My sister and I were flying from our home in Kansas to a summer camp in Minnesota. Our plane had a two-hour at the airport in Omaha, where I saw a toy airplane that I really . I had $10 and I had no idea what I needed to at camp, but I spent $8 on the airplane anyway.

When we reached the camp, I discovered that there were no showers! , we bathed in a lake every night. I needed to buy soap. Because the regular soap I brought had chemicals that could the fish. The special soap cost $4 at the camp store. After buying the plane, I had $2 left, so I couldn’t buy the soap.

After a few days, I was a . Sally, our camp teacher, asked me if I needed some soap. When I her that I had spent my soap money on a toy airplane, she laughed and said, “You need to budget.” She then explained that a budget was a(n) for spending money to help make sure you save enough for things you — like soap — before you buy fun things — like . Sally gave me her extra soap, which I took.

When I returned home from , I decided to make my budget. Every week I spent time writing down everything I bought, and some weeks, I would have more in my “Money In” account I did odd jobs (零活) around the house.

Budgeting was , especially when my friends bought soda at the store after school and I couldn’t because I had spent all my “Want to Spend” money. But I with it, and by the next summer, I had enough money to buy a Paula Pilot doll at Omaha Airport, as well as at the camp store to Sally!

1.A. restB. tripC. flightD. stop

2.A. madeB. wantedC. leftD. remembered

3.A. learnB. bringC. buyD. do

4.A. BesidesB. HoweverC. InsteadD. Anyhow

5.A. specialB. commonC. smallD. expensive

6.A. catchB. raiseC. hurtD. control

7.A. heroB. messC. starD. failure

8.A. warnedB. toldC. suggestedD. reminded

9.A. planB. ideaC. exampleD. promise

10.A. loseB. gatherC. needD. hate

11.A. chemicalsB. clothesC. billsD. toys

12.A. fortunatelyB. cautiouslyC. unhappilyD. gratefully

13.A. schoolB. airportC. campD. hospital

14.A. dailyB. weeklyC. monthlyD. yearly

15.A. soB. andC. becauseD. until

16.A. hardB. boringC. safeD. fresh

17.A. dealtB. beganC. agreedD. stuck

18.A. receivedB. savedC. earnedD. borrowed

19.A. fishB. waterC. soapD. soda

20.A. apologize forB. call onC. care forD. pay back

After living in the United States for quite a long time, I do not think about the cultural differences any more. Last month, my parents came to visit me. Their observations (觀察) on the American lifestyle reminded me that cultural differences between living in China and America are actually everywhere.

When my parents came to America, they praised my house. Everyone had his/her own bedroom; there was a front yard, a backyard and a garage; there were many bathrooms – all convenient and comfortable. However, they were not used to the glass doors at the first floor. My mom, from southern China, was worried that someone would break open the glass doors. Though I said that nobody would do that, she was still worried about it.

When I brought them to eat in fast food restaurants, whether it was in McDonald’s or KFC, they saw that refilling drinks was for free. This concept (觀念) of free refill was so new to them.

A Chinese friend told me a story. He and his American girlfriend ate at a restaurant. His girlfriend wanted to drink English tea. He was curious, so he tried some and found that it didn’t taste bad with milk and sugar in it. Adding more water to tea is free of course, so he drank more cups. His girlfriend found it embarrassing and explained to him that what he was doing was not exactly fair. If he wanted to drink more tea, he should buy another cup. My friend thought that Americans could take advantage of the free refills, but only a few of them did that. After staying in America for some time, he changed his habit.

1.We can infer that the writer _____.

A. doesn’t like American culture

B. has got used to her life in America

C. received an American education as a child

D. thinks American and Chinese cultures are the same

2.What made the writer’s parents worried?

A. That someone would break into the house.

B. That someone would be hurt by the glass doors.

C. That they wouldn’t have a bedroom of their own.

D. That they wouldn’t live comfortably in the house.

3.When eating at McDonald’s for the first time in America, the writer’s parents were probably surprised that _____.

A. there were so many choices

B. the prices for food were so low

C. they could refill drinks for free

D. they could get extra food for free

4.The American girl mentioned in the last paragraph thought that _____.

A. Americans like taking advantage of other people

B. her boyfriend wouldn’t like traditional English tea

C. drinking too much English tea harmed people’s health

D. her boyfriend shouldn’t take advantage of the free refills

If you’d like to go sight-seeing, the following World Heritage Sites may be your best choices.

Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area

The Jiuzhaigou Valley, which lies in the northern part of Sichuan Province, reaches a height of more than 4,800 meters, with a series of different forest ecosystem (生態(tài)系統(tǒng)). There you can enjoy watching excellent waterfalls. Some 140 kinds of birds also live in the valley, as well as a number of endangered plants and animals, including the giant panda. For more information, please visit http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/637.

Khami Ruins National Monument

The city of Khami, which developed after the capital of Great Zimbabwe had been given up in the mid-16th century, is of great archaeological (考古的) interest. The discovery of objects from Europe and China shows that Khami was a major center for trade over a long period of time. For more information, please visit http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/365.

Henderson Island

Henderson Island, which lies in the eastern South Pacific, is one of the few atolls (環(huán)礁) in the world whose ecology (生態(tài)) has not been touched by human beings. It is especially famous for the ten plants and four land birds that can only be seen on the island. For more information, please visit http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/487.

The Old City of Jerusalem

As a holy city for three different religions in the Middle East, Jerusalem has always been of great religious importance. It was given a World Heritage Status in 1981 and placed on the “List of World Heritage in Danger” the following year. For more information, please visit http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/148.

1.What can we know about The Jiuzhaigou Valley?

A. It sits at the foot of a 4,800-meter-high mountain.

B. It has different forest ecosystem.

C. Most of China’s endangered plants can be found here.

D. In all about 140 kinds of birds and animals live there.

2.The discovery of some of the objects in Khami shows that the city ______.

A. had a very short history

B. was ruined in the mid-16th century

C. was once Great Zimbabwe’s largest city

D. once played a great role as a trade center

3.From the passage we can learn that Henderson Island _____.

A. hasn’t been greatly influenced by human activities

B. isn’t suitable for humans to live on

C. has been open to visitors for years

D. is made up of a few large atolls

4.If you are interested in religion, you should visit _____.

A. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/148

B. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/365

C. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/487

D. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/637

You might notice something new in the next few years as you watch Disney programs: Starting in 2015, there won’t be any candy, sugary cereal or fast-food commercials aimed at kids.

The Walt Disney Company has become the first major media company to ban ads for junk food on its TV channels, radio stations and websites. It hopes this will stop kids from making poor food choices.

First Lady Michelle Obama called it a “game changer” that is sure to send a message to the rest of the children’s entertainment industry. “Just a few years ago, if you had told me or any other mom or dad in America that our kids wouldn’t see a single ad for junk food while they watched their favorite cartoons on a major TV network, we wouldn't have believed you,” said the First Lady, who heads a campaign to help stop child obesity.

The ban would apply to Disney-owned ABC stations as well as Radio Disney and Disney-owned websites aimed at families with young children. In addition, Disney plans to make changes to its kids’ menus at theme parks and resorts(度假勝地). Fast-food options will be replaced with healthier choices, such as smoothies(果汁), apples, vegetables and yogurt.

In addition to candy bars and fast-food meals, other foods that don’t meet Disney’s nutritional standards will be banned from the company’s kid-targeted media. Any cereal with 10 grams or more of sugar per serving will be off the air. There will be no ads for full meals of more than 600 calories. Juices with high levels of sugar and foods with too much salt will also be pulled.

Leslie Goodman, Disney’s senior vice-president of Corporate Citizenship, said a company that wants to advertise will need to show that it offers a range of healthy options.

Disney isn’t the only one pushing away unhealthy foods. Last week, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg suggested a ban on drinks over 16 ounces sold in movie theaters, restaurants and convenience stores in the Big Apple. He says large, sugary drinks are partly to blame for obesity.

1.What will the Walt Disney Company do from 2015?

A. Produce more and better cartoons for young kids.

B. Stop broadcasting advertisements for junk food on TV.

C. Help kids develop healthy lifestyle in the program.

D. Provide healthier food for kids while they are watching programs.

2.What Michelle Obama said suggests that while watching cartoons _________.

A. kids didn’t believe what the commercials said

B. kids don’t enjoy eating candy, sugary cereal or junk food

C. kids would see a lot of fast-food commercials on TV

D. kids find pleasure in watching fast-food commercials

3.The underlined phrase “be off the air” in Paragraph 5 probably means “________”.

A. not be broadcastB. be in need

C. become popularD. be praised

4.According to Michael Bloomberg, to fight child obesity, kids should ____________.

A. watch fewer cartoonsB. drink less sugary drinks

C. not go to movie theatersD. take more physical exercise

“I can’t concentrate.” “My mind wanders when I try to study.” Lack of concentration is one of the most common complaints heard at school.

We all have the ability to concentrate. Think of the times when you were attracted to a super novel or the times when you were playing your guitar or piano. But at other times your mind races from one thing to another. Here are some tips.

Rest from time to time. Remember to take short breaks. Lectures are usually 50 minutes long, and that’s about the length of time most people can direct their attention to one task. But that’s just an average. Your concentration time might be shorter (20-35 minutes) or longer (perhaps 90 minutes).When you take a break, you get more oxygen to your brain! When we sit for long periods, blood tends to be pooled in our lower body and legs. Get up and walk around the room for a couple of minutes. As a result, more oxygen is carried to the brain and you can concentrate better.

_______________If you study one subject for a long time, you may find it hard to concentrate. Many students improve their concentration by changing one subject to another every one to two hours. In this way you can pay more attention to something that’s different.

Reward yourself. Give yourself a reward when you’ve completed a task. The task might be small, such as staying with a difficult paper until you’ve finished. But giving yourself a reward can help you be more interested in doing other tasks.

Increase your activity level. Your concentration wanders more easily if you just read an article straight through. Instead, take the heading for each part and turn it into a question. For this part, that would be, “How can I increase my activity level while studying?” Then study that part to answer that question. Do this routinely. The questions give us a focus for each part and increase our involvement(參與).

1.According to Paragraph 3, what’s the purpose of walking around?

A. To help us stay fit.

B. To benefit our lower body.

C. To provide the brain with more oxygen.

D. To increase our concentration time to 90 minutes.

2.What’s the best title for Paragraph 4?

A. Study for one hour each time.

B. Do something difficult.

C. Study in different ways.

D. Change subjects.

3.In the last paragraph, the writer suggests that______.

A. we just read the heading of some articles

B. we do our best to read an article straight through

C. we ask ourselves questions about what we are reading

D. we ask other people questions about the article we are reading

4.The writer wrote the passage to______.

A. encourage us to try to concentrate

B. teach us how to concentrate while studying

C. give us the reasons for a lack of concentration

D. list the benefits we can get from concentration

The nose is used in many popular expressions. Some people are able to lead other people by the nose. For example, if a wife leads her husband by the nose, she makes him do whatever she wants him to do. Some people are said to be hard-nosed. They will not change their opinions or positions on anything.

It is always helpful when people keep their nose out of other people’s business. They do not interfere (干涉). The opposite of this is someone who noses around all the time. Such people are interested in other people’s private matters. They’re considered nosy. Someone who keeps his nose to the grindstone (磨石) works very hard. This can help a worker keep his nose clean or stay out of trouble.

One unusual expression is that is no skin off my nose. This means that a situation doesn’t affect or concern me. We also say that sometimes a person cuts off his nose to spite his face. That is, he makes a situation bad for himself by doing something foolish because he is angry.

More problems can develop if a person looks down his nose at someone or something. The person acts as if something is unimportant or worthless. This person might also turn up his nose at something that he considers not good enough. This person thinks he is better than everyone else. He has his nose in the air.

In school, some students thumb their nose at their teacher. They refuse to obey orders or do any work. Maybe the students do not know the correct answers. My mother always told me when I was a student, “If you study hard, the answers should be right under your nose or easily seen.”

1.If we say a wife leads her husband by the nose, we probably mean she _____.

A. loves her husband very much

B. controls her husband’s actions

C. gets on well with her husband

D. does whatever her husband wants her to do

2.Which of the following expressions could be used to tell someone to stay away from your private affairs?

A. Don’t keep your nose to the grindstone.

B. Keep your nose out of my business.

C. Please keep your nose clean.

D. You are really hard-nosed.

3.We can use the expression “has his/her nose in the air” to describe someone _____.

A. who is too proud of himself/herself

B. who is very angry about something

C. who often makes a situation bad

D. who doesn’t care about anything

4.If a student thumbs his/her nose at his/her teacher, the teacher would most probably feel _____.

A. happy B. excited C. angry D. relaxed

閱讀下列各小題，根據(jù)該句的中文意思，用句末括號內(nèi)的英語單詞完成句子。

1.____________________ my Chinese teacher, I have made great progress in reading and writing. (help n.)

在語文老師的幫助下，我在讀寫方面取得了很大的進(jìn)步。

2.His colleagues _________________ him although he himself didn’t think he had done anything special. (think)

盡管他本人認(rèn)為他沒做什么了不起的事，但是他的同事們卻對他高度評價。

3.More subways _________________ at present and it is expected that after completion the traffic of the city will be greatly improved. (build)

目前更多的地鐵正在被建造，預(yù)計建成后城市交通將得到極大改善。

4.When you spoke in front of 300 people at yesterday’s conference, you _____________ nervous. (feel)

當(dāng)你在昨天的大會上面對300人發(fā)言時，你一定感到緊張。

5.The new movie Life of Pi by Ang Lee is so fantastic that it ____________ more than once. (worth)

李安的新片《少年派的奇幻漂流》如此精彩以至于值得多次觀看。

6.One of the students, ________________, stood up and asked the famous scientist a few questions about how to study science. (fluent)

一個英語流利的學(xué)生站起來就如何學(xué)習(xí)科學(xué)問了著名科學(xué)家?guī)讉�問題。

7.The school _______________ French was not big but very beautiful. (learn)

我們學(xué)習(xí)法語的學(xué)校不大但是很美。

8.___________________ misunderstanding results from lack of communication. (doubt)

毫無疑問誤解是因為缺乏溝通而產(chǎn)生的。

9.When sitting in the theater, you can’t smoke and neither _______________ loudly. (talk)

坐在電影院里時，你不能吸煙，你也不能大聲交談。

10._______________ his research work, Mr. Smith pays little attention to the surroundings. (devote)

專心于他的研究工作，史密斯先生很少注意身邊的事。

假定你是李明，你的澳大利亞朋友Steven給你來信向你咨詢?nèi)绾尾拍軐W(xué)好中文。請你根據(jù)下列要點給他回信提出建議。

要點：

參加中文學(xué)習(xí)班；看中文書刊電視；學(xué)唱中文歌曲；交中國朋友。

注意：

文章開頭已給出，不計入總詞數(shù)；可適當(dāng)增加細(xì)節(jié)，以使行文連貫。

詞數(shù)：120左右。

Dear Steven,

I’m glad to receive your letter asking for my advice on how to learn Chinese well.

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Best wishes.

Yours sincerely,

Li Ming

The prisoner had made up his mind to be a good man during the term of imprisonment and was finally released early because of good _______.

A. characterB. reputation

C. conduct D. dignity

Ever since he was a little child, Steve Jobs has been interested in electronics and filled with the _______ to become one of the best engineers in this field.

A. advantageB. ambition

C. aggressionD. adventure