(RAMALLAH, West Bank) — Israel（以色列） freed 26 Palestinian（巴勒斯坦） prisoners early Wednesday, the second of four groups to be released as part of an agreement that started the current Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, which had broken down since 2008. In all, 104 prisoners are to be released in four rounds over the coming months.

In the West Bank and Gaza（加沙）, the mood was overexcited as hundreds of Palestinians welcomed the prisoners back home, after many had spent more than 20 years behind bars.

Crowds of people rushed toward the 5 prisoners released to Gaza, raising them on their shoulders, waving Palestinian flags and dancing to music. Relatives held signs that read “we will never forget our heroes.” More than 2,000 people welcomed the 21 prisoners released to the West Bank, who were greeted at a ceremony by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.

Hazem Shubair, thrown into prison in 1994 for the death of an Israeli according to the Israeli Prison Service, was over delighted upon his return to Gaza. “I am speechless,” he said. “Thanks to God. God is greater than the aggressors (meaning Israel)”.

Abbas said a final peace agreement with Israel was possible on the release of the prisoners. “There will be no final agreement without the release of all the prisoners,” he told the violent crowd.

Israel’s Supreme Court (最高法院) earlier refused an appeal that intended to cancel the prisoner release. An organization of bereaved (失去親人的) families behind the appeal has said it fears the prisoners, all in connection to the deaths of Israelis, will return to violence once freed.

1.Why did Israel free 26 Palestinian prisoners early Wednesday?

A. Because they would take part in the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

B. Because that was part of an agreement between Israel and Palestinians.

C. Because the current Israeli-Palestinian peace talks failed.

D. Because the peace talks had broken down since 2008.

2.How many Palestinian prisoners had been released by Wednesday?

A. 21 B. 26. C. Over 26. D. 104.

3.Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. Wednesday’s release was the whole part of the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

B. The other 104 Palestinian prisoners will be freed in the coming months.

C. All the Palestinian prisoners were greeted by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

D. All the Palestinian prisoners were welcomed warmly.

4.There will be no final peace agreement between Israel and Palestinians until ______.

A. all the Palestinian prisoners kept in Israeli prisons are set free

B. all the prisoners return to violence once again

C. God is greater than the aggressors

D. Palestinians welcome some prisoners back home

5.From the last paragraph we know _______.

A. Israel stopped to release the rest of the Palestinian prisoners

B. some Israelis didn’t agree to release the Palestinian prisoners

C. all the Israelis are in favor of setting the Palestinian prisoners free

D. the Palestinian prisoners will return to violence once freed

You never see him, but they're with you every time you fly. They record where you are going,how fast you're traveling and whether everything on your airplane is functioning normally. Their ability to withstand almost any disaster makes them seem like something out of a comic book.They're known as the black box.

When planes fall from the sky, as a Yemeni airliner did on its way to Comoros Islands in the India ocean June 30, 2009, the black box is the best bet for identifying what went wrong. So when a French submarine (潛水艇) detected the device's homing signal five days later, the discovery marked a huge step toward determining the cause of a tragedy in which 152 passengers were killed.

In 1958, Australian scientist David Warren developed a flight-memory recorder that would track basic information like altitude and direction. That was the first mode for a black box, which became a requirement on all U.S. commercial flights by 1960. Early models often failed to withstand crashes, however, so in 1965 the device（裝置） was completely redesigned and moved to the rear of the plane – the area least subject to impact – from its original position in the landing wells (起落架艙). The same year, the Federal Aviation Authority required that the boxes, which were never actually black, be painted orange or yellow to aid visibility.

Modern airplanes have two black boxes: a voice recorder, which tracks pilots' conversations,and a flight-data recorder, which monitors fuel levels, engine noises and other operating functions that help investigators reconstruct the aircraft's final moments. Placed in an insulated ( 隔絕的) case and surrounded by a quarter-inch-thick panels of stainless steel, the boxes can withstand massive force and temperatures up to 2,000℉. When submerged, they're also able to emit signals from depths of 20,000 ft. Experts believe the boxes from Air France Flight 447, which crashed near Brazil on June 1,2009, are in water nearly that deep, but statistics say they're still likely to turn up. In the approximately 20 deep-sea crashes over the past 30 years, only one plane's black boxes were never recovered.

1.In Paragraph 1，the author wants to say the black box_________.

A. is an necessary device on an airplane

B. comes from a comic book

C. can prevent disasters

D. can control the function of an airplane

2.From the black box on the Yemeni airliner_________could be found.

A. the scene of the crash and the degree of the damage

B. the total number of passengers on board

C. data for analyzing the cause of the crash

D. homing signals sent by the pilot before the crash

3.Why was the black box redesigned in 1965?

A. New materials became available by that time.

B. The early models often got damaged in the crash.

C. Too much space was needed for its device.

D. The early models didn't provide the needed data.

4.The black boxes were painted orange or yellow to_________.

A. distinguish them from the colour of the plane.

B. warn people to handle them with care

C. make them easily identified.

D. obey the international standards.

5.What do we know about the black boxes from Air France Flight 447?

A. There is still a good chance of their being recovered.

B. There is an urgent need for them to be reconstructed.

C. They have stopped sending homing signals.

D.They were destroyed somewhere near Brazil.

Hilary Smith belonged to a good family. But by the age of twenty, he had spent all the money the good old family had. He then had some trouble with the bank and was put in prison. He escaped from the prison and ran to Australia without delay.

Hilary did not like Australia and Australia did not like Hilary. What he could do seemed to be one of two things: die or work. Then he remembered that he was not alone in the world. He had an aunt.

She was his father's only sister, but his father used to say she brought no glory to the family. Hilary, of course, tried to discover what she had done. It seemed that she had failed to marry a nobleman. Instead, she had chosen a husband who was connected with "trade". Of course as soon as she became "Mrs. Parks", her brother considered her dead. Later on, Mr. Parks died and left her a lot of money; but that did not bring her back to life in her brother's opinion.

Hilary discovered his aunt's address. Fortunately she remained faithful and honest to him even after she fell ill. So Hilary's star shone again, and soon he moved into her house and lived as comfortably as a sailor who had just reached harbor. He had only about a sixpence in his pocket.

One thing was soon clear: his aunt was seriously ill, and nothing could cure her illness. Hilary was very worried. Fate had found a home for him, and was now going to throw him out of it. There was only one thing that could save him: her will.

"Will?" she said, "yes, I have made one. That was when I was a girl and had not much money. I left all my money to some religious people."

"Didn't you make another will when you were married?" Hilary asked.

His aunt shook her head. "No," she said in a low voice, "There was no need. When I finally had a lot of money I found 1 had no relations."

On the next day he went to the public library and examined a book of law. It told him what he already believed. When a woman is married, an earlier will loses its value. A new will must be made. If no new will is made, the money goes to the nearest relation. Hilary knew that he was his aunt's only relation. His future was safe.

After a few months had passed, Hilary's problems became serious. He badly needed money. He had expensive tastes, and owed a lot of money to shopkeepers. They trusted him because his aunt was rich; but the debt was terrible.

Unfortunately his aunt did not want to discuss money matters at all. In the end they had a quarrel about the small amount of ten pounds. Hilary was not very angry. He began to wonder about a new problem. Was it kind to want his aunt to live any longer? Was it not better for her to die now? While he was considering what to do, his aunt told him that she was going to send for her lawyer. So she was going to make a new will, Hilary thought. She might leave all her money to someone else. Soon he reached a clear decision. He must do a great kindness to the poor old woman.

One night when the old servant who had been nursing his aunt went off, he doubled the amount of some medicine. The total amount was too great and it could just put her to sleep forever.

"Thank you," his aunt took the glass from his hand with a grateful look." I want, more than anything, to sleep, and never to wake up again. Is that what you wish, Hilary? Don't blame me if I have some doubts about what you intended to do. Sick people get these ideas, you know. One thing I ought to explain to you. Mr. Parks never married me. He already had a wife and couldn't marry again. That made your foolish father very angry with me...Well, if I am alive tomorrow I shall make another will in your favor. If I die tonight, you'll get nothing...No, Hilary, don't try to take the glass away. If you do that, I shall know; and I don't want to know. Good night, Hilary."

Then, very carefully, she raised the glass to her mouth and drank.

1.From the story ,we learn that Hilary's aunt was ______.

A. bad-tempered and lonely

B. kind-hearted and wise

C. careless about money

D. cruel to her niece

2.Why did Hilary's father consider his aunt dead?

A. Because they lost contact with each other after her marriage.

B. Because she married a businessman with a wife against his will.

C. Because she broke away from the family for a better life.

D. Because he thought she was a shame to the family

3.The underlined sentence "He must do a great kindness to the poor old woman" in paragraph 11 suggests that Hilary Smith ______.

A. was determined to put his aunt's life to an end

B. decided to do his aunt a favor to call in a lawyer

C. made up his mind to take good care of his aunt

D. would help his aunt to donate all her money to religious people

4.Which of the following is the focus of the story?

A. Hilary's aunt's money.

B. Hilary Smith's debts.

C. The intended murder.

D. Hilary's aunt's marriage.

5.According to the law book,_____.

A. Hilary's aunt is not allowed to make a new will.

B. the money will go to Hilary after his aunt dies without a new will.

C. Hilary's aunt must leave the money to the religious people after she dies.

D. Hilary must look after his aunt till her death because he is the only relation.

6.Which detail from the story is the climax of the story?

A. Hilary escaped from the prison.

B. Hilary quarreled with is aunt about ten pounds.

C. Hilary's aunt drank the medicine her nephew prepared for her.

D. Hilary's aunt made a will to leave all her money to someone else.

首先閱讀下列博客信息：

A. My name’s Marta and I’ m from Mexico City, but I moved to Los Angeles, California, five years ago, now I am living in an apartment at No．3178 SE Timmer Broadway．I am 28, single．I am a customer service representative for a large financial company．I am an outgoing person．I love to laugh and have fun! I enjoy cooking, dancing and listening to music．I don’t like watching or playing sports．You should be an outgoing, considerate lady with a good sense of humor, to share the apartment．Are you the one? Email and let’s have further talk.

B. My name’s Mark, and I’m from Hollywood, California．I’m a fitness instructor in Los Angeles．I am a friendly and easy-going person; I love playing sports-especially football and working out at the gym．I also play the guitar．My best friend David, who often has sports with me, went to Mexico last month．To avoid loneliness, I’d like very much to own a new friend who would share the fun of sports with me．I am longing.

C. My name’s Park Jun Seo, but you can call me Jun．I moved from Seoul Korea to Los Angeles two years ago．I am a graphic designer and I am looking for my younger brother, Lean Ban Seo, who might be in this city．As the story is too long, I just hope to find him and have my family reunited．He is lame at the right leg, 19 years old, 1.79 meters tall, with very big eyes and fair curly hair．With his picture of two years ago enclosed, I would be very appreciated if you have any information about that．Telephone me at 818-5789.

D. My name is Don and I am a programmer at a computer company．I have designed several pieces of software that can help students learn better, especially suitable for primary students who have some language disability to learn words and help them pronounce more correctly．If you think you need one, please fax to 857-4693．You can purchase by post.

E. My name is Mauricio, and I’m a computer programmer working in the Los Angeles area．I am kind of shy, but maybe you can help me to be more outgoing．I like cooking, playing computer games, and chatting with friends online．If you think you are the proper one to be my E-pal, let’s chat!

F. My name’s Judy and I’m from Quebec, Canada．I am a sales woman in one of the women underwear stores in Montreal．I’d like to have more visitors to my shop．And you can bargain for a reduction of 10% to 30%, if you purchase in package．Let’s be friends.

請閱讀以下網(wǎng)站回復(fù)的信息，然后匹配回復(fù)的信息和網(wǎng)站原登出的博客信息：

1.I am a professional sportsman and work in the same city．I am so glad that I will have a good friend who can be the opponent to improve my techniques．E-mail me at bitter flower @yah -oo.com.

2.As a shop owner, I might drop in when I go downtown．But may I know your exact address? When is it convenient for a visit? Thank you!

3.God bless you! I’m a journalist and happened to read your brief story．A neighbor of mine looks exactly the same as the man in the picture you uploaded．This might be a chance in a million．Telephone me at 818-5690.

4.As a new comer and a freshman, I am looking for a room as close to my university as possible．I would like to have some friends, too．I think your place might be the right choice for me．But can I know how much the rent is?

5.I am a salesman from Paris．My first difficulty working in this city is language．I would appreciate it if you could help me learn English through the Keyboard.

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。每處錯誤涉及一個單詞的增加、刪除或修改。

增加：在缺詞處加一個漏詞符號（/\），并在該句下面寫出該加的詞。

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。

The winter holiday is coming, which made me excited. I have been looking forward at relaxing myself. I’d like to go skating, climb mountains and see several movie. I think I can play the basketball with my classmates. How a wonderful time I’ll have during the winter holiday! However, my parents think different. They don’t want me go out. They are afraid I’ll be knocked down by a truck, fallen off a tree, or fight with others. Beside, they are afraid I will lose my way. I hate being treated like a bird keeping in a cage. To get more freedom, I will try to persuade them.

For many workers trying to lose weight, the weekend is a chance to do some exercise and eat something healthier than a supermarket sandwich at their desk. But some slimmers take a slightly different approach — consuming more than half their weekly calorie intake from Friday night to Sunday.

Away from the daily routine at work that helps them keep control of what they eat, they are snacking and drinking their way to a shocking 10,000 calories, a survey has found. Almost three-quarters of people trying to lose weight admit to over-eating at the weekend. A meal with friends or family, complete with alcohol, as well as a late-night snack before bed, can lead to adults consuming up to 3,500 calories in one day, a survey found. Men typically need 2,500 calories a day and women 2,000 calories. Consuming this amount would see men and women get through half their weekly calorie intake over the course of a ‘bad’ weekend.

Women were found to eat less on a Sunday because of guilt over their consumption over the previous two days. Men had fewer doubts about a third day of excess.

The biggest weekend diet danger comes from snacking between meals, the survey found. Some say they will often spend Saturday night in front of the TV with their families — combining watching their favorite shows with crisps and biscuits. And seven in ten people admitted to having fattening takeaways at weekends, with pizza the most popular. Alcohol is another big factor in weekend bingeing．Around 70 percent still like to have a roast on a Sunday or a big meal with family or friends and a third of those will have second helpings.

A spokesman from Forza Supplements, the diet company that conducted the survey, said, “We all have bad weekends where we have a lot of fun, but dieting goes out of the window.”

The 5:2 diet is becoming increasingly popular — where we limit our calories for five days and allow ourselves a few treats on the other two days.

“For many people, the two days off are Saturday and Sunday but they go way too far”

1.Which kind of weekend diet does the greatest harm?

A. Having a big meal with family and friends.

B. Drinking a lot.

C. Having fattening takeaways

D. Snacking between the meals.

2.According to the passage, those who try to lose weight _______.

A. intake more calories on weekdays than on weekends

B. get their efforts to lose weight ruined by over-eating on weekends

C. always have bad weekends due to their intention to lose weight

D. keep wide aware of their desire to lose weight by keeping a strict diet

3.What is the main idea of the text?

A. Weekends are vital for diets.

B. What the 5:2 diet is.

C. The proper way to lose weight.

D. People’s weekly calorie intake is changing.

Below are the best four applications to help you organize your closet(櫥柜) — and trust us, there really is something for everyone.ClosetIf you’re looking to create your own digital closet, then this app is for you. Closet helps you categorize your outfits and keeps you up-to-date on what you’ve already worn.

PROS: Very simple and user-friendly. Great for helping you look at your own closet without feeling overwhelmed.

CONS: No social interactions. This app is strictly for having a mobile version of your closet.PoseThe app makes things insanely easy for the indecisive shopper. So if you’re debating whether or not to buy something, you can get a second opinion. The app also gathers photos of items that you wish to buy and items you already own, so they are all in one spot.

PROS: When you sign up, you fill out a short survey that helps identify your personal style and subsequently finds people with similar taste that you can follow for inspiration.

CONS: The phone application is more visually appealing than the actual website.

Stylitics It allows you to categorize your clothes by color, brand, pattern and more. And if you’re wondering whether you have already worn an outfit, simply check your style calendar.

PROS: The app comes with a “Today in Fashion History” tip so you can brush up on your style knowledge.

CONS: You can’t view your style profile using the app yet unless you log on to the site.Walk in My Closet If you’re browsing the Internet, looking for something to buy, you can instantly add the item to your virtual closet so that your wish list items are all in one place. Besides sharing your closet with other users, you can also sell items you no longer want.

PROS: The “Moodboard” is a great way to gather inspiring looks that you like from other users and fashion experts.

CONS: The luggage feature, which allows you to prepare outfits for an upcoming trip, is only available on the site; it would be useful if it were on the app.

1.Which of the following can replace the underlined word?

A. Instantly. B. Accurately

C. Deliberately. D. Incredibly.

2.Which of the following is designed for people who often hesitate when buying clothes?

A. Closet. B. Pose. C. Stylitics. D. Walk in My Closet.

3.What can we learn about Walk in My Closet from the passage?

A. It is a simple and user-friendly app.

B. It helps you confirm your personal style.

C. It combines both shopping and organizing your closet.

D. It requires you to log on the site to view your style profile.

4.The passage mainly tells us ________.

A. about the four best fashion apps to help organize your closet

B. how to use these fashion apps

C. that everyone can find their own personal style

D. that we should share our closet with friends.

C

The book’s first and third sections deal with the adventures of an Alabama boy, Raphael Semmes Cody, who goes by the name Raff. The boy grows up knocking around the Nokobee woods; he’s drawn to its natural wonders, and uses the forest to escape from his parents’ unhappy marriage. In the woods he leaves almost no stone unturned as he discovers the forest’s rich flora and fauna(動植物). Raff grows up and heads to Harvard to study law, but returns later in life to protect the Nokobee from crazy developers. But fans of Wilson’s science will be most interested in the book’s middle section, where the author inserts a mini-novel describing the trials and sufferings of the ants living in the endangered forest.

Reviews of the book have been mixed. Writing for The New York Review of Books, Margaret Atwood praised Wilson for his first novel, saying that it is highlighted by a diversity of ideas and an imaginative plot. And — with the exception of some dull preachiness(說教) — it is entertaining.

1.What can we learn from Edward O. Wilson’s joke?

A. He is unwilling to leave his childhood behind.

B. He is an excellent naturalist with a good reputation.

C. He has had a lifelong passion for insects.

D. He has the same hobbies as many children.

2.In Anthill, ant societies differ from the human ones in that _____________.

A. they are more likely to conduct wars

B. they practice agriculture

C. they are more selfless

D. they don’t care for their young

3.Which of the following statement is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Raff is in fact the author himself.

B. Wilson won two Pulitzer Prizes for fiction.

C. Atwood has a completely positive opinion of Anthill.

D. Anthill is set in the author’s home state.

4.What is the purpose of the passage？

A. To present Edward O. Wilson’s life story.

B. To present Edward O. Wilson’s achievements.

C. To show the readers that we can learn from ants.

D. To give an overview of a new book.

D

While most of us are happy to take the credit when things go well, few of us are willing to take the blame when things go wrong. Rather than trying to hide our shame or embarrassment, experts found that we are simply less aware when our actions result in a negative outcome.

The research may explain why we often feel it hard to take the blame for our actions. “Our result suggests that people may really experience less responsibility for negative than for positive outcomes,” said Patrick Haggard, leading researcher and professor of the institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London.

In a series of tests, participants were asked to press a key. A sound then followed, either disapproving, neutral or approving, and they were then asked to estimate the time between the action and when they had heard the sound.

Researchers found that individuals experienced different levels of responsibility depending on the outcomes. They also discovered they were significantly slower to recognize if their actions had resulted in a bad consequence, compared to when they had done well.

“Effectively, we have found that we experience a negative outcome differently, not just retell it differently. We make a weaker connection when there is a bad result. And respond much more strongly when something good happens,” said Professor Haggard. When something goes right, everyone wants to take the credit, and when things go wrong, nobody is interested in putting their hands up.

The researchers said our brain is “very much concerned” with reward, as good results are key to survival. Although our own perception (認(rèn)知) of whether we are guilty of something or not is changed by the outcomes, this does not provide a defense if we have done something wrong. “Our experience of our own responsibilities can be misleading and can be strongly colored by the outcomes of our actions,” said Professor Haggard. “We have to take responsibility for what we actually do, not just for how we experience things.”

1.People who don’t take the blame for their actions _______.

A. always try to hide their shame or embarrassment.

B. are only willing to take the credit when things go well

C. feel less responsible for negative than for positive outcomes

D. are less aware of what to do when a negative outcome happens

2.Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. Our level of responsibility can be strongly affected by the outcomes of our actions.

B. When something bad happens, nobody is interested in dealing with the problem.

C. People were quicker to recognize if their actions had resulted in a bad consequence.

D. Participants were asked to count the time between pressing a key and hearing the sound.

3.How is the passage developed?

A. By giving examples.

B. By quoting research findings.

C. By making comparison.

D. By providing data.

4.According to the passage, a person who is concerned with reward is _______.

A. awkward B. natural C. absurd D. stubborn