on where they live, and on the season. Seasons in which fish are abundant are like party time for dolphins. Dolphins decide how much they are going to eat based on the fat content of the fish available. They've a good sense of understanding about their hunger. The social skills and intelligence of dolphins make them very attractive for zoos and aquariums, where they are often trained to show off their diving skills. Dolphins also communicate with each other by special sounds. Scientists like to research dolphins mainly because _ .

0A

One hot afternoon in the summertime a family and their dog were getting ready to have a dinnertime picnic in the park. The dishes in the picnic included peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, watermelons, potato salad, and chocolate cookies. When they got to the park the father, George, was looking for a good place to have the picnic. While they were walking they bumped into their neighbors, Robert and Natalie, and their twins, Anson and Anne and their dog Emile. Robert explained that it was the twins' birthday and they were celebrating by going out for a walk. They said goodbye and kept looking for a picnic spot. He chose a nice spot under a tree that would keep the family cool. While setting up the picnic, the mother, Barbara, told the son, Ralph to go play with their dog, Scout, to pass some time until it was time for dinner. Ralph found a stick and began to play fetch with Scout down the hill. Some time passed and Ralph began to return to the picnic with Scout. Along the way back he picked a flower to give to his mom because it was Mother's day. When he arrived he gave the flower to his mom and she said, "Thank you so much, Ralph!" His mother poured him a cool and tasty glass of lemonade. It tasted extra good because it was so hot outside! Ralph sat down and enjoyed the picnic with his family under the large tree. What was the name of the family dog?

2C

We all know how important human life is--it's priceless. It doesn't matter where you are from or what the color of your skins is--all people are human beings. Firstly, we can tell you that the lives of your relatives could depend on your ability to give first aid. If you think highly of human's life, this website is for you! Here you can find information about first aid. The very first thing that you should do when you see an accident is to _ the situation and prevent further dangerous incidents. First of all, you have to recognize what has happened and what the dangers to rescuers and victims are. Think about how to take care of the victims. Helping usually takes place in very difficult conditions and injuries can be very bad. Therefore, you cannot be too afraid of making mistakes to help. Sometimes you have to face the fact that regardless of your actions and your efforts the victim's condition might not improve--he or she could even die. In some cases even professional medical aid may not succeed. If you have done everything you think you should do, you shouldn't feel guilty. Do not expose yourself to danger. Giving first aid can be dangerous. While trying to help a victim, do not forget about your own safety. If something happens to you, you won't be able to help anyone. Call for help after you find out the condition of a victim. But remember if a victim faints due to breathing failure caused by drowning, choking or poisoning, you should first take actions that help to bring back the heart beat and breathing. While calling, talk shortly but clearly. Always provide the following information: the location of the accident, the kind of accident, the number of the injured and your full name and phone number and so on.[:] The author thinks that helping a victim can be _ .

0A

A good memory is a great help in learning a language. Everybody learns his own language by remembering what he hears when he is a small child, and some children, like boys and girls who live abroad with their parents, seem to learn two languages almost as easily as one. In school it is not easy to learn a second language because the pupils have so little time for it, and they are busy with other subjects, too. A man's mind is rather like a camera, but it takes photos not only of what we see but of what we feel, hear, smell and taste. When we take a real photo with a camera, there is much to do before the photo is finished and ready to show to our friends. In the same way there is much work to be done before we can keep a picture forever in our mind. Memory is the diary that we all carry about with us. If you have a good _ , you'll have less difficulty in learning something.

2C

Bicycle Tour and Race A bike tour and race will be held on August 26 and 27 (Sat. & Sun. ) at 5:30 a.m. The riders will leave Tian'anmen Square and ride the first 35 kilometers as a training leg. Then the next 55 kilometers leg, from Yanjiao to Jixian, will be the first competitive part of the tour. The riders will be taken from Jixian to Changli. The second racing _ of the tour will be from Changli to the seaside of Nandaihe, covering about 20 kilometers. On Saturday night the riders will stay at Nandaihe for supper. Sunday morning is free for playing at the seaside. At noon all the people and their bikes will be taken back to Beijing. Cost: Y=200 Telephone: 010--60875678 The passage is to give information about _ .

2C

Four people in England back in 1953, stared at Photo 51,It wasn't much--a picture showing a black X. But three of these people won the Nobel Prize for figuring out what the photo really showed -the shape of DNA The discovery brought fame and fortune to scientists James Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins. The fourth, the one who actually made the picture, was left out. Her name was Rosalind Franklin."She should have been up there," says historian Mary Bowden." If her photos hadn't been there, the others couldn't have come up with the structure." One reason Franklin was missing was that she had died of cancer four years before the Nobel decision. But now scholars doubt that Franklin was not only robbed of her life by disease but robbed of credit by her competitors At Cambridge University in the 1950s, Watson and Click tried to make models by cutting up shapes of DNA's parts and then putting them together. In the meantime, at King's College in London, Franklin and Wilkins shone X-rays at the molecule . The rays produced patterns reflection the shape. But Wilkins and Franklin's relationship was a lot rockier than the celebrated teamwork of Watson and Crick, Wilkins thought Franklin was hired to be his assistant .But the college actually employed her to take over the DNA project. What she did was produce X-ray pictures that told Watson and Crick that one of their early models was inside out. And she was not shy about saying so. That angered Watson, who attacked her in return, "Mere inspection suggested that she would not easily bend. Clearly she had to go or be put in her place." As Franklin's competitors, Wilkins, Watson and Crick had much to gain by cutting her out of the little group of researchers, says historian Pnina Abir-Am. In 1962 at the Nobel Prize awarding ceremony, Wilkins thanked 13 colleagues by name before he mentioned Franklin, Watson wrote his book laughing at her. Crick wrote in 1974 that "Franklin was only two steps away from the solution." No, Franklin was the solution. "She contributed more than any other player to solving the structure of DNA . She must be considered a co-discoverer," Abir-Am says. This was backed up by Aaron Klug, who worked with Franklin and later won a Nobel Prize himself. Once described as the "Dark Lady of DNA", Franklin is finally coming into the light. What is the writer's attitude toward Wilkins, Watson and Crick?

0A

Grasshoppers are having to change their song -- one of the iconic sounds of summer -- to make themselves heard above the noise of road traffic, ecologists have discovered. The study, published in the British Ecological Society's journal Functional Ecology, is the first to show that human-made noise affects natural insect populations. Animals use sound to communicate for many reasons, including marking out territory, warning of predators and finding mates, and although previous research shows birds, whales and even frogs change their calls in noisy environments, the impact of human-made noise on insects has been neglected until now. Ulrike Lampe and colleagues from the University of Bielefeld in Germany caught 188 male bow-winged grasshoppers, half from quiet locations and half from beside busy roads. The grasshoppers use their song to attract mates. The team then studied the differences in the two groups' songs in the laboratory. To encourage them to sing they exposed the males to a female grasshopper, and then recorded their courtship songs. Analysis of almost 1,000 recordings revealed grasshoppers living beside noisy roads produced different songs to those living in quieter locations. According to Lampe: "Bow-winged grasshoppers produce songs that include low and high frequency components. We found that grasshoppers from noisy habitats increase the volume of the lower-frequency part of their song, which makes sense since road noise can mask signals in this part of the frequency spectrum ." The team's findings are important because traffic noise could be upsetting the grasshopper's mating system . "Increased noise levels could affect grasshopper courtship in several ways. It could prevent females from hearing male courtship songs properly, prevent females from recognizing males of their own species, or _ females' ability to estimate how attractive a male is from his song," Lampe explains. Having discovered that human-made noise affects insect communication, the researchers now want to learn more about how the mechanism works, and whether the grasshoppers adapt to noise during their development as larvae , or whether males from noisy habitats produce different songs due to genetic differences. The bow-winged grasshopper is a common species in Central Europe. Adults occur mainly between July and September, preferring dry grasslands. Around 1.5 cm long, they vary in colour from green and browns to red and purple. The male's song consists of 2 second-long phrases that increase in amplitude towards the end. The beginning of a phrase is characterized by slower ticking sounds that increase in speed and amplitude, leading to a buzzing sound towards the end of the phrase. A courtship song usually includes 2 phrases. The author wrote the article to _ .

2C

A young man once went to town and bought himself a pair of trousers. When he got home, he found that they were about two inches longer. He went to the kitchen, there his mother and two sisters were doing housework. He said to them, "The new trousers are too long. Could one of you help me to shorter them by two inches?" But they were too busy. They said nothing and were still working. After his mother finished washing all plates, she shortened the trousers by two inches. Then one of his sisters remember his trousers and shortened them by two inches. When the other sister came back home from cinema, she also remembered the new trousers. "I nearly forgot that." She thought. Then she shortened them by two inches. They said nothing because _ .

1B

Look carefully at the back of a California state quarter.A man with a walking stick is pictured there.A bird called a California condor is flying overhead. Who is this man,and why is he so important that he is featured on the back of a coin? The man on this quarter is John Muir.Even as a child, Muir loved watching nature. As a young man,he spent much of his life exploring the beauty of the wilderness.He walked more than a thousand miles across the country,through fields and woods.John Muir liked writing about the places he visited,describing their beauty. Muir also wrote about problems.In order to create more farmland for sheep and cattle, rnany trees were being cut down.This made Muir unhappy and worried,because he knew that trees were important to forests and to the animals that lived in them.Muir believed that nature should be conserved instead of being changed by human beings.He wrote articles in magazines and newspapers to spread the word about conserving forests.Soon,others began to listen. Muir wrote letters to important people,such as President Theodore Roosevelt.The president admired Muir's love for nature.When Roosevelt came to visit Muir in California. Muir convinced the president to go camping with him for three nights under the trees so they could talk about conservation.Later,President Roosevelt set aside 148 million acres of land for national forests and established five national parks.National parks are large areas of land that are protected from development. This means that people cannot build homes or businesses there. One of these parks is Yosemite National Park,the area that is featured on the back of the California quarter. Though it has been almost one hundred years since John Muir died,people continue his work today.His work as a conservationist helped us to see the beauty of our natural world.John Muir made us understand the importance of protecting our earth and our resources---then,now,and for the future. Why is John Muir featured on the back of a California state quarter?

1B

When I was growing up in America, I was ashamed of my mother's Chinese English. Because of her Chinese English, she was often treated unfairly. People in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her. My mother realized that she was poor at English. When I was fifteen, she used to have me call people on phone to pretend I was she. I was made to ask for information or even to shout at people who had been rude to her. One time I had to call her stockbroker . I said in an adolescent voice that was not very certain, "This is Mrs. Tan." My mother was standing beside me saying, "Why he doesn't send me check, already two weeks late." And then, in perfect English I said: "I'm getting rather worried. You agreed to send the check two weeks ago, but it hasn't arrived." My mother then talked more loudly. "What he want? I come to New York to tell him in front of his boss." And so I turned to the stockbroker again, "I can't accept any more excuse. If I don't receive the check immediately, I am going to have to speak to your manager when I am in New York next week." The next week we ended up in New York. While I was sitting there red-faced, my mother, the real Mrs. Tan, was shouting to his boss in her broken English. When I was a teenager, my mother's broken English embarrassed me. But now, I see it differently. To me, my mother's English is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. It is my mother tongue. Her language, as I hear it, is vivid, direct, and full of observation and wisdom. It was the language that helped me see things, express ideas, and _ the world. The best title of the passage might be _ .

2C

Dogs like living with people. A dog can be a very good friend. He can do a lot of things for people. Some dogs help people to look after sheep, other dogs help them to find lost children. And some of the dogs can help the blind do things. Many years ago there was a ver dog. His name was Seeing Eye dog. Now we can see this kind of dogs all over the world. They are working for the blind. The Seeing Eye dog is strong ,good and easy to train .He helps the blind to walk from place. Before a dog becomes a Seeing Eye dog, he must go to a training school for about three months. First the dog has to learn to sit or stay when he hears the trainer's call. In his next lesson the dog learns to make his trainer across busy streets. The dog has many things to learn. And in every lesson he must do one thing again and again many times. At the end of the training schooled must take tests. When he passes the tests, the Seeing Eye dog will do things by himself. Now he can help blind people. The new master may be a man, a woman, or even a child. It takes the dog and his blind master about a month to learn to work and live together. How long will it take the dog and his blind master to learn to work and live together?

2C

A man once said how useless it was to put advertisements in the newspaper. "Last week, " he said, "my umbrella was stolen from a London church. As it was a present, I spent twice its worth in advertising, but didn't get it back. " "How did you write your advertisement? " asked one of the listeners, a merchant. "Here it is, " said the man, taking out of his pocket a slip cut from a newspaper. The other man took it and read, "Lost from the City Church last Sunday evening, a black silk umbrella. The gentleman who finds it will receive ten shillings on leaving it at No. 10 Broad Street. " "Now, " said the merchant, "I often advertise, and find that it pays me well. But the way in which an advertisement is expressed is of extreme importance. Let us try for your umbrella again, and if it fails, I'll buy you a new one. " The merchant then took a slip of paper out of his pocket and wrote: "If the man who was seen to take an umbrella from the City Church last Sunday evening doesn't wish to get into trouble, he will return the umbrella to No. 10 Broad Street. He is well known. " This appeared in the newspaper, and on the following morning, the man was astonished when he opened the front door. In the doorway lay at least twelve umbrellas of all sizes and colors, and his own was among them. Many of them had notes fastened to them saying that they had been taken by mistake, and begging the loser not to say anything about the matter. The result of the first advertisement was that _ .

1B

According to a recent study performed by the Office of Applied Science, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, every day about 3,900 children and teens under the age of 18 try their first cigarette . Among the teens who continue to smoke into their adult years, about one out of three will die as a result of the habit. Because of the nicotine content in tobacco products, smoking not only becomes a habit for teens, but an addiction . The nicotine in the tobacco is addictive. Once a teen develops the habit of smoking, it is difficult for them to quit without help. The American Lung Association reports smokers who start early in life find it more difficult to quit because of the addiction. Teens that smoke often do as a way of dealing with social situations or as a result of pressure from people of their age. The results of a Duke University study show teens with brothers and sisters who smoke are more likely to engage in smoking and other risky actions. The components of tobacco products have documented effects on behavior. Nicotine is known to increase fights in teens and adults. The center for Young Women's Health at the Children's Hospital of Boston states that tobacco products contain about 4,000 chemicals, some of which are poisonous. Breathing these poisons into the lungs quickly affects a teen's entire body. Outward changes include dry, wrinkled skin, yellow teeth and nails, and bad breath. Teen smokers are three times more likely to have bad teeth than non-smokers of their age, the Center further reports. External effects are often present soon after smoking becomes a habit. What is this passage mainly about?

2C

Are you able to send a letter with pictures and sounds to someone somewhere in the world without a stamp on it? Using a computer you can send e-mails quickly and easily. The post is much slower than e-mail. E-mail can send its message to the other side of the world in seconds. E-mail is easy to use and it saves time and money. The differences in time in different parts of the world do not matter when sending e-mail. It's twenty-four-hour service that you can send e-mail at any time of the day or night. No one has to be there to get e-mail. It does not matter if your friends are in beds when you send e-mail to them, or you are seeing a movie at the movie theater when they send e-mail back. It takes _ to send e-mail to the other side of the world.

1B

Hong Kong, a city of seven million--and growing fast. By the year 2050 Hong Kong's population will almost double. Where will these people live? There's only one place to go--up. Fast forward 50 years.This is the tallest man-made structure on the planet. Its name:Millennium Tower. It would stand twice as tall as anything built before. Over 60 thousand people would live or work here. Millennium's designers think it represents the best solution for the coming population explosion. It would cost ten billion dollars and consume more building materials than any single nation could produce. David Nelson, one of Millennium's key designers, said:"It would be a massive project and a world project. But to actually realize it, resources would have to come from all over the globe. The challenge and the motivation for doing it would be to realize one of the world's largest and most complex construction projects." Millennium would be more complex than anything ever built. So its builders won't know for sure the building is safe until it's up, and they can't afford to make an error. Massive earthquakes have brought down entire cities in this part of the world. Can Millennium's designers make it immune to these quakes of the earth? For Millennium, like all the other buildings, safety is just one concern among many. It will need to be a home, one that welcomes people in. Getting people into the building and making sure they have a great experience well be what makes Millennium successful, but how to do it? For the design team, the secret was to bring all the elements of city life within. Cafes and restaurants, theatres and stores would provide entertainment. Health clubs, even schools and medical clinics would also serve the towers' residents. Millennium's designers have proven something. Things that seem impossible today, might just become reality tomorrow. The engineering problems have, for the most part, already been solved. Our achievements are limited only by our imaginations. The success of Millennium mainly relies on _ .

2C

For Lee Ann Laraway, polio has made almost everything in life just out of reach. But what her hands can't retrieve, her assistant can. Meet Jeannie, a three-year-old help, has become Lee Ann's arms and legs. Jeannie understands no fewer than 72 commands. To get a feel for what that means, Lee Ann takes us on a shopping trip in San Jose. First stop: The bank, where she got cash from the teller. From the bank, it's on to the drug store, where Jeannie got a candy bar for Lee Ann. Then Jeannie helped pay the cashier, and got change hack. "When you have a really good working animal, they come and interact with you all the time," Lee Ann said. While there's no argument that Jeannie is an ordinary animal, she wasn't born that way. She was tutored and trained here at a facility that has become the final legacy of one of the Bay Area's most beloved figures. Canine Companions for Independence sits on twelve acres of land in Santa Rosa donated by late Peanuts cartoonist Charles Shultz, Here, handlers work with specially selected labs for hours a day-- but not every dog will make the cut. The work is serious Business. In the case of hearing dogs, the animals alert their disabled owners to everything from ringing telephones to doorbells. Other dogs will work with severely disabled patients like eight-year-old Noah Habib of Mountain View who communicates with a special computer. "I like it when new people come up to ask me about my dog," he says. "People are really interested in the dog and will come over and ask to pet her and ask to play with her, and ask about what she does, and these are people that normally might not approach us and want to talk to Noah," says his Dad. And back in San Jose Lee Ann is arriving home with Jeannie and her groceries. With just one chore left--opening her own door. "You can train a dog to do a lot of things," said Lee Ann. "You cannot give them the heart to do the job, and that is what a good working dog has." Lee Ann's dog Jeannie cannot _ .

1B

moist means high in what?

0A

HAVE you noticed that the moon is becoming rounder and brighter day after day? That's because Sept 8 is the Mid-Autumn Festival. For Chinese people, a full moon means that family members can get together on that day. On the Mid-Autumn Festival, people get together and enjoy the round moon . They also send wishes for family members not with them. There are many stories about the moon to make the tradition more interesting. In China, Chang'e flying to the moon is a well-known legend . Hou Yi and Chang'e were husband and wife in old times. At the time, there were 10 suns in the sky. Hou yi, a brave man, shot down nine suns. People see Hou Yi as a great hero. Besides China, many other countries have beautiful stories about the moon. In Greek legend , Artemis is the goddess of the moon. She takes care of the hunt and wild animals. Artemis also looks after young children and women in childbirth . In India, the god of the moon is Soma. He has four hands and rides through the sky in a chariot . If a baby is born on a full moon day, Indian people believe he or she is lucky. According to the article, Artemis _ .

0A

Parents are creating an "I want it now" generation by satisfying children's every demand at Christmas, say experts. Youngsters in Britain are becoming increasingly selfish, claim the education analysts. Behavioral consultant Chris Calland said: "Parents want to make Christmas into magical fairytale for their kids. "There's nothing wrong with that. The problem arises when it means always giving into all our children's demands--- even if they are beyond our price range or not age-appropriate." Ms Calland, who runs "Santa Says No" style sessions with colleague Nicky Hutchinson, added: "Many of us go into so much debt providing the gifts our children want that we spend the rest of the year paying off the bills. But so often the gifts we've carefully wrapped, once opened, are just pushed away because the very thing our little boy or girl was once so desperate for, they have now lost interest in." Ms Calland and Ms Hutchinson have drawn up a list of guidelines to help parents manage their offspring's Christmas lists this year. They say that adults can actually improve their relationships with their children by resisting "pester power". Ms Calland said: "All too often we say yes because we want an easier life when the fact is that we're only building up problems for the future. We are helping create a generation of youngsters who are blind to the needs of others and the necessity of hard work. "Children learn fast--- if we sometimes change our mind, they quickly realize it might be worth lying on the floor and screaming for it. Make sure you and your partner are working together on this. Be consistent. And try not to get caught up in competition with other families or friends. What is the main problem with the " I want it now" generation?

0A

Which of the following is not an inherited trait of humans?

2C

A widow's wish to hear her late husband's voice again has pushed London's Subway system to restore a 40-year-old recording of the subway's famous " Mind the gap" announcement. The underground, or the tube, first opened in 1863, tracked down the voice recording by Oswald Lawrence after his widow, Margaret McCollum, told them what it meant to her. McCollum, 65, said she used to frequently visit Embankment tube station or plan her journeys around the stop to listen to Lawrence's voice, even before his death. She was _ in November when she noticed it had been replaced by a different voice. "Lawrence was a drama school graduate when he auditioned for a tour company. For six years after his death, I'd stay on the platform--just sit and listen to it again," she added. When Margaret approached the tube, she was told it had a new broadcast system and it couldn't use the old recording anymore. Nigel Holness, director of London Underground, said its staff has been so moved by McCollum's story that they dug up the recording and gave the widow a copy of the announcement on a CD for her to keep. "Tube staff is also working to restore Lawrence's announcement at the station," he added. "It is celebrating its 150thanniversary this year. The tube's 'Mind the gap' messages, voiced by various actors, have accompanied countless London commuter journeys since the 1960s. Train drivers and staff made the warnings themselves before that." "I'm very pleased that people are interested in Oswald's old recording," Margaret said. "He was a great London transport user all his life .He would be amused, touched, and delighted to know he's back where he belonged." The best title for the passage is _ .

2C

The colour systems used by scientists and artists are completely different. An artist will mix blue and yellow paint to get a shade of green; a scientist will mix green and red light to create yellow. The printed page in a magazine is yet another system. Scientists recognize the light primaries are red, green and blue. When mixed, red and green light rays produce yellow, blue and green produce cyan, red and blue produce magenta. Red, green and blue mix to create white (light). This colour model is used in computer monitors, television sets and theatre. Most artists recognize red, yellow and blue as the three basic primary colours. These primaries are the pure colours which cannot be created by mixing any other colours. In the print industry, cyan, magenta, yellow and black are used as the primary colours. When you mix all the colours, the result is gray. How many colour systems are mentioned in the passage?

1B

Who Is Kimberly Kirberger? Kimberly Kirberger is the president and founder of Inspiration and Motivation for Teens, Inc. (I. A. M. for Teens, Inc. ) a corporation formed exclusively to work for teens. It is her goal to see teens represented in a more positive light and it is her strong belief that teens deserve better and more positive treatment. She spends her time reading the thousands of letters and stories sent to her by teen readers and traveling around the country speaking to high school students and parents of teens. She has appeared as a teen expert on many television and radio shows. Kimberly says that the College Soul book has been an amazing journey. In getting close to and heating from so many teenagers she kept hearing about this very emotionally packed time that begins with application to college and extends through the four-year experience. It became clear to her that this was a time of life that was filled with many challenges and that college students could really benefit from a book like this. For her, it was simply a continuation of a commitment that she has made to teenagers to do what she can to inspire and motivate them while letting them know there are people who believe in them. Kimberly is the coauthor of the bestseller, Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul and the New York Times bestseller, Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul II, as well as Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul Journal . She is also the co-author of the forthcoming Chicken Soup for the Parent's Soul and Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul III, and the author of Teen Love: On Relationships, a Book for Teenagers. Kimberly started the Teen Letter Project with Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Health Communications, Inc. The Project is responsible for answering the heartfelt letters received from teenagers and also reaching out to teens in trouble and encouraging them to seek professional help. To book Kimberly for a speaking engagement or for further information on any of her projects, please contact: I. A. M. for Teens, Inc. P. O. Box 936, Palisades, CA 90272 phone: 310-573-3655 fax:. 310-573-3657 e-mail for stories: stories @ teenagechickensoul. com e-mail for letters: letters @ teenagechick Web site: www. Teenagechickensoul. com A "teen expert" is a person who _ .

0A

Once there were two crows whose opinions were always opposite. One day, one of the crows said to the other, " You should realize, of course, that I can fly much higher than you." " Don't be ridiculous ." the other crow said. " Everyone knows that I can fly much higher than you." "No, you can't" the first crow said. "Yes, I can" the second crow replied, and the argument went on and on. At last they decided to have a contest to solve the argument. " We will compete to find out who can fly higher while carrying a bag" the first crow said. They argued for some time because of the size of the bag, but at last _ . Then there was a further argument about what each bag would be filled with. Finally, they agreed that the first crow would fill his bag with cotton and the second crow would fill his with salt. The first crow thought he was clever to agree to this, because salt is much heavier than cotton. At last they were ready for the contest. Holding their bag in their mouths, they flew into the sky. They had not been flying for long. However, when it began to rain- as the second crow had expected it would. Can you guess who could fly higher? How many times did the two crows argue?

2C

Visiting Jiaixng Zoo Come and see big elephants from Yunnan and tigers from the northeast. The Africa giraffe are waiting for you. Clever monkeys are going to make you laugh. A lot of other animals you have never seen are waiting to meet you. Tickets: Grown-ups : Y=5.00 Children: Y=2.00 Under six: Free Opening time: From Monday to Friday: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Saturday and Sunday: 8:00 am - 5:30 pm Keep the zoo clean. Do not give food to or go near the animals. Which is the visiting time?

2C

Here's an unusual story:a diamond ring was recently found in an egg. The magician,Liu Qian,discovered it,in front of an audience of millions at CCTV's Spring Festival Gala. Liu's magic tricks have made the centuriesold art of magic fashionable once again,and made him the hottest magician in China. As a _ young magician from Taiwan,Liu is popular worldwide for his magic shows. Countries he has performed in include the United States,Japan,South Korea and the UK. Witnessing something impossible happen right before your eyes is the root of people's love for magic. Liu is known for his interaction with his audiences. He has a unique understanding of showmanship . "It's actually thinking rather than one's manipulation skills that is more important to achieving a successful magic show. We think carefully about how to design the shows creatively,to make them appear more interesting."Liu said. Liu Qian's success dated back to his childhood. Born in 1976 in Taiwan,he found himself attracted to a magic toy in a shop when he was seven years old. At the age of 12,he won Taiwan's Youth Magic Contest,which was judged by the great American magician,David Copperfield. Yet,Liu never planned on becoming a professional magician. He studied Japanese literature at university and only hoped to be an amateur magician in his spare time. However,his failure to find a proper job after graduation pushed him towards magic as a career. To refine his performing skills,he has performed on streets,roads and fields for passersby,policemen and farmers. "Street shows are the biggest challenge for us magicians. We have to deal with unexpected situations and tough crowds,"Liu said. From the story we know that _ .

1B

Some say everyday miracles are predestined ----the right time for the appointed meeting. And it can happen anywhere. In 2001, 11-year-old Kevin Stephan was a bat boy for his younger brother's Little League team in Lancaster, New York. It was an early evening in late July. Kevin was standing on the grass away from the plate, where another youngster was warming up for the next game. Swinging his bat back and forth, giving it all the power an elementary school kid could give. The boy brought the bat back hard and hit Kevin in the chest. His heart stopped. When Kevin fell to the ground, the mother of one of the players rushed out of the stands to his aid. Penny Brown hadn't planned to be there that day, but at the last minute, her shift at the hospital had been changed to see her son's performance. She was given the night off. Penny bent over the senseless boy, his face already starting to turn blue, and giving CPR, breathing into his mouth and giving chest compressions. And he _ in the end. After his recovery, he became a volunteer junior firefighter, learning some of the emergency first-aid techniques that had saved his life. He studied hard in school and was saving money for college by working as a dishwasher in a local restaurant in his spare time. Kevin, now 18, was working in the kitchen when he heard people screaming, customers in confusion, employees rushing toward a table. He hurried into the main room and saw a woman there, her face turning blue, her hands at her throat. She was choking. Quickly Kevin stepped behind her, wrapped his arms around her and clasped his hands. Then, using skills he'd first learned in Scouts. The food that was trapped in the woman's throat was freed. The color1 began to return to her face. "The food was stuck. I couldn't breathe," she said. She thought she was dying. "I was very frightened." Who was the woman? Penny Brown. Which of the following statements is True of Kevin Stephan?

2C

Some children cannot wait to grow up. Because once you become an adult, you are free to make your own decisions. More importantly, you can do all those things that you cannot do now because you are too young. So, the question is, 'At what age do you really become an adult?' Well, people become adults at different ages in different places. In Australia, the 18th birthday is a very important event for young Australians because it means they can do almost anything they want. They can vote, learn to drive a car, get married, join the army and even buy their own houses. However, even if they can do all these things, most Australians have to wait until their 21st birthday to really celebrate becoming an adult. This is the traditional adult age not only in Australia, but also in the USA and the UK. It is their first year of true independence .Traditionally, people were given a key to their houses by their parents when they turned 21, meaning they could come and go as they like. Even though 21 is the traditional adult age in many English-speaking countries, the law nowadays is different in each country. In the UK, you can join the army at 16 and even get married at 16 if your parents allow. Young people in the UK can learn to drive a car at 17 as in Australia, although they have to wait until they are 18 to vote. In China, there is a different age for each of the stages of becoming an adult. You can vote and learn to drive a car when you are 18, but if you want to get married, women have to wait until they are 20 and men until they are 22. Chinese people celebrate important birthdays every 10 years--so when young people turn 20, they can expect a big party! No matter what age you are, becoming an adult is really about learning how to be independent and responsible . Once you are finally able to take care of yourself and make your own decisions, then you can say that you are truly all grown-ups. Which of the following are truly adults according to the passage?

0A

6-Day Trek in the Highland National Parks Destinations: Saigon--Cat Tien National Park--Buon Ma Thuot--Lak Lake--YokDon National Park Estimated trekking time: Average 4-5 hours/day Summary: This trip is ideal for those who love trekking in natural forests. From the southern part of Vietnam up to the central highlands, you will cross through two national parks. There will be opportunities to see wildlife and challenge yourself physically at a moderate level. Indulge yourself in the beauty of nature, escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, rediscover yourself in the natural world and refresh both mind and body. Highlights: 1) Private tour 2) Walk through the forest to a fascinating and beautiful wetland area. If you are lucky, you may be able to see many different kinds of animals using only binoculars . 3) Night time wildlife-spotting excursion 4) Elephant riding Includes: 1) Travel insurance 2) Private transportation 3) English-speaking guide 4) Guest house-twin shared room 5) Meals as indicated in the itinerary 6) Elephants 7) Canoe 8) Mineral water 9) Entrance fees & all permits Excludes: 1) Surcharges for other guides in other languages, festival season and peak season surcharges, which will be advised at time of booking 2) Visa 3) Gong show (80 USD/show) 4) Tips 5) Personal expenses This advertisement is especially for visitors _ .

3D

The aims of the Illustrators Exhibition,staged as part of the Bologna Children's Book Fair,organized by BolognaFiere and held from 19 to 22.March 2012,are to bring illustrators and publishers together and to promote illustrators and their works among publishers. QUALIFICATIONS *Individual illustrators or groups of illustrators of any nationality, if they were born before 31st December l994,whose artwork is intended for use in children's books,are qualified to enter the Exhibition, either directly or through publishing houses or schools. *Please state in the application form whether you are entering work for the Fiction or Non-fiction Category.Illustrators may only enter one category. *Artwork previously presented to the Exhibition may not be re-entered. *The confirmation form must be filled in and a photograph attached, then presented together with illustrations no later than 26 September 2011. SHIPMENT Entries may be delivered by post,express delivery service or by hand.From abroad,please use the following forms:Form "A" for registered mail or post by air;Form "B" if using an international forwarding agent or airline. To avoid deiays, material should not be sent by normal post.Material should be sent "carriage paid",including any customs and delivery costs. BolognaFiere may not be held responsible for the non-arrival or late arrival of artwork.All published works must be accompanied by a declaration bearing the ISBN number,publisher's name and address. REQUIREMENTS The illustrations (i.e. the size of the sheet) must not exceed the following dimensions: Fiction:32*42cm(or 42*32cm) Non-fiction:50*70cm(70*50cm) Illustrations in larger formats will not be considered,nor will they be returned by BolognaFiere.The illustrations must be on paper or flexible board,maximum thickness 2mm(for scanner separation purposes). SELECTIONPROCESS All artwork received by the stated deadtine and meeting the specified requirements will be examined and selected by an international group(whose decision is final),inclnding five members(from publishing houses and art schools) appointed each year by BolognaFiere. ANNUAL Each illustrator selected by the Committee will be granted two pages in the Annual,for the reproduction of all or some of the illustrations as well as a space for the bibliography . BotognaFiere has the fight to choose the works to be published in the Annual and to make complete or partial reproductions. EXHIBITIONS ABROAD After the Bologna event,the illustrator Exhibition will travel to Japan under the supervision of JBBY.The illustrator exhibition may afterwards be transferred to other venues in other countries,The Exhibitions of illustrations held abroad follow the same rules and regulations as the illustrator Exhibition,and the provision of the regulations are extended to tile organizers of the exhibitions held abroad. RETURN OF ARTWORK All the works will be returned to their owners by BolognaFiere by the end of July 2012. The illustrators of the Illustrators Exhibitions _

2C

At least eight babies in East China'sprefix = st1 /AnhuiProvincehave died since last year. they died of serious deficiency disease which happened to them because of fake milk powders. More than 100 other babies in Fuyang, mostly between three and five months old, are still in poor nutrition after drinking different kinds of cheap milk powders produced in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province and Beijing. The baby victims were born healthy, but they became thinner and thinner, and had large heads for their bodies after fake milk powders were fed to them. "My girl, the first child of mine, died when she was only four months old after drinking the 'Haobaobei'milk powder."said Zhang Linwei, a 32-year-old villager of the Wangzhuang Village in Fuyang. Zhang found that his daughter got ill after the girl didn't want to drink the milk powder any more half a month before. "Before that , I though my daughter's face was becoming fatter and fatter because she was fed well and grew fast."the baby's father said. The girl died nine days later after she was sent to hospital and all of the family's savings were spent on her medical treatment. "It is like a terrible dream. I never thought that my baby would _ like this ."he said. Zhang said he tried to telephone and write to the producer of the milk powder by the address on the packing bag but never made it. "The fake milk powders only have 5-6 per cent protein and the lowest is has only 1 per cent. For babies, drinking such fake milk powder is no different from drinking water,"Zhang Fangjun, said a medical expert with the Fuyang People's Hospital. "Such so-called milk powders cannot afford any nutrition for babies' growth," Zhang said. pass awayin the passage means_.

2C

A woman has some trouble with her eyes, so she goes to see the doctor. He is a new doctor and doesn't know her, so he asks some questions and one of them is, "How old are you?" The woman says, "I don't know, doctor, but let me think about it." She thinks for a few minutes and then says, "Yes, I know now, doctor! When I marry , I am eighteen years old, and my husband is thirty. Now my husband is sixty. And that is twice thirty, right?" So boys and girls, do you know the woman's age now? The woman is _ years old now.

3D

When I was in the eighth grade, my teacher asked us to write an article about what we would like to do when we grew up. All I could think of was one sentence I want to help other people! During the years, I met many problems. But I never gave up. I know that to help other people I have to help myself first. I encouraged myself after I experienced failures . Finally .my dream really came true. I found a part-time job in a charity. I began to spend my days doing things for people. I have a happy life. That doesn't mean that this kind of life is easy, or that my work is always enjoyable. I an happy because I an doing what I want to do. What do you want to do? Write it down now. If you don't know, you can ask yourself, "What would I do if this was the last day of my life ?" Then write down the first thing that comes to your mind, no matter how silly or impossible it is. If you have an answer, you will know what your dream is. The writer dreams of _ .

2C

Mark Twain has been called the inventor of the American novel. And he surely deserves additional praise: the man who popularized the clever literary attack on racism. I say clever because anti-slavery fiction had been the important part of the literature in the years before the Civil War. H. B. Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin is only the most famous example. These early stories dealt directly with slavery. With minor exceptions, Twain planted his attacks on slavery and prejudice into tales that were on the surface about something else entirely. He drew his readers into the argument by drawing them into the story. Again and again, in the postwar years, Twain seemed forced to deal with the challenge of race. Consider the most controversial, at least today, of Twain's novels, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Only a few books have been kicked off the shelves as often as Huckleberry Finn, Twain's most widely read tale. Once upon a time, people hated the book because it struck them as rude. Twain himself wrote that those who banned the book considered the novel "trash and suitable only for the slums ." More recently the book has been attacked because of the character Jim, the escaped slave, and many occurences of the word nigger. (The term Nigger Jim, for which the novel is often severely criticized, never appears in it.) But the attacks were and are silly--and miss the point. The novel is strongly anti-slavery. Jim's search through the slave states for the family from whom he has been forcibly parted is heroic. As J. Chadwick has pointed out, the character of Jim was a first in American fiction--a recognition that the slave had two personalities, "the voice of survival within a white slave culture and the voice of the individual: Jim, the father and the man." There is much more. Twain's mystery novel Pudd'nhead Wilson stood as a challenge to the racial beliefs of even many of the liberals of his day. Written at a time when the accepted wisdom held Negroes to be inferior to whites, especially in intelligence, Twain's tale centered in part around two babies switched at birth. A slave gave birth to her master's baby and, for fear that the child should be sold South, switched him for the master's baby by his wife. The slave's lightskinned child was taken to be white and grew up with both the attitudes and the education of the slave-holding class. The master's wife's baby was taken for black and grew up with the attitudes and intonations of the slave. The point was difficult to miss: nurture , not nature, was the key to social status. The features of the black man that provided the stuff of prejudice--manner of speech, for example-- were, to Twain, indicative of nothing other than the conditioning that slavery forced on its victims. Twain's racial tone was not perfect. One is left uneasy, for example, by the lengthy passage in his autobiography about how much he loved what were called "nigger shows" in his youth--mostly with white men performing in black-face--and his delight in getting his mother to laugh at them. Yet there is no reason to think Twain saw the shows as representing reality. His frequent attacks on slavery and prejudice suggest his keen awareness that _ did not. Was Twain a racist? Asking the question in the 21st century is as wise as asking the same of Lincoln. If we read the words and attitudes of the past through the "wisdom" of the considered moral judgments of the present, we will find nothing but error. Lincoln, who believed the black man the inferior of the white, fought and won a war to free him. And Twain, raised in a slave state, briefly a soldier, and inventor of Jim, may have done more to anger the nation over racial injustice and awaken its collective conscience than any other novelist in the past century. How do Twain's novels on slavery differ from Stowe's?

1B

More and more Americans are showing an interest in healthy and locally-produced food. As the interest increases, raising chickens has been gaining popularity in some American cities. "Look, we get three eggs this time." Collecting eggs is a daily pleasure for the Hurst family. Naomi Hurst says her family started to raise chickens in back of their home in Maryland a month ago. "We have wanted to try having backyard chickens for a couple years now. And really just didn't have the time to build my own coop(;) and look out where to buy chickens. And then we met Rent a Coop," said Naomi Hurst. Rent a Coop is a chicken rental business. Tyler Phillips launched the company with a partner 18 months ago. It comes with a mobile coop on wheels, two egg-laying hens, feed, bedding, water bowl, feed bowl, and our 24-hour chicken hotline. You can call with any questions. The price is 185 dollars for four weeks. After the four weeks passed, individuals can extend the rental agreement, return everything or purchase the animals and supplies. Tyler Phillips designs and makes the coops. He says he wants to do as little damage as possible to the environment. "We always try to have as many recycled materials as possible. And I want the coops to be safe for kids. I want the chickens to be comfortable and they have access to the grass while being inside the coop. I want it to be easily movable, light weight," he said. Some cities require people have large pieces of land, if they want to raise farm animals. Others require an agreement with neighbors, limit the number of chickens, or, even ban the birds. Tyler Phillips expects that would change as interest in small poultry coops grows. "I see cities around the D. C. area changing laws almost monthly and different cities will change the law to being prochicken . That is happening all around the United States," he said, He believes that there will be chicken rental businesses in most American cities within five years. According to the passage people raise chickens probably to _ .

3D

Lillan Hanson, a college junior, expects to graduate in about two years. Mrs Hanson, a rather unusual student, plans to go on to take more courses after she gets her degree. What makes Mrs Hanson different from most of her classmates? What sets Lillian Hanson apart from the college crowd is her age-73 years. She has been going to college, a few courses at a time, for 27 years. When Mrs Hanson graduated from high school, she went to her local bank and asked for a loan for college tuition and fees. The banker gave her no encouragement. He didn't think that country girl should be borrowing money to go to college. He thought she should be home doing work in the house or around the farm. So Mrs Hanson went home and raised a family of nine children instead of going to college. She still lives with her husband on the farm that has been in the family for five generations. Mrs Hanson never forgot her dream of getting a higher education. When her children were grown, she tried again. She finds the hardest part of going back to school at her age is to be sitting in class for long periods of time, because she is not as agile as she used to be. Mrs Hanson often gets up and walks around between classes to keep her joints from getting stiff. At the beginning of a course in using the computer, the other students all gave Mrs Hanson a warm round of applause when she introduced herself and explained why she was there and what her goals were. We can learn form the passage that Mrs Hanson_.

2C

Which of the following characteristics is used when classifying organisms within the plant kingdom?

0A

Life is difficult. It is a great truth because once we truly understand and accept it, then life is no longer difficult. Most do not fully see this truth. Instead they complain about their problems and difficulties as if life should be easy. It seems to them that difficulties stand for a special kind of suffering especially forced on them or else on their families, their class, or even their nation. What makes life difficult is that the process of facing and solving problems is a painful one. Problems, depending on their nature, cause sadness, or loneliness or regret or anger or fear. These are uncomfortable feelings, often as painful as any kind of physical pain. And since life causes a lot of problems, life is always difficult and is full of pain as well as joy. Yet, it is in this whole process of solving problems that life has its meaning. Problems are the serious test that tells us success from failure. When we want to encourage the growth of human spirit, we encourage the human ability to solve problems, just as in school we set problems for our children to solve. It is through the pain of meeting and working out problems that we learn. As Benjamin Franklin said, "Those things that hurt, instruct ." It is for this reason that wise people learn not to fear but to welcome the pain of problems. According to the passage, we give school children difficult problems to solve in order to _ .

0A

I was going to die in Antarctica, I was certain. A picture of my frost-covered body, pale and lifeless, filled my mind as I glanced around. In all directions spreads the empty wilderness of Antarctica, the only feature being the division between snow and sky. I sadly stared at my team, who were rapidly disappearing from my sight. It happened in the year 2009 when I was head of an adventure attempting to reach the South Pole. The team was made up of ordinary women from all around the world--from Jamaica, India, Singapore and Cyprus--many of whom had never seen snow, or spent a night in a tent, before we set off. Our aim was to be the most international all-female team to reach the South Pole. By the time I realized that my sledge was firmly stuck, the team were already a long way ahead of me. I called out to Era, my teammate from Brunei, who was next in line. Getting no response, I called again, but my shouts were carried away in the opposite direction by the wind. I had stood and watched the line for a while as it marched away from me, confident that at any moment one of my teammates would look behind her. Seconds passed. Nothing. I was gradually being left alone. I pushed my sledge again, my strength suddenly increased when I thought of a cold, lonely death. This time the sledge moved a little. I kicked at the ice with my ski-pole and boot, desperately trying to break the sledge free and pushed again. The sledge shot forward, knocking me off balance. I struggled to my feet and set off after the team. I caught up just as they realized I wasn't there. As we continued, my panic slowly faded. I found myself laughing to myself as I noticed Reena checking behind her every few paces. In fact for the whole of the rest of the day each member of the team glanced over her shoulder every few minutes. They were not going to risk losing me again. What made it possible for the author to get her sledge out of the ice?

1B

The English language is the result of the invasion of the island of Britain over many hundreds of years.The first invasions were by a people called Angles about 1, 500 years ago. The Angles were a German tribe who crossed the English Channel . Later two more groups crossed to Britain. They were the Saxons and the Jutes. Through many years, the Saxons, Angles and the Jutes mixed their different languages. The result is what is called Anglo-Saxon or old English. The next great invasion of Britain was done by Vikings about 1, 100 years ago. Many English words used today come from these ancient Vikings. The next invasion of Britain took place more than 900 years ago, in 1066. History experts call this invasion the Norman Conquest. The Normans were a French-speaking people from Normandy in the north of France. These new rulers spoke only French for several hundred years. It was the most important language in the world at that time. It was the language of educated people. But the common people of Britain still spoke old English. Old English took many words from the Norman French. Some of these include "damage", "prison", and "marriage". The French language used by the Norman rulers greatly changed the way English was spoken 800 years ago. English became what language experts call Middle English. Middle English sounds like Modern English. But it is difficult to understand now. The history of the English language continues as Middle English becomes Modern English, which is spoken today. How many groups of invaders are mentioned in the passage?

2C

Old Bear Kevin Henkes(2008), under 40 pages Target Audience: Preschoolers Price: $3.8 Content: It is snowing really hard and Old Bear is getting ready for his long nap. As he sleeps, he dreams of being a cub again and enjoying the wonders of nature. He dreams about summer, fall, winter and spring and how each season brings him so much joy! The illustrations show the beauty of the seasons that Old Bear dreams about. Great book! Half-Minute Horrors Susan Rich(2009), 120~160 pages Target Audience: Intermediates (4th~6th grade) Price: $9.6 Content: Looking for a scary book that is also quick to read? How about a one-paragraph tale of terror or a simple drawing that will make your skin crawl? This book is a collection of very short stories, pictures and cartoons from an impressive group of authors and illustrators. Leaves David Ezra Stein(2007), under 40 pages Illustrated by David Ezra Stein Target Audience: Toddlers, Preschoolers Price: $3.4 Content: It's Little Bear's first year. Fall has come to his island. When the leaves begin to fall, he wonders what to do. However, after following his instinct and sleeping through the winter, he awakens in spring to find everything blooming once again. Thanksgiving at the Tappletons' Eileen Spinelli (2003) , under 40 pages Illustrated by Megan Lloyd Target Audience: Preschoolers Price: $3.5 Content: The Tappletons (bears) are gathered together for their big Thanksgiving feast. However, all is not going well during the preparations. The turkey slides out of the house, down a hill and into a pond. There are no pies at the bakery and the lettuce for the salad has been given to the rabbits. As they sit down for the feast, Grandmother Tappleton reminds them that although they have nothing to eat, they can still be thankful that they have each other. Which book has the most pages?

1B

Dear Alice, My name is Lisa. I have social anxiety, disorder and was wondering how it would be possible to see someone for help without my parents knowing about it. I know that they'd be anything but supportive. They would think I'm ly out of my mind. The truth is, I've put off dealing with it, acting as if it'll just go away or that I'll outgrow it. But in reality, the older I'm getting, the worse I'm getting. I avoid as many social situations as I can. I completely panic when meeting new people, I only stay in classes that don't require any talking on my part. It seems the only place I'm actually happy is at home or with people that I've known all my life. Hope you can help! Dear Lisa, About 5 million Americans have some form of social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia. While everyone experiences nervousness or fear in social situations to a certain extent, those with social anxiety disorder are weakened by their fear. They may have a constant, intense, and lasting fear of being watched and judged by others, or be terribly afraid of being embarrassed or laughed at by ways in which they behave. As you have described, this fear can prevent people with social anxiety disorder from doing everyday activities, such as going to school or work, and can become so much of a focus that they limit their socializing. It's understandable that you are worried about how your parents might react to knowing what's been going on for you. Many people think that their families will blame them for how they're feeling or _ their concerns. Being honest with your parents, however, might help you to feel more at ease; it's possible that they've noticed your behavior and wondered about it, or even struggled with similar feelings themselves. There's even some evidence that anxiety disorders may be genetic or run in families --perhaps due to environmental factors and patterns expressed through interpersonal interactions. In her letter, Alice first talked about _ .

1B

Teenagers in England do much the same as children in America do. They enjoy sending messages by their mobile phones and they also like swimming, listening to the latest music, watching TV and surfing the Internet. How do teenagers in England spend their free time and holidays? Let's follow Sally, a British teenager, and spend five days with her during her school holiday. Day One After breakfast, Sally's mother went out and left her alone at home. She checked her mobile phone during lunch --one of her friends sent her a message early in the morning. Dinner was at 6:30 p.m. After that, she finished her English home-work. Then she surfed the Internet. Day Two Sally and her mother paid a visit to their friends and went swimming together. Later, they went shopping for clothes and books, and had dinner in a restaurant. Day Three She went to the supermarket with her mother to buy fish and chips for lunch as well as some pens. After she got back home, she spent the next few hours surfing the Internet and watching TV. Day Four She surfed the Internet. Her mother took her out for lunch before she went to work. She then read stories after lunch. Day Five She woke up at 2 p.m., and so did her mother. They went to a park. Her mother met some friends there. When they got home, it was already time for dinner. Afterwards, she did her homework until 10 p.m. When did Sally do her homework?

3D

This is a dangerous world we live in.The number of murders goes up every year, people are dying of cancer, more people contract HIV, more teens are using drugs, etc.You know this because you have heard all the statistics on the news and in the paper. But do you really have an accurate idea what they mean? The numbers are growing up, but how do they compare to the growth in population? Are more cases of these diseases being reported because of better testing techniques, or are the diseases more common? The fact is that without knowing the background statistics mean very little. This growing trend of reporting only part of the information is becoming dangerous.For example, several years ago a high school student reported the dangers of the chemical known as dihydrogen monoxide.This chemical, found in most cancerous tumors , is often found in the blood of people drunk on alcohol, and causes complete physical and mental dependence for those who take the chemical even once.After reading his report, more than 75% of his Advanced Placement Chemistry class voted to forbid this dangerous chemical! Every one of the above statements is true, yet this chemical is necessary to all life on earth.The students made the mistake because they voted knowing only a few statements and statistics, rather than the chemical's full background. The point of this article is that one should be aware of what is and is not being said.When one finds a new fact or number, one should try to consider other important information before forming an opinion with only half-truths.Always remember that the author is trying to convince you of his or her own view, and will leave out information that is different to his view.For example, look again at the statistics that suggest skiing is safe.Only 32 people may die each year when skiing, while 897 die from lightning strikes, but which is really the most dangerous? If you think about it, you realize far fewer people go skiing each year than the number of people who are in danger of a lightning strike.When you think about it, skiing is more dangerous than you might at first think when looking at statistics.If we teenagers are to be left in this world, we had better be able to think critically, and form our own views, rather than be easily persuaded by another's.To be warned is to be prepared. What can we learn from the passage?

0A

Plastics are considered one of the most serious pollutants causing environmental problems. The garbage containing plastics end up in the waterways that eventually flow into the oceans. Accumulation of plastic in the ocean endangers marine life and pollutes the water. Does a plastic continent exist? Yes, a plastic continent does exist and was discovered by Captain Charles Moore a decade ago. The plastic continent is twice the size of Britain and it is the region between the Hawaii Islands and California in the central Pacific Ocean. One of the causes of the lack of marine life in this region is due to pollution and pollutants are none other than plastics. Captain Charles Moore believes plastic waste started accumulating in the 1950s. The plastic continent is the man-made continent of floating plastic waste. The fisher men and the sailors have avoided this region for years. The reasons are: 1. There are no fish here because of the lack of nutrients. 2. The zone also lacks the wind that is essential for sailing. To do research on the ocean pollution, Captain Moore founded Algalita Marine Research Foundation. Other organizations such as Greenpeace supported his cause. The reports of The United Nations Environment Program show that millions of seabirds and marine animals are dying due to the invasion of plastics. The waste plastics can be recycled, but in fact they are being thrown into the oceans. The marine animals mistake these for food and eat them. This leads to their death that affects the marine food chain. To save the oceans from the plastic continent you need to reduce the use of plastics, reuse plastic bags and recycle plastics. What is the direct influence of the plastic continent?

0A

BERLIN (AP)----A tiger escaped its enclosure at Cologne Zoo in western Germany on Saturday and killed a female keeper before being shot dead by the zoo's director, police said. The tiger slipped through a passage between the enclosure and a neighboring storage building, where it fatally attacked the 43-year-old keeper, said police spokesman Stefan Kirchner. "It appears the gate wasn't properly shut," Kirchner told The Associated Press. The zoo was evacuated and a SWAT team was called in, police said.But before it arrived, the zoo's director managed to kill the tiger by climbing onto the storage building and shooting it through a skylight using a rifle. Kirchner said it was unlikely that members of the public had witnessed the incident. "This is the darkest day of my life," the zoo's director, Theo Pagel, was quoted as saying by Cologne newspaper Express. The paper said on its website that the Siberian tiger was a 4-year-old male called Tltai that came to Cologne Zoo from an animal park in England.In November it fathered three cubs with a 7-year-old Siberian tiger called Hanya, according to the zoo's website. Police said the zoo reopened after Saturday's incident, which occurred around noon.However, a planned late-night opening of the zoo has been canceled. Cologne Zoo is one of the oldest in Germany.It was founded in 1860 and houses some 10,000 animals consisting of more than 700 different species. What did the zoo do after the incident?

3D

There are some special traditions in Hawaii. People are very friendly and always welcome visitors. They give visitors a lei, a long necklace of beautiful fresh flowers. Men wear bright flowered shirt and women often wear long flowered dresses. There are traditional Chinese, Japanese and Filipino holidays and all the holidays from the United States. They call Hawaii the Aloha State. Aloha means both hello and goodbye. It also means " I love you". Usually when people from different countries, races and traditions live together, there are serious problems. There are so many people living in Hawaii, but in general, people have learned to live together in peace. Hawaiians get most of their money from visitors, and most of the visitors come from the mainland and from Japan. There are so many people living in Hawaii now that there are residential areas ( ) where there used to be farms. Some of the big sugar and pineapple companies have moved to the Philippines, where they do not have to pay workers as much money. The families of the first people who came from the U.S mainland own the important banks and companies .Japanese are also buying or starting business here. _ plays an important part in the development of Hawaii.

3D

When Zhang Ning , whose pen name was Misha, started drawing manga in junior high school, it was a time when Japanese cartoonists occupied most of the Chinese market. She was warned about the poor wage cartoonists earn and the risk of pursuing a career in an industry where China is not yet competitive. But with the growth of domestic animation and manga industry in recent years, Zhang managed to draw her way up to become one of the country's top cartoonists. In 2011, the 29-year-old won the Golden Dragon award, one of the most influential awards in China's manga industry. Looking back, the graduate of Zhejiang University of Technology said: "It was a dream come true." Zhang's success boomed along with the industry. In 2010, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, China's animation and manga industry was worth 47 billion yuan. It has seen annual growth rates of more than 20 percent in recent years. These big numbers seem a far stretch from Zhang's in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. But she thinks the very reason why cartoonists can enjoy a decent life is the country's decision to well develop the industry. "The country is not giving us money directly, but it's creating a market in which we can succeed,"said Zhang. Apart from government investment, Zhang is also benefiting from technology advances. The Internet has provided a wider platform for cartoonists to publish their work. The electric edition of Zhang's work ranked the 6th among free book apps on the Apple Store. "I think the Internet has encouraged new cartoonists and given them more chances. Before we could only contribute to magazines and it was difficult to convince the editors to publish our work", said Zhang. "But when you release your work online, you receive encouragement and support from many netizens. It increases your confidence. "said Zhang. New technology has also attracted more people to read comics. "China has entered 3G era. It's very convenient for people to read on their smart phones when traveling around. It opens comics to a bigger readership," said Zhang. Only last week, Zhang published her new manga based on the ancient classic Tangzi which set during the warring states period. According to Zhang, the inspiration came from wall painting in Dunhuang, Gansu province. She hopes her works will encouraged more people especially the young, to explore the cultural treasures of ancient China. "Chinese youths now need a spirit to help them to realize their dreams," said Zhang. "Like Kua Fu chasing the sun --- people can accomplish great things by choosing to something seemingly beyond their ability. I think that's my "Chinese dream" and I want to share it with the public through my cartoons." When Zhang Ning started drawing manga, _ .

1B

Rabindranath Tagore was an Indian writer and poet, who was the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. Composed of 326 short verses, Stray Birds is a collection of short verses translated from Bengali into English by the poet himself, where Tagore spiritualizes nature into the experiences of human existence while demonstrating his love for nature and simplicity through poetic words. Now read the following verses taken from Stray Birds(1916) and try to answer the questions. *Man does not reveal himself in his history, he struggles up through it. (verse 52) *The cloud stood humbly in a corner of the sky. The Morning crowned it with splendour . (verse 100) *Man is worse than an animal when he is an animal. (verse 248) *Bees sip honey from flowers and hum their thanks when they leave. The gaudy butterfly is sure that the flowers owe thanks to him. (verse 127) *The stream of truth flows through its channels of mistakes. (verse 243) *Let him only see the thorns who has eyes to see the rose. (verse 230) *Set bird's wings with gold and it will never again soar in the sky. (verse 231) *Men are cruel, but Man is kind. (verse 219) *Let me not put myself wrongly to my world and set it against me. (verse 206) *Wrong cannot afford defeat but right can. (verse 68) *"I give my whole water in joy," sings the waterfall. "though little of it is enough for the thirsty." (verse 69) *The woodcutter's axe begged for its handle from the tree. The tree gave it. (verse 71) *Thank the flame for its light, but do not forget the lampholder standing in the shade with constancy of patience. (verse 64) Which of the verses has similar meaning to the saying "All is not gold that glitters ; but gold will glitter forever."?

0A

A dentist's office may not be everyone's idea of a perfect holiday destination.But a growing number of Europeans are travelling abroad for medical treatment to save money,or maybe to combine a visit to the doctor with some sightseeing,creating a potential but fastgrowing market for traditional tour operators. "It was simply cheaper for me to go to a dentist in Hungary," said a 42yearold physical therapist from Berlin.He chose the clinic near Budapest from an Internet advertisement,attracted by hundreds of euros in savings compared with the same treatment in Germany.He was happy to find when he got there that the clinic was clean,the staff qualified and the work thorough. People travel abroad for medical treatment for various reasons:it's cheaper,they face a long wait at home,or the treatment they want is not available in their own country.The Britishbased Medical Tourist Company refers about 100 patients a year to hospitals in India for treatments.And Chief Executive Premhar Shah reports rapid growth in demand from customers in Africa,where it can be harder to find wellequipped medical facilities for complex surgeries. Some patients who have immigrated may prefer to return to be close to their families when they undergo surgery."People will want to take the opportunity to seek treatment in places where they have relatives who might be able to look after them.I'm seeing that especially with younger people from eastern Europe," said a professor at the University of Oxford. For some,there is the attraction of free treatment abroad.British lawmakers have called for tighter checks on patients arriving for treatment,out of concerns that foreign citizens are travelling to Britain to take advantage of the free service. The global medical tourism market is believed to be worth $40 billion to $60 billion and growing at about 20 percent per year. How many reasons are mentioned to explain why people go abroad for medical treatment?

1B

My son Gilbert was eight years old and had been in the Cub Scouts only a short time. Once he was handed a sheet of paper, a block of wood and four tires and told to return home and give them all to his father. That was not an easy task for Gilbert to do. The piece of paper was a set of instructions about how to build a wooden racing car. Gilbert's father laughed when he read the instructions. The block of wood remained untouched as the weeks passed. Finally, I stepped in to see if I could figure it all out. Having no skills, I decided it would be best if I simply read the instructions and let Gilbert do the work. And he did. Within days, his block of wood was turning into a pinewood racing car. Then the big night came. With his pinewood racing car in his hand and pride in his heart we headed to the big race. As the race was done in elimination fashion , you could keep racing as long as you were the winner. Finally, it was between Gilbert and the fastestlooking car there. As the race was about to begin, Gilbert asked if they could stop for a minute, because he wanted to pray. Then the race stopped. Gilbert prayed in earnest for a very long minute. The Master came up to Gilbert and asked the obvious question, "So you prayed to win, Gilbert?" My young son answered, "Oh, no Sir. It wouldn't be fair to ask God to help you beat someone else. I just asked him to make it so I don't cry when I lose." Children seem to have wisdom far beyond us. Perhaps we spend too much of our prayer time asking God to control the race, make us the champion, or remove us from the struggle, when we should be seeking God's strength to get through what lies in our way. Gilbert's father thought the task given by the Cub Scouts could _ .

2C

Visit one of the most outstanding prehistoric sites in the United Kingdom, and enjoy amazing historic English attractions. Please notice that every tour starts and ends in London. Have a tour with Visiting Britain. Stonehenge Direct Tour Visit one of the most outstanding prehistoric sites in England and in the world: Stonehenge. Duration: 1 day Price: Adults PS29.99, Children PS28.99 Stonehenge and Bath Tour Enjoy a late breakfast before heading to the Stonehenge site and end your day with an original visit of the Roman Baths. Duration: 10 hours (departure 10:30 am return 8:30 pm). Price: Adults PS64, Children PS60 Stonehenge, Bath and Windsor Castle Tour Explore three of England's most popular sites to visit: Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and the Roman Baths. Duration: 1 day (return 8:30 pm) Price: Adults PS64.80, Children PS61.20 Stonehenge, Lacock and Bath Tour Come and feel the warmth of Bath, see the pleasant village of Lacock, and solve the mystery of Stonehenge. Duration: 1 day (return 6 pm) Price: Adults PS85, Children PS78 Stonehenge, Windsor and Oxford Tour Choose Stonehenge, Windsor and Oxford Tour and enjoy ancient mysticism, royal history and illustrious knowledge. Duration: 1 day Price: Adults PS72, Children PS68 Stonehenge, Bath and Stratford Tour Take a tour to make the most of the English historic attractions: the Stonehenge site, Bath and Stratford, the birthplace of playwright William Shakespeare. Duration: 1 day (return 8 pm) Price: Adults PS79, Children PS68 When can you come back to London after visiting Stonehenge and the Roman Baths?

3D

Paper was not made in southern Europe until the year of 1100.Thouth Scandinavia now makes a great deal of the world's paper, it had not begun to make it until 1500. It was a German named Schaeffer who found out that one could make paper from wood. After that, forest countries, such as Canada, Sweden, Norway, Finland and the United States, became important in paper making. Today in Finland, for example, no industry is bigger than the forest industry. And the paper industry is the most important part of it. Modern paper-making machines are very big, and they make paper very fast. The biggest machines can make a piece of paper 750 meters long and six meters wide in one minute. When we think of paper, we think of newspapers, books, letters, envelopes , and writing paper. But there are many other uses. Each year, more and more things are made of paper. We have had paper cups, plates, and dishes for a long time. But now we hear that chairs, a tables and even beds can be made of paper. The newest thing made of paper in the world may be a paper house. It is not a small house for children to play in, but a real, big house for people to live in. it is not expensive. You can put up a paper house yourself in a few hours, and you can use it for about 5 years. ,. How long can the biggest modern paper-making machines make a piece of paper 750 meters long and six meters wide?

2C

Aunt Polly had told Tom to paint the whole fence in front of the house. He thought of the other boys out for the day enjoying themselves and he felt very unhappy. Then he had an idea! He picked up the brush and started painting slowly and carefully. Soon, his friend Ben Rogers appeared, eating an apple. Tom pretended not to see him. "Tom!" Ben said. "Why are you working?" "Oh, it's you, Ben,"Tom said, "I didn't notice you." "I'm gong for a swim," Ben said, "but you don't' want to come. You want to work, don't you? It's much nicer!" Ben laughed loudly. Tom looked seriously at Ben and said. "What is work? What do you call work?" "Isn't that work?" Ben asked. "Well, no. Does a boy get the _ to paint a fence every day? You've never painted a fence, have you? Auntie says I have to do it with great care!' "Pleas, Tom. Let me do a little," said Ben. "No, Ben. If you do, you'll do it wrong. You can't paint very well. If it was the back fence wouldn't mind, but it isn't." "I won't do it wrong. I'll be really careful. I'll give you my apple." Tom gave him the brush and paint with a sad face, but in his heart he was glad, His trick had worked. After Ben got tired and left, other boys came along and Tom said the same things to them. Soon, the whole fence was painted white, but not by Tom. He felt very clever because he had discovered something important about the way people are. People only want what they can't have or want to do what they shouldn't do. Why did Tom pretend not to see Ben?

0A

Right in front of the Minneapolis Central Library,a row of green bikes sits parked in a special stand.Each bike is designed with the logo"Nice Ride"--the name of the city's bike-share program. Nice Ride bikes are a lot like the library books that people come here to borrow.To rent a bike,you simply use your membership card at a Nice Ride bike station.Members can rent one of 1,200 bikes from 138 stations throughout Minnesota's largest city.People use the Nice Ride bikes to go to work,to go out on business,or just to enjoy the city's many bike paths. The rise of bike-share programs like Nice Ride is encouraging more people than ever to choose biking over driving.Rising gas prices and concerns about the environment have also gotten people to dust off their bike helmets, pump air into flat tires,and hit the road. Why ride? Not only is biking good exercise,but switching from a car to a bike also reduces the amount of pollution in the air.Carbon dioxide,a greenhouse gas linked to climate change,is one of the many polluting substances that come out of a car's tallpipe. Bike-share systems are found around the world in cities like London,Paris,Barcelona,and Melbourne,Australia.The largest program-with 70,000 bikes-is in Wuhan,China. To make roads friendlier to non-motorists,the U.S.Department of Transportation has invested more than a billion dollars in cycling and pedestrian projects in recent years.The money went toward building thousands of miles of on-street bike lanes and bike-and pedestrian-only passages called green ways. If one wants to use the bike,it's a must to _ .

3D

One day in January, my uncle, my cousin and I decided to go hunting.We left by car in the afternoon.It was a Range Rover with four-wheel drive.It took us three hours to get there.After we arrived at 5:15 p.m., we fixed the tent, then made coffee and had a short rest.After that, we went hunting, using a falcon .We spent two hours without finding anything.On our way back to the camp, my cousin saw a rabbit.I removed the falcon's bead cover and let go of the aggressive falcon.When the rabbit saw the falcon, it ran fast, but my falcon was a professional hunter.He flew up and came down to trick the rabbit.After two minutes, the rabbit was caught.We took it back to the camp to cook our dinner.We ate the delicious food, drank Arabic coffee, and sat around the fire talking until 10:30 p.m. We left the camp the next day at 7 o'clock in the morning.We went north.However, around 10:00 a.m.our car got stuck in the sand! We spent about three hours trying to pull out the car without any progress.Finally, we decided to walk.As it was hard for an old man or a young boy to walk more than 40km in the desert, I decided to get help myself.I took a bottle of water with me and started to walk south alone.I knew the way well, but it was a long way in the sand.I walked more than four hours without stopping.When I felt so tired and thirsty, I stopped to rest.I drank all the water and slept for around two hours. When I got up, it was dark.I continued to walk south.I was worried about my uncle and cousin.Suddenly, I met a Bedouin man who was riding his camel.He took me to his house.When I had had enough rest, I asked him to take me to the road where I found a car.It took me to the city to get help.I had one day to get back to my uncle and cousin.When I got back to them, they were so happy because I had gotten help and they were able to see me again. Which word can best describe the first evening of their hunting trip?

1B

Too many people put off things that could bring them joy just because they haven't thought about them, don't have them on their schedules or are too stubborn to leave from their regular daily things. One day I thought about all those women on the Titanic who refused sweet foods at dinner that fateful night to cut out fatty foods. From then on, I've tried to be a little more changeable. I cannot count the times I called my sister and said, "How about going to lunch in half an hour?" She would stammer ,"I can't , I have clothes to wash. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday. I had a late breakfast. It looks like rain." She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together. We live on promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect. We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get our baby, Stevie, toilet-trained. We'll enjoy when we replace the living room carpet. We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college. Life has a way _ as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we wake up, and all we have to show for our lives is a long list of "I'm going to", "I plan on" and "Someday, when things settle down a bit". I love ice cream. But my lips had not touched ice cream in 10 years. The other day I stopped the car and bought an ice cream. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy. Now, go have a nice day. Do something you want to. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you say? And why are you waiting? The author mentioned the women on the Titanic to _ .

1B

Teachers Wanted Do you like kids? We need a teacher for our son. He's six years old. We want you to work from March to November, 3 pm. to 6 pm., but you don't need to work in July and August. You can get Y= 30 an hour . Sometimes we want you to work on weekends, and you can get Y=45 an hour. You need to: *Help our son with Chinese. *Read to him. *Play with him. *Go to movies with him. You need to work at my home. We live in Taipei Road, next to the Zhongshan Bus Station . Please call (02)2956-4938. Ask Miss Liu. Which is _ ?

0A

Charles Dickens was one of the most beloved storytellers in the English language. His novels made him famous in his own time, and continue as classics in ours. Dickens began his literary career with almost no formal education. He was born in Landport, on Feb. 7, 1812, the second of eight children. When he was 12, his father was sent to debtor's prison. Dickens was forced to quit school and work in a London blacking factory. He would rework that terrible experience into his fiction for the rest of his life. "He was a social reformer," says actor Simon Callow, author of a new biography called Charles Dickens and the Great Theatre of the World. "He knew what poverty was. He knew what it was to be rejected, to be cast aside, to live in squalor ." And so Dickens wrote with great sympathy for the suffering of innocent and vulnerable children - characters like David Copperfield, Little Dorrit and the orphan, Oliver Twist: With his slice of bread in his hand, and his little brown parish cap on his head, Oliver was now led away from the wretched home, where one kind word or look never lighted the gloom of his infant days. Yet he burst into an agony of childish grief as the cottage gate closed after him. Wretched as were the little companions in,misery he was now leaving behind him, they were the only friends he had ever had. His first book Sketches by Boz came out in 1836. With the appearance of Oliver Twist in London periodicals in 1837, the 25-year-old Dickens became the most popular writer in England. But his first love was theater, and he considered becoming an actor. "When he was actually writing, he became his characters," says Peter Ackroyd, author of Dickens: Public Life and Private Passion. "He would get up from his desk, go over to the mirror and mouth the words - do the expressions, grimaces , whatever, and then laugh, chuckle to himself, then go back to his desk and write it down." Dickens created 989 named characters, which increased his popularity. Every one of his major works has been adapted for either stage or screen. A Christmas Carol inspired more than a dozen films, from Alistair Sims' Scrooge in 1951 to Jim Carrey's voicing of the same character in Disney's 2009, 3-D animated film. The original 1843 manuscript of A Christmas Carolis on display at the Morgan Library. Dickens wrote everything by hand, in tiny script, with a quill pen. Remarkably, the manuscript is both the first and the final draft, says Kiely, the curator. You can see where Dickens has changed the name of the first chapter from "Old Marley's Ghost" to "Marley's Ghost". Further down the page, he has canceled an entire section. "He realizes he's not writing a novel, and he only has a very short time in which to write this," Kiely explains. "He's got to keep it tight, in order for it to be published in time for Christmas." Dickens wrote all the time. He traveled with a portable inkwell and a supply of quill pens. He was working on his last novel, Our Mutual Friend, en route from France to London when the train he was on crashed. Dickens died five years later in 1870, after a stroke at age 58. As a comic talent and a social reformer, Dickens' achievement was extraordinary, says novelist T.C. Boyle, who eamed a doctorate in Victorian literature. "He achieved what any great artist achieves - a body of work that has entertained and delighted and instructed people down through the ages. That's what we all hope for," says Boyle. But Dickens' greatest fiction was his own character, says Callow, the biographer: "People think of him as a cheerful man ... but he was increasingly suffering from depression and a sense of hopelessness. And that's worth knowing. I think it's always good to know that great creative individuals have their struggle, their drama." The author quotes Dickens' description of Oliver Twist mainly to show

0A

A pretty, well-dressed young lady stopped a taxi in a big square, and said to the driver, "Can you see that young man at the other side of the square?" "Yes," said the taxi-driver. The young man was standing outside a restaurant and looking impatiently at his watch every few seconds. "Take me over there." said the young lady. There were a lot of cars and buses and trucks in the square, so the taxi- driver asked, "Are you afraid to cross the street." 'Oh, no !" said the young lady. "But I said that I would meet that young man for dinner at one o'c1ock, and it is now a quarter to two. If I arrive in a taxi, it will at least seem as if I have tried not to be too late." She wanted to take a taxi because she .

2C

What are you going to do if you are in a burning house? How will you escape? Do you know how to save yourself? Please read the following passage. Escaping a fire is a serious matter.Knowing what to do during a fire can save your life.It is important to know the ways you can use and show them to everyone in the family,such as stairways and fire escapes,but not lifts. From the lower floors of the buildings,escaping through windows is possible,learn the best way of leaving by windows with the least chance of serious injury. The second floor window is usually not very high from the ground.An average person,hanging by the finger-tips will have a drop of about six feet to the ground.It is about the height of an average man.Of course,it is safer to jump a short way than to stay in a burning building. Windows are also useful when you are waiting for help.Be sure to keep the door closed.Or smoke and fire may be drawn into the room.Keep your head low at the window to be sure you get fresh air rather than smoke that may leaked into the room. On a second or third floor,the best windows for escaping are those that open onto a roof.From the roof a person can drop to the ground more safely.Dropping onto cement might end in injury.Bushes and grass can help to break a fall. It is important to _ .

1B

Suzhou is an old city with a long history. The city is very clean and has fresh air. There are a lot of nice gardens in Suzhou and Suzhou gardens are famous in the world. When you enjoy the beauty in the gardens, you will feel very peaceful and happy. Besides (......) the gardens, Suzhou silk is also very famous. On the streets, you can see many silk shops. You should buy some beautiful silk scarves because they are really beautiful. Suzhou food is so sweet and some people may not like it. But you can have different kinds of foods here. Suzhou is close to Shanghai. It takes about only one hour from Suzhou to Shanghai by bus. The traffic is very convenient here. Welcome to Suzhou! You will have a good time here. What does the writer want to do?

3D

My Town the Best Place to Be! My town is a great place to live in . It's the best place to enjoy your free time. There are three movie theaters in the town. They are all good, but the one nearest my house is the best. Shopping is also easy, There are many shops and most of them are trendy. They sell very fashionable clothes. The prices are also cheaper than in other cities, so students love to shop here. There are also a lot of video and music stores. These are very popular with students. I go to the music store every week to buy a new CD. The most crowded place for students to hang out is the park . Everyone goes there ,so it's really interesting. Sometimes there are even street performers. Some students think they are boring ,but I think they are the most creative people. I want to be a street performer, too . The cinema nearest the writer's house is _ .

0A

Since Henry Ford turned it into a mass-market product a century ago, the car has delivered many benefits. It has promoted economic growth, increased social mobility and given people a lot of fun. But the car has also brought many problems. It pollutes the air, creates traffic jams and kills people. An astonishing 1.24 million people die, and as many as 50 million are hurt, in road accidents each year. Drivers and passengers waste around 90 billion hours in traffic jams each year. In some car-choked cities as much as a third of the petrol used is burned by people looking for a space to park. Fortunately, a new technology promises to make motoring safer, less polluting and less tendency to hold-ups. "Connected cars"--which may eventually develop into driverless cars but for the foreseeable future will still have a human at the wheel-can communicate wirelessly with each other and with traffic-management systems, avoid walkers and other vehicles and find open parking spots. Some parts of the transformation are already in place. Many new cars are already being fitted with equipment that lets them keep their distance and stay in a motorway automatically at a range of speeds. Soon, all new cars in Europe will have to be able to warn the emergency services if their on-board sensors discover a crash. Singapore has led the way with using variable tolls to smooth traffic flows during rush-hours; Britain is pioneering "smart motorways", whose speed limits vary constantly to achieve _ . Combined, these new inventions could create a much more highly effective system in which cars and their drivers are constantly warned of dangers and showed the ways, traffic always flows at the proper speed and vehicles can travel closer together, yet with less risk of crashing. In the past, more people driving meant more roads, more jams, more death and more pollution. In future, the connected car could offer mankind the pleasures of the road with rather less of the pain. Which of the following can be the best title of the text?

0A

Songkran is the traditional Thai New Year that starts on April 13 annually. It's also callled the "Water Festival" because people believe that water will wash away bad luck and make people fresh. On the day, we spinklesmall drops of water to bless monks and elders. Their hands are spinkled with perfumed water. In addition, this festival is for rain because it is the hottest season. Nowadays, during the Songkran Festival, people always wet down everybody who walks past their houses or walks down the streets with cups or buckets of water. Everyone gets wet, but it is all in a spirit of friendliness, blessing and fun. People who get wet actually do not get angry because they know that it is traditional. People will go to the temples to batheBuddha imagesand give special food to the monks. People do good things such as fish or birds and other animals releasedfrom their cages. On this day, everywhere in Thailand, people celebrate and enjoy the festival, especiallly in the northern part of Thailand. We can see many foreigners join in the events and enjoyed this festival with Thais. Everybody also enjoys public events such as beauty contests, parades, and marching bands. The Water Festival gives us freshness, happiness and fun because the weather is very hot. I hope everyone will travel to Thailand and enjoy this festival. The traditional Thai New Year _ .

2C

Conflict is on the menu tonight at the cafe La Chope. This evening, as on every Thursday night, psychologist Maud Lehanne is leading two of France's favorite pastimes, coffee drinking and the "talking cure". Here they are learning to get in touch with their true feelings. It isn't always easy. They customers-some thirty Parisians who pay just under $2 (plus drinks) per session-care quick to intellectualize ,slow to open up and connect. "You are forbidden to say 'one feels,' or 'people think',"Lehane told them. "Say 'I think,' 'Think me'." A cafe society where no intellectualizing is allowed? It couldn't seem more un-French. But Lehanne's psychology cafe is about more than knowing oneself: It's trying to help the city's troubled neighborhood cafes. Over the years, Parisian cafes have fallen victim to changes in the French lifestyle-longer working hours, a fast food boom and a younger generation's desire to spend more time at home. Dozens of new theme cafes appear to change the situation. Cafes focused around psychology, history, and engineering are catching on, filling tables well into the evening. The city's "psychology cafes",which offer great comfort,are among the most popular places.Middle-aged homemakers,retirees,and the unemployed come to such cafes to talk about love,anger,and dreams with a psychologist.And they come to Lehanne's group just to learn to say what they feel."There's a strong need in Paris for communication,"says Maurice Frisch,a cafe La Chope regular who works as a religious instructor in a nearby church."People have few real friends.And they need to open up."Lehanne says she'd like to see psychology cafes all over France."If people had normal lives,these cafes wouldn't exist,"she says."If life weren't a battle,people wouldn't need a special place just to speak."But then,it wouldn't be France. What are people encouraged to do at the cafe La Chope?

3D

Our brains work in complex and strange ways. There are some people who can calculate the day of the week for any given date in 40,000 years, but who cannot add two plus two. Others can perform complex classical piano pieces after hearing them once, but they cannot read or write. Dr. J. Langdon Down first described this condition in 1887. He called these people idiot savants. An idiot savant is a person who has significant mental injury, such as in autism or retardation. At the same time, the person also exhibits some extraordinary skills, which are unusual for most people. The skills of the savant may vary from being exceptionally gifted in music or in mathematics, or having a photographic memory. One of the first descriptions of a human who could calculate quickly was written in 1789 by Dr. Benjamin Rush, an American doctor. His patient, Thomas Fuller, was brought to Virginia as a slave in 1724. It took Thomas only 90 seconds to work out that a man who has lived 70 years, 17 days, and 12 hours has lived 2,210,500,800 seconds. Despite this ability, he died in 1790 without ever learning to read or write. Another idiot savant slave became famous as a pianist in the 1860s. Blind Tom had a vocabulary of only 100 words, but he played 5,000 musical pieces beautifully. In the excellent movie Rain Man, made in 1988 and available on video cassette, Dustin Hoffman plays an idiot savant who amazes his brother played by Tom Cruise, with his ability to perform complex calculations very rapidly. Today we more clearly recognize that the idiot savant is special because of brain impairment. Yet not all brain injury leads to savant skills. Some studies have shown that people who have purposeful interruption of the left side of the brain can develop idiot savant skills. However few people wish to participate in such experiments. There are many excellent reasons for not undergoing unnecessary experimentation on one's brain. The term idiot savant is outdated and inappropriate. Virtually all savants have a high degree of intelligence and are thus not idiots. What does the passage mainly talk about?

0A

What is the rainy season in north america?

1B