My wife and I have always been friendly with the clerks at the local store. I don’t think many people appreciate what a difficult job these clerks have. They work for a little money and I often wonder how they make ends meet.

One of the clerks, Charlie, was always wearing his glasses but he didn’t one day. I asked him about it and he said they’d been out of order and that he couldn’t afford a new pair. His family needed money. It was clear that he was having a difficult time.

We wanted to help him, so we turned to our own eye doctor for help with a plan. We had his secretary contact him, asking him to come in for an eye exam for free. We told the doctor to let him order whatever glasses he wanted and that we would pay for them. Although Charlie questioned what was going on, the doctor just told him that someone had offered the money for his new glasses. When we went in to pay the bill, the doctor told us he was touched by our idea so that he waived the exam fee and only charged us for half the price of the glasses!

It was so wonderful to see Charlie in his new glasses and he enjoyed telling all the regular customers how the gift came about. I’m sure that upon hearing his story, ideas of kindness may have come in the minds of many people.

1.Why didn’t the clerk Charlie wear glasses one day?

A. It was very warm and fine.

B. His glasses were missing.

C. His old glasses were broken.

D. He forgot to wear his glasses.

2.From the passage, we can infer that ______.

A. Charlie was a young man with skills

B. Charlie knew who paid the money for the new glasses

C. Charlie completely accepted the money for the new glasses

D. Charlie couldn’t support his family with enough money

3.The underlined word “waived” in the third paragraph can be replaced by ______.

A. took up B. gave up

C. cut down D. put off

4.Which of the following could be the best title for the passage?

A. Customers’ Gift to an Employee

B. A Friendly Clerk — Charlie

C. The Wonderful Feeling of Helping others

D. An Expensive Pair of Glasses

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

If you are like most international students, you are probably pretty comfortable reading and writing in English, but not as comfortable with listening and speaking in the language. 1.

Make friends with American students. Many international students end up making friends with a lot of — or only — other international students. 2. Hanging out with natives not only naturally pushes you to improve your spoken English, but also helps you pick up cultural and social information.

Learn from American friends. Tell your American friends that you are trying to improve your listening and speaking skills, and would like them to help you. If you pronounce a word incorrectly, or misuse an idiom, you want them to tell you. 3.

Increase your knowledge. 4. If you have known about the topics that are likely to be discussed in conversation, you have a much better chance of understanding people when they talk, and of being able to express yourself well.

5. If you have to explain something to someone, you have a strong desire to pronounce everything as well as you can, and find other ways to explain yourself. Finally, this becomes a good habit. Many people have asked me how I learned to speak English fluently, and I think it is because of my being a math teacher in college for years.

A. I don’t think this is a good idea.

B. You will learn much faster this way.

C. If possible, become a teacher at your school.

D. It’s a win-win opportunity for international students.

E. Read books, keep up with news and watch popular shows and movies.

F. It’s a good way to make some extra cash while improving your English.

G. Below are some tips to help you to improve your conversational skills.

Beaches are not only great for lying on and doing water sports, and in fact one of the best ways of enjoying them is a classic beach walk. Here at iWantSun. Co. Uk, we’ve been searching the globe to find you the world’s best and most glorious beach walks, and here’s our pick of the top.

The Footpath of the Gods, Amalfi Coast, Italy

The name says it all really and you truly do feel up there to walking along this wonderful mountain coastal path, which offers some of the most striking views on the planet. The path begins at town of Bomerano to charming Positano along the UNESCO World Heritage area of the Amalfi Coast. The whole walk will take you approximately four and a half hours to complete and pass over narrow rocky paths, past sheer cliffs and shining blue bays.

Sydney’s Great Coastal Walk, Australia

Sydney’s coastline is one of the most beautiful and diverse in the world. Here you have national parks, historic sites, steep cliffs, sparkling beaches and quiet bays all in one place. Sydney’s Great Walk runs all the way from Barrenjoey in the north to Royal National Park in the south and takes an incredible seven days to complete. However, if you’re not up to doing the full walk, then there are many different parts of the walk that you can do right in the city. Walking from the city’s famous Bondi Beach to the sweeping curve of Bronte Beach takes just an hour, which takes in some top scenery.

Great Ocean Walk, Australia

The Great Ocean Walk stretches 104 km along Victoria’s famous Great Ocean Road, located on the southern coast of Australia, from the resort town Apollo Bay to the magnificent Twelve Apostles. The Twelve Apostles are the area’s famous stone landmarks which stand out like giants from the sea. The walk passes through a range of landscapes and sights, from national parks, famous surfing spots and deserted beaches, to wild coastlines, cascading waterfalls, lush forests, historic lighthouses and ghostly shipwrecks. Day walks and shorter three-hour walks such as the Wreck Beach Walk or the Lighthouse Cemetery and Lookout Walk can also be enjoyed.

So next time when you’re looking for a beach holiday don’t just think about the resorts and the sand, but consider a more active sun holiday, discovering some of the best beaches in the world.

1.The author intends to tell us ____________.

A. the world’s best places for beach walks

B. the wonderful beaches in the world

C. the ideal tourism resort for health

D. the beautiful beaches in Australia

2.When you arrive at the Amalfi Coast _______________.

A. you must be disappointed at the footpath

B. you will be fascinated by the scenery

C. you can start walking from Positano

D. you may be trapped in narrow rocky paths

3.What is special about Sydney’s Great Coastal Walk?

A. It takes about more than five hours to complete.

B. It starts from Royal National Park in the north.

C. It provides visitors a variety of great landscapes.

D. It really has the longest coastline in the world.

4.According to the fourth paragraph we can know that __________________.

A. Apollo Bay is at the end of the Great Ocean Walk

B. the Twelve Apostles exists below the surface of the sea

C. the Wreck Beach Walk can also give visitors pleasure

D. most visitors can finish the 104 km walk in three hours

閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的四個選項(A、B、C和D)中，選出最佳選項，并在答題卡上將該項涂黑。

One of the most important things in the world is friendship. In order to have friends, you have to be a friend. But how can you be a good friend at school?

Listen — Listen when they are talking. Don’t say anything unless they ask you a question. Sometimes it’s not necessary for you to have anything to say; they just need someone to talk to about their feelings.

Help them — If your friend is ever in need of something, be there to help them. You should try to put them first, but make sure you don’t do everything they want you to do. Try to take an extra (額外的) pencil or pen with you to classes in case (以防) they forget one. Have a little extra money in your pocket in case they forget something they need.

Be there for them — Try to make something for your friend to help make them feel better in hard times. Making cards and encouraging them are among the nicest things you can do for a friend. Marilyn Monroe, a famous U.S. actor, once said, “I often make mistakes. Sometimes I am out of control. But if you can’t stay with me at my worst, you are sure not to deserve (值得) to be with me at my best.” Always remember this! If you don’t want to stay with your friends when they’re in hard times, then you don’t deserve to be with them when they’re having a good time!

______ — Try to make plans with your friends. Go shopping, go for ice cream, have a party, go to a movie and so on. Take time to know each other even better by doing something you both enjoy. By planning things together, you both can have a good time. And you’ll remember these things when you’re all old!

1. While your friend is talking to you about his or her feelings, you should _____.

A. give him or her some advice

B. just listen unless asked

C. calm him or her down

D. share your feelings as well

2. When we provide help for our friends, we should _____.

A. try to do everything for them

B. put them before ourselves

C. change their bad habits first

D. pay attention to their shortcomings

3. What can we learn from Marilyn Monroe’s words?

A. Life without a friend is death.

B. A friend is easier lost than found.

C. A friend in need is a friend indeed.

D. A man is known by his friends.

4. Which of the following can be put in the blank of the last paragraph?

A. Make plans. B. Enjoy yourself.

C. Understand your friends. D. Play with your friends.

5. What is the passage mainly about?

A. How to find a good friend.

B. How to help friends in trouble.

C. How to be a good friend.

D. How to make more friends.

短文改錯

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

增加：在缺詞處加一個漏字符號（∧），并在其下面寫出該加的詞。

刪除：把多余的詞用斜線（\）劃掉。

修改：在錯的詞下劃一橫線，并在該詞下面寫出修改后的詞。

注意：1. 每處錯誤及其修改均僅限一詞；

2. 只允許修改10處，多者（從第11處起）不計分。

I can’t swim so I have a strong fear of water. Look back at my childhood, I think that three reasons might explain fear. Firstly, I am not allowed to go near the water when I was a child, as my mother had an unreasonable fear of it. Therefore, I was taught to see to the water as something danger. Secondly, my eyes became bad when I was five. If I took off my glass in the water, I couldn’t see something, and this increased my fear. What’s worse, for a child I once saw a neighbor drowned. Since then I have been more frightening.

Shakespeare’s Birthplace and Exhibition of Shakespeare’s World

Welcome to the world-famous house where William Shakespeare was born in l564 and where he grew up. The property (房產(chǎn)) remained in the ownership of Shakespeare’s family until 1806. The House has welcomed visitors traveling from all over the world, for over 250 years.

◆Enter through the Visitors’ Centre and see the highly-praised exhibition Shakespeare's World, a lively and full introduction to the life and work of Shakespeare.

◆Stand in the rooms where Shakespeare grew up.

◆Discover examples of furniture and needlework from Shakespeare’s period.

◆Enjoy the traditional English garden, planted with trees and flowers mentioned in the poet’s works.

The Birthplace is within easy walking distance of all the car parks shown on the map: nearest is Windsor Street (3 minutes’ Walk).

㊣The House may present difficulties but the Visitors’ Centre, its exhibition, and the garden are accessible (可進入的) to wheelchair users.

⊙The Shakespeare Coffee House (opposite the Birthplace).

1.How much is the admission for a family of two grown-ups and two children?

A. ￡9.80. B. ￡12.00. C. ￡14.20. D. ￡16.40.

2.Where is the nearest parking place to Shakespeare’s Birthplace?

A. Behind the exhibition hall.

B. Opposite the Visitors’ Centre.

C. At Windsor Street.

D. Near the Coffee House.

3.A wheelchair user may need help to enter .

A. the House B. the garden

C. the Visitors’ Centre D. the exhibition hall

完形填空

閱讀下面短文，從短文后所給各題的四個選項(A、B、C和D)中，選出可以填入空白處的最佳選項。

From the time each of my children started school, I packed their lunches. And in each lunch, I ________ a note. Often written on a napkin (餐巾), it might be a thank-you for a ________ moment, a reminder of something we were happily expecting, or a bit of ________ for the coming test or sporting event.

In early grade school they ________ their notes. But as children grow older they become self-conscious (有自我意識的), and ________ he reached high school, my older son, Marc, informed me he no longer ________ my daily notes. Telling him that he no longer needed to ________ them but I still needed to write them, I ________ until the day he graduated.

Six years after high school graduation, Marc called and asked if he could move ________ for a couple of months. He had spent those years well, graduating from college, ________ two internship (實習(xí)) in Washington, D.C., and ________ , becoming a technical worker in Sacramento. ________ short vacation visits, however, he had lived away from home. With his younger sister leaving for college, I was________ happy to have Marc back. Since I was ________ making lunch for his younger brother, I ________ one for Marc, too. Imagine my ________ when I got a call from my 24-yere-old son, ________ his lunch.

“Did I do something ________ ? Don’t you love me ________ , Mom?” were just a few of the questions he threw at me as I ________ asked him what was wrong.

“My note, Mom,” he answered. “Where’s my note?”

1.A. carried B. found C. held D. included

2.A. difficult B. comfortable C. special D. separate

3.A. encouragement B. congratulation C. improvement D. explanation

4.A. answered B. loved C. wrote D. examined

5.A. lately B. by the time C. by the way D. gradually

6.A. enjoyed B. received C. understood D. collected

7.A. copy B. take C. read D. send

8.A. held up B. continued C. gave up D. followed

9.A. out B. to college C. to Sacramento D. home

10.A. completing B. organizing C. planning D. comparing

11.A. hopefully B. particularly C. certainly D. finally

12.A. Because of B. Except for C. Instead of D. As for

13.A. immediately B. equally C. especially D. generally

14.A. once B. still C. again D. even

15.A. fetched B. packed C. bought D. filled

16.A. fear B. anger C. surprise D. disappointment

17.A. waiting for B. worrying about C. asking about D. caring for

18.A. funny B. strange C. smart D. wrong

19.A. any more B. enough C. once more D. better

20.A. laughingly B. interestingly C. bitterly D. politely

The Celerifere, an early version of the bicycle, was built around 1791 by a French man, Comte Mede de Sivrac. It was basically a scooter with a high seat. There were no pedals---you had to push with your feet like you do with a skateboard or a scooter.

Around 1816 Baron Karl Drais de Sauerbrun in Germany added a moveable steering（操縱）handle. These early machines were often known as dandy horses or hobby horses, but weren’t very popular.

The improvement that made them popular was added by a Scottish blacksmith around 1839. Kirkpatrick Macmillan added pedals to enable it to get up hills. It was this improvement that made the bicycle a serious form of transportation.

Bike were called velocipedes（腳踏兩輪車）or bone-shakers, because of the lack of the proper tires made for a rough ride! It wasn’t until around 1869 that they began to be called bicycles (“two-wheels”). Carriage makers in Paris (either Pierre and Ernest Michaux, or their employee Pierre Lallement) switched the pedal to the front wheel. That’s why it is usually either Lallement or the Michauxs, not Macmillan, who are considered as the inventor of the bicycle.

In 1869 the penny-farthing or high-wheeler was invented. With the large wheel the rider could go much farther with each push of the pedal, but caused many accidents because the seat was so far off the ground.

In the mid-1880s Englishman James Starley manufactured what he called the “safety bicycle” , which had two similarly-sized wheels and a major improvement--- a chain（鏈條）and sprocket（鏈輪齒） driven rear wheel, with the pedals between the two wheels like modern bicycles.

One more historical note---it’s possible that the idea of the bicycle was thought of almost 400 years before it was actually invented. There is a drawing of a bicycle-like machine in one of Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks, which dates back to about 1493.

1.Who is recognized as the inventor of the bicycle?

A. The Michauxs.

B. Macmillan.

C. Comte Mede de Sivac.

D. Baron Karl von Drais de Sauerbrun.

2. Why was the bicycle not popular in the early 1800’s?

A. It was too expensive.

B. The seat was too high.

C. There were no pedals.

D. It had no tires.

3.Which of the following statements can NOT be inferred from the passage?

A. The “safety bicycle” was much like the modern bicycle.

B. Leonardo da Vinci once drew a machine similar to the bicycle.

C. The penny-farthing did not last long because it was a bit too dangerous.

D. Comte Mede De Sivrac’s invention had both a steering handle and pedals.

4. What’s the best title of the passage?

A. The Inventor of the Bicycle

B. Modern Bicycles

C. The History of the Bicycle

D. Leonardo da Vinci and the Bicycle

閱讀下面材料，在空白處填入適當?shù)膬?nèi)容（1個單詞）或括號內(nèi)單詞的正確形式。

Earthquakes are something 1. people fear. There are some places that have few or no earthquakes. 2. , most places in the world have them regularly. 3. (country) that have a lot of earthquakes are usually quite mountainous.

The most talked about earthquake in the United States was in San Francisco in 1906. Over 700 4. (frighten) people died and numerous citizens 5. (suffer) from it. The strongest one in North America was in 1964. It happened in Alaska.

Strong earthquakes are not always the ones that kill the most people. In 1755, one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded 6. (feel) in Portugal. Around 2,000 people died.

In 1923, a very strong earthquake hit the Tokyo, Yokohama area of Japan. A hundred and forty thousand people died, most of 7. died in fires which followed the earthquake.

One of the worst earthquakes ever was in China in 1976. It killed 8. number of people. The worst earthquake ever 9. (record) was also in China, 10. which 400,000 people were killed or injured. This earthquake happened in 1556.

Mike had prepared carefully for the exam, so that he could be sure of passing it on his first _______.

A. attention B. purpose C. attempt D. desire