July 21st, 2007 was a typical English summer’s day — it rained for 24 hours! As usual, I rushed home from work at midday to check on the house. Nothing was amiss. By the time I lift work at 5 pm, however, the road into our village was flooded. Our house bad never been flooded but, as I opened the front door, a wave of water greeted me. Thank God the kids weren’t with me, because the house was 5 feet deep in water. We lost everything downstairs. And the plaster had to be torn off the walls, ceilings pulled down.
At first we tried to push on through. We didn’t want to move the children out of home, so we camped upstairs. we put a sheet of plastic across the floor to protect us from the damp. But after three months, we felt very sick, so we moved to a wooden house in a park. The house was small, but at first we were all just delighted to be in a new place. Unfortunately, things took longer than expected and we were there for 10 months. The life there was inconvenient. What surprised me most was how much I missed being part of a community（社区）.We had lived in a friendly village with good neighbours, and I’d never thought how much I’d miss that.
Although-our situation was very bad, it’s difficult to feel too sorry for yourself when you look at what’s happening elsewhere. I watched a news report about floods in Northern India and thought , “We didn’t have a straw hut（茅草房）that was swept away , and our house is still sanding . We’re lucky .”
We moved back home in August. With December coming, there’s reconstruction work to be done, so it’s difficult to prepare for Christmas. But I can’t wait — I’m going to throw a party for our friends in the village to say thanks for their support. This year , I won’t need any gifts — living away from home for months has made me realize how little we actually need or miss all our possessions . Although we are replacing things, there’s really no rush — we have our home back, and that’s the main thing.What does the underlined word “amiss” in the first paragraph mean?
| A．Wrong. | B．Missing. | C．Right. | D．Found. |
It can be inferred from the text that the author .
| A．was sick of staying upstairs |
| B．cared much about her children |
| C．could not stand living a wooden house |
| D．did not deal well with her family affairs during the flood |
Why does author say that they were lucky in the third paragraph?
| A．Because her situation was not serious. |
| B．Because many other places were flooded. |
| C．Because she had been to Northern India. |
| D．Because some others suffered even more. |
What does the author mainly want to express by telling her story?
| A．She valued human feelings more than before. |
| B．She realized she almost didn’t need possessions. |
| C．She found Christmas gifts no longer badly needed. |
| D．She thought her own home was the most important. |
Each of us can live strong，healthy，energetic lives for a long time to come．The key？Actually，there are many of them．
Eat fewer calories，but more food
Slimming down can help prevent disease，and cutting way back on the amount you eat may even slow the aging process．When nutrition researchers invited themselves over for dinner in kitchens across the globe-from Greece to Japan to the state of Pennsylvania--they discovered a stomach-satisfying secret to good health：Pile your plate high with vegetables and fruits，add respectable parts of beans and whole grains，and ignore high-calorie food like cheeseburgers，cream sauces，and fatty meats．
Use exercise as an anti-aging vaccine
Exercise can help you gain a better quality of life as you age．It's no secret that physical activity strengthens muscles，burn calories，and puts a happy bounce in your step．But recently，researchers discovered a new，extra benefit：Exercise acts as a powerful way against the aging process itself. When exercise physiologists put healthy people aged 60 to 85 on Weight-training programs for six months then tested them for signs of free-radical(自由基) damage，they were surprised by the results．By the end of the study，low-intensity exercisers had a drop in free-radical damage，while high-intensity exercisers had a slight increase．
Find something interesting to do
Life is always busy no matter what your age．But the truth is，when people are retired，time usually does become more available for adults after 60．With this time come choices．The easy one is merely to relax：watch more TV，eat out more often，talk on the phone as much as you want．The better choice? Discover something more meaningful to devote yourself to and do it wholeheartedly．Which of the following is what you should eat more?
| A．Fatty meats． | B．Whole grains． |
| C．Cream sauces． | D．Cheeseburgers． |
The new discovery of exercise probably is that__________．
| A．it can help you live a better life |
| B．it can strengthen muscles |
| C．it can burn calories |
| D．it can prevent aging process |
When do you have more free time according to this text?
| A．In your fifties． | B．Beyond sixty． |
| C．Over seventy | D．Before sixty． |
The best title of this text should be "_______"．
| A．How to Keep a Balanced Diet |
| B．The Importance of Your Health |
| C．Keys to living Longer and Better |
| D．Hobbies making Your Healthy |
Are you learning a foreign 1anguage? Do you find it challenging to learn a foreign language? However，there are a few tips you can use in order to earn a top grade--as well as actually use the skills you've learned．
One of the most important and basic lessons in dealing with a foreign language is to learn and understand each concept and lesson before moving on to the next one．If you don’t understand one concept but move on to the next chapter anyway，you're less likely to understand the new material．
Learning a new language is not only an academic tool，but can help you in your everyday life as well．Being good at another language can help you communicate with other people，aid you when traveling to foreign countries，and even make your resume look better．
And it is important to learn correct pronunciation as soon as possible for poor pronunciation can be hard to break．Native speakers of the language as well as others fluent in the language you are 1earning will appreciate your efforts to learn correct pronunciation．
Gather outside materials such as books，study guides，books on tape，and travel books to aid you in learning the language．Your textbooks can't possibly teach you everything you need to know，so seeking out—side sources is generally a good rule of thumb to keep in mind．
A significant motivator in learning a foreign language is traveling to the country where the language is spoken．That way，you can see firsthand how the language is used，learn the culture，and meet native speakers of the language．Native speakers appreciate sincere attempts of others who take the time to learn their language．
Seek out native speakers of your new language in your school or neighborhood．They can help you with many skills，including pronunciation，and they can provide immediate feedback on your progress．This passage is written to __________.
| A．explain why learning a foreign language is challenging |
| B．tell us the importance of learning foreign 1anguages |
| C．tell us some ways of earning a top grade |
| D．give us some tips on learning foreign languages |
What's the best subtitle of Paragraph 3?
| A．Think beyond academic tool. |
| B．Learn each concept. |
| C．Plan a trip to use your skills． |
| D．Consider a language as an academic tool. |
We can learn from the passage that __________.
| A．textbooks are not good for us when 1earning a foreign language |
| B．1earning pronunciation well from the very beginning is very important |
| C．poor pronunciation can be easy to break with the help of native speakers |
| D．seeking too many outside sources will be more harmful than beneficial |
Some people think that as more and more people have televisions in their homes, fewer and fewer people will buy books and newspapers. Why read an article in the newspaper when the TV news can bring you the information in a few minutes and with pictures? Why read the life story of a famous man when a short television program can tell you all that you want to know?
Television has not killed reading, however. Today, newspapers sell in very large numbers. And books of every kind are sold more than ever before. Books are still a cheap way to get
information and enjoyment. Although some books with hard covers are expensive, many books are printed today as paperbacks (平装本), which are quite cheap. A paperback collection of short stories, for example, is always cheaper than an evening at the cinema or the theater, and you can keep a book for ever and read it many times.
Books are a wonderful provider of knowledge and pleasure and some types of books should be in every home. Every home should have a good dictionary. A good encyclopedia (百科全书), though expensive, is useful, too, because you can find information on any subject. Besides, you can have such books as history books, science textbooks, cookbooks, and collections of stories and poems. Then from time to time you can take a book of poems off your shelves and read the thoughts and feelings of your favorite poets.It can be inferred from the passage that _______.
| A．TV programs are a chief provider of knowledge |
| B．cinemas are the best choice in getting information |
| C．reading is a cheap way of learning and having fun |
| D．newspapers are an expensive way to enjoy oneself |
What does the underlined sentence in the second paragraph “Television has not killed reading, however.” suggest?
| A．People only need reading, though. |
| B．Reading is more fun than television. |
| C．Reading is still necessary today. |
| D．Watching television doesn’t help reading. |
Where can you probably see this passage?
| A．In a travel booklet. |
| B．In a science report. |
| C．In a fashion show magazine. |
| D．In an education book review. |
Remembering names is an important social skill. Here are some ways to master it.
Recite and repeat in conversation.
When you hear a person’s name, repeat it. Immediately say it to yourself several times without moving your lips. You could also repeat the name in a way that does not sound forced or artificial.
Ask the other person to recite and repeat.
You can let other people help you remember their names. After you’ve been introduced to someone, ask that person to spell the name and pronounce it correctly for you. Most people will be pleased by the effort you’re making to learn their names.
Admit you don’t know.
Admitting that you can’t remember someone’s name can actually make people relaxed. Most of them will feel sympathy (同情) if you say, “I’m working to remember names better. Yours is right on the tip of my tongue. What is it again?”
Use association (联系).
Connect each person you meet with one thing you find interesting or unusual. For example, you could make a mental note: “Vicki Cheng — tall, black hair.” To strengthen your associations, write them on a small card as soon as possible.
Limit the number of new names you learn at one time.
When meeting a group of people, concentrate on remembering just two or three names. Free yourself from remembering every one. Few of the people in mass introductions expect you to remember their names. Another way is to limit yourself to learning just first names. Last names can come later.
Go early.
Consider going early to meetings, parties and classes. Sometimes just a few people show up on time. That’s fewer names for you to remember. And as more people arrive, you can hear them being introduced to others — a review for you.How will most people feel when you try hard to remember their names?
| A．They will be moved. | B．They will be annoyed. |
| C．They will be delighted. | D．They will be discouraged. |
If you can’t remember someone’s name, you may .
| A．tell him the truth | B．tell him a white lie |
| C．ask him for pity | D．ask others to help you |
When you meet a group of people, it is better to remember _______.
| A．all their names | B．a couple of names first |
| C．just their last names | D．as many names as possible |
What does the text mainly tell us?
| A．Tips on an important social skill. |
| B．Importance of attending parties. |
| C．How to make use of associations. |
| D．How to recite and repeat names. |
From early times, man has been interested in art. People have often worked together to collect and save the world’s art treasures. Fine art treasures from many countries are kept in an art museum called the Louvre (罗浮宫) in Paris, France. The works of art have been collected by the people of France over many centuries. It is the biggest art museum in the world. The Louvre has not always been a museum. The first building was a fort. In 1190, it was the king’s castle with high walls and a round tower, which had a river around it to keep out the enemies. Over the years, the number of buildings around the castle grew. By 1350, the castle no longer needed a fort. The Louvre became a palace home for French kings and queens.
During times of peace, new treasures were brought in. During the days of war, many treasures were stolen, and the buildings were damaged.
When Francis I became king of France in 1515, he brought in many artists from other countries. One of the artists was Lenardo da Vinci from Italy. Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” is the best known painting in the museum today. In 1793, the Louvre became a public museum. It is a place where art treasures are kept for everyone to enjoy. Every year millions of people from all over the world come to the Louvre to see the masterpieces.How long has the Louvre been a museum?
| A．For over 800 years. | B．Since 1350 |
| C．Since l515 | D．For over 200 years |
Most of works of art in the Louvre have been collected probably by _______.
| A．the French people | B．Francis I |
| C．Leonardo da Vinci | D．people of the world |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．Da Vinci once stayed in France. |
| B．“Mona Lisa” is kept in the Louvre. |
| C．The Louvre was once a church as well as a palace. |
| D．The Louvre is a place of interest to different people from all over the world. |
Why is it good for the works of art to be kept in public museums?
| A．Works of art will not be stolen. |
| B．Works of art will not be damaged. |
| C．Artists can study the works of art. |
| D．Everyone has a chance to enjoy the works of art. |
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