For the last couple of weeks, I had been stuck in front of my computer working on a project that was very important to me. My every waking hour was consumed by the project and although
I imagined that I would feel happy after completing parts of the project, I was confused to find that instead, I was feeling rather depressed. I tried a range of methods to help cheer myself up. I had a relaxing bath, cooked a delicious meal to enjoy with my family and even watched a lighthearted movie, but to no avail. It was only when I turned to meditation(沉思)for a solution that the answer came to me: turn to nature!
The very next day, I grabbed my camera and a bottle of water and set off to spend a few hours walking in a nature reserve, even though it was pouring with rain. Within a couple of minutes I felt alive again. To be honest, I felt like a young school girl again and had to stop myself from hopping along the path singing, "I'm singing in the rain", a song I used to sing when I was a child. I think as adults we often try too hard to control our inner children and as a result we restrain(限制) our own spirits, which only leads to depression and stress.
Interestingly, it has been shown that people who spend 40 minutes walking in a nature reserve have a drop in their blood pressure levels, but this does not happen when they spend a similar amount of time walking in a busy city centre.
If you feel a little low in spirit and know that you have spent too much time indoors, relax completely, remove your shoes and let your inner child come out and play. The author felt depressed because she __________.
| A．couldn't consume her waking hour |
| B．had not seen a film for a long time. |
| C．had not finished her work on time |
| D．had worked on a hard job for too long |
The author walked in a nature reserve in the rain in order to__________.
| A．take photos | B．find a solution to the project |
| C．hop along the path | D．cheer herself up |
The underlined part "to no avail" in Paragraph 1 probably means " __________.".
| A．unsuccessful | B．unrelated | C．uninteresting | D．unexpected |
In the author's opinion, __________.
| A．a bath can make people relaxed |
| B．depression is usually caused by hard work |
| C．walking in a busy city centre harms people's health |
| D．adults should express their inner feelings freely |
The last paragraph mainly serves as a(n) __________.
| A．explanation | B．suggestion | C．introduction | D．reminder |
The African elephant,the largest land animal remaining on earth ,is of great importance to African ecosystem(生态系统).Unlike other animals,the African elephant is to a great degree the builder of its environment.As a big plant-eater,it largely shapes the forest-and-savanna(大草原)surroundings in which it lives,therefore setting the terms of existence for millions of other animals that live in its habitat(栖息地).
It is the elephant's great desire for food that makes it a disturber of the environment and an important builder of its habitat.In its continuous search for the 300 pounds of plants it must have every day,it kills small trees and underbushes,and pulls branches off big trees.This results in many open spaces in both deep tropical forests and in the woodlands that cover
part of the African savannas.In these open spaces are many plants in various stages of growth that attract a variety of other plant-eaters.
Take the rain forests for example.In their natural state,the spreading branches overhead shut out sunlight and prevent the growth of plants on the forest floor.By pulling down trees and eating plants,elephants make open spaces,allowing new plants to grow on the forest floor.In such situations,the forests become suitable for large hoofed plant-eaters to move around and for small plant-eaters to get their food as well.
What worries scientists now is that the African elephant has become an endangered species.If the elephant disappears,scientists say,many other animals will also disappear from large areas of forest and savanna,greatly changing and worsening the whole ecosystem. What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Disappearance of African elephants. |
| B．Forests and savannas as habitats for African elephants. |
| C．The effect of African elephants' search for food. |
| D．The eating habit of African elephants. |
What does the underlined phrase “setting the terms” most probably mean?
A．Fixing the ti me. |
B．Worsening the state. |
| C．Improving the quality. | D．Deciding the conditions. |
What do we know about the open spaces in the passage?
| A．They result from the destruction of rain forests. |
| B．They provide food mainly for African elephants. |
| C．They are home to many endangered animals. |
| D．They are attractive to plant-eating animals of different kinds. |
The passage is developed mainly by________..
| A．showing the effect and then explaining the causes |
| B．pointing out similarities and differences |
| C．describing the changes in space order |
| D．giving examples |
Three Gorges Cruises(游程)
Day 1 Home → Beijing
We will meet you at the airport in Beijing and take you to the hotel in the downtown area.
Day 2 Beijing
After breakfast, you’ll visit Tiananmen Square. Then you will go to the Forbidden City, the home of Chinese emperors for more than 500 years. In the e
vening you will attend a welcome party and have a chance to enjoy Beijing Roast Duck!
Day 3 Beijing → Chongqing
After breakfast, you will fly to Chongqing and visit the Chongqing Museum. Then your cruise down the Yangtze River will begin on the five-star cruise ship, Regal China.
You will spend the night on the ship.
Day 4 Chongqing → Fengdu
At 8:00 a.m., the cruise will leave Chongqing. Relax on the deck, and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the river. In the afternoon, we will arrive at Ghost City — Fengdu for an excursion (短途游览) on the shore. Overnight on the ship.
Day 5 Three Gorges
You will sail through the Qutang Gorge and the Wu Gorge, and take a small boat down the Shennong Stream to enjoy the scenery.
Day 6 Three Gorges
After passing the Xiling Gorge, you will go on a morning shore excursion to the Three Gorges Dam.
Day 7 Three Gorges → Wuhan → Shanghai
At 2:30 p.m., the cruise ship will arrive in Wuhan and the cruise tour will end. You will have a chance to visit the Yell
ow Crane Tower（黄鹤楼）, and then you will fly to Shanghai.
Day 8 Shanghai → Home
You will visit the Shanghai Museum in the morning. After lunch, you will visit the Bund （外滩）, which is said to be a landmark of Shanghai. Then 
you will be seen off at Shanghai airport.
How many nights will you spend on the cruise ship?
| A．2. | B．3. | C．4. | D．5. |
On which day will you h
ave an afternoon shore excursion?
| A．Day 4. | B．Day 5. | C．Day 6. | D．Day 7. |
What is the order of the journey?
① the Wu Gorge ② the Yellow Crane Tower
③ the Xiling Gorge ④ the Bund
⑤ Chongqing Museum ⑥ Fengdu
⑦ the Three Gorges Dam ⑧ the Forbidden City
| A．⑧⑤⑥③①②⑦④ | B．⑧⑤⑥①③⑦②④ |
| C．⑧⑥③⑤②①⑦④ | D．④⑤⑥①②③⑦⑧ |
How much will a family with 2 adults and a 3-year-old child pay for the visit?
| A．US$4375. | B．US$4905. | C．U S$3950. |
D．US$4537.5. |
Their grandmothers fought for the vote, and their mothers have battled to have it all. Now the upcoming generation of girls have decided to turn the clock back and stay at home with their babies.
According to a survey of more than 5,000 teenage girls in Britain, their main ambition (追求的目标) is to complete university then stay at home. More than nine out of ten of the girls believe it should be up to their husbands to provide for them. And although 43 percent of those questioned believe they should continue with their education until they have achieved a university degree, one in four say getting married is the most important thing for them.
The supposedly super-modern, “fun comes first” teenage generation
has proved to be very traditional in every area of their beliefs, with over 50 percent saying they would not dream of having c
hildren before seeing a ring on their finger.
The desire to have children is beginning earlier too. On average, teenage girls plan to have their first child at 26, and most plan to have one or two more children over the following four years. The national average now is 1.64 children per couple.
“This survey doesn’t show that the battles of feminism (女权运动) have been lost,” said author Claire Rayner, “Feminism was never opposed (反对) to marriage or children. On the contrary, feminism was about to equal opportunities for women to do what they wanted to do, when they wanted to do it, and this is exactly what these girls are choosing to do.” The passage is mainly about ________.
| A．the result of the battles of feminism |
| B．women’s struggle for independence in the society |
| C．the girls’ desire to stay at home after they graduate |
| D．women’s social status in the modern society |
Girls prefer to be housewives rather than independent women because _______.
| A．it’s hard for women to find jobs |
| B．men would rather their wives look after babies at home |
| C．girls want to live a more comfortable life |
| D．women have a low salary |
From the last paragraph we can see that Rayner thinks ________.
| A．women should stay at home with their babies |
| B．women should find jobs and support the family |
| C．women should be offered more job opportunities |
| D．women should live the life they like |
Richard Charles Rodgers was born in New York City on June 28th, 1902. Both his parents enjoyed singing and playing the piano. His grandparents loved opera and took their grandson to many productions. Richard attended many Broadway (百老汇) shows as a child. Richard began playing the piano
by the age of three. At the age of fifteen, he decided that he would work in the musical theater. In the same year, he wrote the music for a stage show presented by a local group of young people. Then, he wrote music for a production of the students at Columbia University.
Richard and his wife Dorothy had two daughters and six grandchildren. One daughter and two grandsons also write music. Richard died in 1979. Books written about
his life describe him as a cold man who was often depressed (消沉的). Family members say he was only able to express himself through music.
Other future show business leaders were also involved in the Columbia productions. Two of these men would be very important in Richard’s life — Oscar Hammerstein and Lorenz Hart. Richard once said the show he liked the best was Carousel, the second musical (音乐剧) he wrote with Oscar Hammerstein. Music experts say that a Richard show is always playing somewhere in the world — on Broadway, in theaters in different countries, and in local school productions. And people all over the world still enjoy the movies linked to Richard, such as State Fair, South Pacific, Pal Joey, The Sound of Music, Oklahoma and Carousel. When did Richard Charles Rodgers decide that he would work in the musical theater?
| A．In 1967. | B．In 1917. | C．In 1907. | D．In 1905. |
Which musical is the one that he likes most?
| A．Oklahoma. | B．The Sound of Music. |
| C．State Fair. | D．Carousel. |
Which is the first musical he wrote with Oscar Hammerstein?
| A．Carousel. | B．South Pacific. | C．Not mentioned. | D．State Fair. |
What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．All the life of Richard Charles Rodgers | B．Richard Charles Rodgers’ Family |
| C．Richard Charles Rodgers’ Music | D．Richard Charles Rodgers’ Stage |
If you don’t prepare yourself now, retirement may be some of the most boring and dull years of your life. To have a happy, fulfilling retirement, you need to start preparing right away.
The most obvious thing for people to do when they retire is to take up a hobby. The most important step to take before retiring, though, is to make sure that you actually have started some hobbies. Once you’re retired, unless you ‘ve already started a hobby, you’ll find it very hard to get into something new. Some hobbies aren’t for everyone. Think about what you enjoy doing and start participating on a casual basis now.
Another thing many people participate in is volunteering. Not only does volunteering give you something to do, it also gives you a sense of accomplishment(成就) and can add meaning to your life .Volunteering is also rewarding in other ways, too. There are hundreds of different types of volunteer services and you’ll always be able to meet new and interesting people. Also, don’t think that volunteering is always only about helping someone for free. Many companies pay their volunteers after they’ve had enough experience and prove themselves to be valuable workers.
There are plenty of other potions, as well. Going back to school is a great way to keep yourself feeling young. Taking a vacation around the world with your loved ones is another great way to spend your retirement.
Ultimately, though, the key to a happy retirement is simply keeping yourself busy and doing whatever you love. If there’s nothing you love doing now, then you’ll find that once you have a vast amount of free time, your life will be pretty empty. Now is the time to find out what you want to do when you retire.Why does the author suggest starting a hobby before retirement?
| A．Because we are likely to have difficulty starting a hobby after retirement. |
| B．Because we are gong to have a vast amount of free time after retirement. |
| C．Because we will only have a limited choice of hobbies after retirement |
| D．Because not every one of us has already started some hobbies already. |
What can we learn about volunteering from the text?
| A．We can make devoted friends through volunteering. |
| B．It can help companies find hard-working workers. |
| C．One can even make some money by volunteering. |
| D．Almost everyone is willing to help in some way. |
Which of the following can best explain “a happy retirement”?
| A．Travelling around the world every year. |
| B．Going back to university for further study. |
| C．Having plenty of free time for one’s hobbies. |
| D．Living a busy life and doing what one enjoys doing |
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