I bought a jasmine（茉莉花）plant for my office. When I bought it, I was told it would bloom（開花）and the sweet smell would fill my office. I had the plant for two months, and every day I looked at it, but there weren’t any flowers or pleasant smell. I was not happy, so I gave the plant to my friend Linda.

One day, another friend Mary called and invited me to her office. When I walked in, her jasmine flowers surprised me. I reached out to touch the flowers. Mary cut some and gave them to me. I couldn’t help smelling them. Surrounded by the sweet smell of only a handful of these flowers, I suddenly understood something.

Mary bought her plant the same time I did. It took a year for her jasmine to bloom. I was so impatient for mine to bloom; regretfully, I gave it away.

In a way my life is like the jasmine plant. I need to be patient and let things happen.

Last Sunday Linda told me that she was going abroad the next week. Before she left, she returned the plant to me. This time I am going to wait. I have learned that when we want something in our life, we have to be patient. I am slowly learning to have that patience to wait for my jasmine to bloom.

1. Before she gave the jasmine away, the writer had it for.

A. one day                  B. one year                 C. two weeks              D. two months

2. When the writer saw Mary’s jasmine, she felt _____.

A. unhappy                 B. peaceful                 C. hopeful                   D. surprised

3. What has the writer learned from her experience?

A. Patience is needed in life.

B. Flowers can make life better.

C. Friendship is necessary for us.

D. Jasmine can be a wonderful plant.

“If you want to see a thing well, reach out and touch it!”

That may seem a strange thing to say it. But touching things can help you to see them better. Your eyes can tell you that a glass ball is round. But by holding it in your hands, you can feel how smooth and cool the ball is. You can feel how heavy the glass is. When you feel all these about the ball, you really see it. With your skin, you can feel better. For example, your fingers can tell the difference between two coins in your pocket. You can feel a little drop of water on the back of your hand, too. You can even feel sounds against your skin. Have you ever wanted to know why some people like very loud music? They must like to feel the sounds of music.

All children soon learn what “Don’t touch!” means. They hear it often. Yet most of us keep on touching things as we grow up. In shops, we touch things we might buy: food, clothes. To see something well, we have to touch it. The bottoms of our feet can feel things, too. You know this when you walk on warm sand, cool grass or a hard floor. All feel different under your feet.

There are ways of learning to see well by feeling. One way is to close your eyes and try to feel everything that is touching your skin. Feel the shoes on your feet, the clothes on your body, the air on your skin. At first, it is not easy to feel these things. You are too used to feel them!

Most museums are just for looking. But today some museums have some things to touch. Their signs say, “Do touch!” There you can feel everything on show.

If you want to see better, reach out and touch. Then you will really see!

1.When people buy things in shops, they often _____.

A. try them on first

B. keep their right hands on them

C. ask about them

D. feel and touch them

2. Why does it say “At first, it is not easy to feel these things”? because ______.

A. the things are used by people, too

B. people feel the things too often

C. people know how to use the things

D. the things are easy to feel

3. Which of the following is true?

A. Touching is helping us to see better.

B. Our feet, fingers, hands and skin can help us buy food.

C. People have to learn to see by feeling as they grow up.

D. Visitors can feel the things on show in some museums.

4.Which of the following can be the best title of the story?

A. Touching by Feeling.

B. To See or to Feel?

C. To See Better-Feel

D. Ways of Feeling.

Do you care about your memory（記憶力）？The following ways can help improve your memory.

Sleep: Sleep plays an important part in improving your memory. Enough sleep is very important to have a good memory.

Don’t watch TV while eating: Do not watch television while eating. Some people keep talking and eating while watching TV. Eating is a time when you can take a break from studying and rest your eyes.

Healthy food: Healthy food is important for a healthy mind. Have milk, eggs, fish and fruits. These foods have a lot of nutrients（營養(yǎng)成分）

Make the things interesting: If you find the things the teachers ask you to memorize interesting, you will memorize them more easily. For example, include music and different colors in the things you need to memorize.

Repeat（重復(fù)）the things: Repeat the things by singing or talking. Repeating is a good way to memorize things.

Exercise: Do exercise every day. It not only improves the body but improves the mind. Air in the morning keeps your mind clear. A clear mind is needed for memorizing things.

Have a rest: Don’t study for long hours. Have a rest from time to time. Studying for a long time will make you tired and you will find it harder to remember and learn things.

1. How many ways of improving memory are there in the passage?

A. Five.   B. Six.   C. Seven.   D. Eight

2.Why shouldn’t you watch TV while eating?

A. Because it will make you eat less.

B. Because you need to rest your eyes.

C. Because you can’t take in enough nutrients in this way.

D. Because it is bad for your mind.

3. Which is NOT good for improving memory according to the passage?

A. Plenty of sleep.

B. Healthy food.

C. All work and a play.

D. Repeating the things you need to memorize.

4.The passage is written for _______.

A. parents   B. players   C. teachers  D. students

 If parents bring up a child with the aim of turning the child into a genius（天才）, they will cause great damage to him. According to several leading educational experts, this is one of the biggest mistakes that some parents make. Generally, the child will understand very well what the parents expect. and will fall. Unrealistic（不現(xiàn)實(shí)）expectations of the parents can cause great damage to children.

    However, if parents are not unrealistic about what they expect their children to do, but are hopeful in a sensible（明智）way, the child may succeed in doing very well—especially if the parents are very supportive（支持的）to their children.

    Michael Li is very lucky. He likes music and his parents help him a lot by taking him to concerts and let him attend piano and violin lessons. Although Michael's mother knows very little about music, his father is a good musician. However, he never makes Michael enter music competitions if he is unwilling.

    Michael's friend, Winston Chen, however, is not so lucky. Although both his parents are successful musicians, they set too high a standard（水平）for Winston. They want their son to be as successful as they are and so they enter him in every piano competition held. They are very unhappy when he does not win. “When I was your age I used to win every competition I enter.” Winston's father tells him. Winston is always afraid that he will disappoint his parents and now he always quiet and unhappy.

1.The main idea of the passage is _________.

A. how parents should make a child a musician

B. how parents should bring up a child

C. what differences there are between the two boys

D. what aim is easier for a child to reach

2.Winston's parents set so high a standard for him that _______.

A. he has to do his best to win every competition

B. he has made greater progress in music

C. he is afraid he may disappoint them

D. he often wants to kill himself someday

3.It is one of the parents’ worst mistakes if ______.

A. they want their child to be a musician

B. they help their child to win music competition

C. they don't care for their child's education much

D. they make their child try to achieve too much

4. According to the writer's opinion, _________.

A. it's unimportant to let the children develop（=grow）in the way they want

B. sensible parents can train their children to succeed in everything

C. parents should be realistic and supportive to their children

D. unrealistic parents should arrange（安排）private lessons for their children

What are people wearing in the 21 st century? Scientists believe that in the near future, high—tech（高科技）clothing will make our lives more interesting. Take a look here and see some great inventions.

    Some say Speedo swimsuits helped world champion Michael Phelps move faster in water   1.  This gives clothes many new functions（功能）.

    Now many clothes makers begin to use new fabrics（紡織品）like nanofiber（納米纖維）. The clothes made from these fabrics can keep away stains（污漬）and creases（皺褶）  2. 

    Clothes makers also use eco—friendly materials in clothing. Most of them come from old clothes. newspapers or even plastic bottles.   3.   Many clothes makers like Li-Ning make clothes from this low-carbon material.

    As the Internet has become part of our life, everyday objects are becoming part of a network.

Clothing is, too. For example, a US company has developed a pair of pants.  4.

    Scientists put sensors（傳感器）inside the pants and then connect them to a computer. When people put the pants on, the sensors collect information about the body and send it to the computer.  5.  .

A. People don't have to wash them or iron them frequently.

B. Reusing materials will help us to cut down on carbon emissions（碳排放）.

C. High-tech clothing is made from old clothes, newspapers or even plastic bottles.

D. It can see your movement and “l(fā)et a computer know your every move”.

E. Today there's more and more technology in clothing.

F. Scientists believer this technology will help us learn more about our bodies.

G. Clothes makers can make more and more money in the future.

最近有兩則關(guān)于“高考英語”的消息：

    一則是：北京的2014年高考改革了，英語將由150分下調(diào)至100分，今后將側(cè)重英語交際能力的測試。

    二則是：山東省的2014年高考英語取消聽力。

你作為一個(gè)在校學(xué)生，請(qǐng)你寫一篇英語作文，提出你對(duì)這兩條消息的看法。并談?wù)勀阍撊绾卧诼�、說、讀、寫方面學(xué)習(xí)英語。不少于60字。

----How long _________ she _______ this book ?

         ----She _________it from the library two weeks ago.

A. has, kept; borrowed   B. has, kept; lent  C. has, borrowed; borrowed

_________ of the population in this area __________ farmers.

A. Two thirds ,are       B. Two thirds, is   C. Two third, is

-----Jane has never been to such a beautiful country..

         -----________________.

A. so have I           B. Neither have I   C. Neither do I

You won’t pass the English exam ___________ you study hard.

A. if                 B. so             C. unless