One day I heard that one of my dear friends had lost his mother. This made me sad, for my friend was very close to his mother. He had been by her side as she traveled through her long and hard journey with cancer. At this time, many memories about my loved ones that had passed away came flooding to me. Finally these memories passed, but it was really sad to think that my friend would have to go through the pain.
Three times I tried to write an email to my friend and three times words failed me. I am a person who is not often lost for words and I decided to have a sleep. Upon waking up I could hardly wait for my computer to work, the words I needed were there. I was still left with a heavy heart although I had sent an email.
They say that everything in this universe is balanced(平衡的) and indeed it is. Three days later, I received his reply letter. I was happy to hear that he’d been admitted to(录取) Cambridge University. It served as a gentle reminder for me that my friend would be okay and that life would go on.
Everything in life is balanced; the lowest feelings change places with the highest feelings. Without the lows, we would never appreciate the highs. No matter how dark the clouds seem to be, the sunshine is always there and just waiting for the opportunity to shine through.When the author learnt her friend had lost his mother, she ______.
| A．gave him some money | B．wrote an email to him |
| C．went to visit him | D．went for a journey with him |
What good news did the author’s friend receive?
| A．He received the author’s email. |
| B．He was told that life would go on. |
| C．He would go to Cambridge University. |
| D．His life would go back to normal again |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
| A．The author wrote four emails to her friend. |
| B．The mother of the author’s friend died from cancer. |
| C．The author’s friend is a teacher in Cambridge University. |
| D．The author felt relaxed after sending the email. |
From the text, we can learn that the author is ______.
| A．sincere and warm-hearted |
| B．proud and confident |
| C．serious and friendly |
| D．funny and responsible |
The author aims to tell us that ______.
| A．life is not fair to everybody |
| B．time waits for no man |
| C．everyone has good and bad times in life |
| D．where there is a will, there is a way |
阅读理解
More students than ever before are taking a gap-year (间隔年) before going to university. It used to be called the “year off” between school and university. The gap-year phenomenon originated with the months left over to Oxbridge applicants between entrance exams in November and the start of the next academic year.
This year, 25,310 students who have accepted places in higher education institutions have put off their entry until next year, according to statistics on university entrance provided by University and College Admissions Service (UCAS).
That is a record 14.7% increase in the number of students taking a gap year. Tony Higgins from UCAS said that the statistics are good news for everyone in higher education. “Students who take a well-planned year out are more likely to be satisfied with, and complete, their chosen course. Students who take a gap year are often more mature and responsible,” he said.
But not everyone is happy. Owain James, the president of the National Union of Students(NUS), argued that the increase is evidence of student hardship –young people are being forced into earning money before finishing their
education. “New students are now aware that they are likely to leave university with up to ￡15,000 in debt. It is not surprising that more and more students are taking a gap year to earn money to support their study for the degree. NUS statistics show that over 40% of students are forced to work during term time and the figure increases to 90% during vacation periods,” he said.What do we learn about the gap year from the text?
| A．It is flexible in length. |
| B．It is a time for relaxation. |
| C．It is increasingly popular. |
| D．It is required by universities. |
According to Tony Higgins, students taking a gap year_________.
| A．arc better prepared for college studies |
| B．know a lot more about their future jobs |
| C．are more likely to leave university in debt |
| D．have a better chance to enter top universities |
What would most students do on their vacation according to NUS statistics?
| A．Attend additional courses. |
| B．Make plans for the new term. |
| C．Earn money for their education. |
| D．Prepare for their graduate studies. |
阅读理解
The China Daily newspaper group is looking for English-language senior business editors, senior copy editors, copy editors and graphic designers to strengthen its international team. We offer a competitive salary package,
accommodation with furniture paid for 90 percent, medical reimbursement(报销), a seven-day paid leave, eleven-day public holidays and a return ticket to the country of residence.
Senior Business Editor
You must:
(1) Assist the business editor in setting goals and working on achieving them;
(2) Be an excellent team person who can generate ideas and think creatively and be able to rewrite totally if needed;
(3) Ideally have been working or have worked in a position of responsibility and understand what leadership intends;
(4) Have had at least five years’ editing experience working on editing the Business Desk and be familiar with industry software.
Senior Copy Editor
You must:
(1) Work on shifts in the Business Desk and usually have the last word before the page is sent to print;
(2) Edit or rewrite copy and give smart headlines and captions;
(3) Have had at least two years’ editing experience working on editing desks and be familiar with industry software.
Copy Editor
You must:
(1) Be good at editing or rewriting copy and writing smart headlines and captions;
(2) Be able to work on shifts for different pages, and usually have the last word before the page is sent to print;
(3) Have two years of editing experience working on copy desks, and be familiar with industry software.
Graphic Designer
You must:
(1) Have excellent skills in information graphics;
(2) Be good at illustrations and freehand drawings;
(3) Be experienced in newspaper or magazine layouts;
(4) Have a good sense of typography (活版印刷术);
(5) Have good new judgment;
(6) Be fluent in English.
For enquiries or to apply, write to job @chinadaily.com.cn.What is the purpose of this passage?
| A．To describe the positions of the China Daily newspaper group. |
| B．To tell you how to become part of this group. |
| C．To describe the working conditions of the China Daily newspaper group. |
| D．To advertise for employing some good employees. |
What is not required about Graphic Designer?
| A．Be expert in illustrating newspapers. |
| B．Writing smart headlines and captions. |
| C．Have excellent skills in information graphics. |
| D．Having a good sense of typography. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The workers there can enjoy a seven-day leave without pay. |
| B．Free accommodations are available to the workers. |
| C．The senior business editor’s only job is to help the business editor to set goals. |
| D．Senior copy editors can decide on sending the page to print. |
Imagine your body is like the house you live in. Every day, your family creates rubbish. The rubbish builds up until it is put out for the weekly garbage collection.
Now, say you put three bags of garbage out, but because one of the collectors was away sick, only two bags are collected. You take the leftover bag inside to be put out again next week. The following week you put on another three bags, plus the leftover bag from last week. But again, only two bags are collected. Imagine this cycle is repeated over the following weeks.
This is a simple description of what happens to your body when your kidneys (肾脏) don’t work efficiently. Your body is not thoroughly emptied of waste products. Other areas of the body such as blood pressure and red blood cell production are affected and the insidious process that may lead to kidney failure begins.
It’s not uncommon for people to lose up to 90% of their kidney function before developing any symptoms. There may be no warning signs. This makes early detection (诊查) difficult.
Kidney’s main job is to remove toxins (毒素) and unwanted water from our blood. Every day our kidneys clean an average of 200 litres of blood. Kidney failure may be a gradual and silent process, going unnoticed because there is no apparent pain.
Research shows that more than 25% of the patients requiring dialysis (透析) do not see a kidney specialist before they have to do so. Some risk factors for kidney disease such as age and genetic make up are out of our control; however, some changes in lifestyle may help prevent kidney damage．Two major risk factors for kidney disease, diabetes (糖尿病) and high blood pressure, have been on the rise over the last few decades．Both conditions are chiefly affected by being overweight and not getting enough exercises, which are the potential risk factors for the kidney disease. The author gives the example of the house we live in to indicate that _______.
| A．it’s safe and harmless for our body to keep some waste |
| B．it’s important for our body to empty the waste in time every day |
| C．our body will not produce any waste if our kidneys work efficiently |
| D．it doesn’t matter much if the waste in our body is not emptied in time |
The underlined word “insidious” in the third paragraph means _______.
| A．smooth and safe | B．obvious and fast |
| C．gradual and unnoticed | D．long and painful |
We can infer that when we find some symptoms related to our kidneys, _______.
| A．the kidney failure begins |
| B．the kidneys can still work properly |
| C．we have lost about 10% of kidney function |
| D．the kidneys may have been seriously damaged |
Which of the following helps prevent kidney damage most effectively?
| A．Go to see a kidney specialist shortly before dialysis starts. |
| B．Take enough exercise and make early detection of kidney disease. |
| C．Try to keep low blood pressure and a stable lifestyle. |
| D．Go to hospital whenever you find any warning signs. |
Why do people drink too much, eat too much, smoke cigarettes or take drugs? What’s to blame for all the bad behavior? Most people would say that, while these self-destructive (自我毁灭的) acts can have many root causes, they all have one obvious thing in common: they are all examples of failures of self-control, lacking the will power to resist（抵抗） them.
According to a recent study, however, if you really think about it, something about that simple answer doesn’t quite make sense. In fact, it turns out that sometimes it’s having will power that really gets you into trouble.
Think back to the time you took your very first sip of beer. Disgusting, wasn’t it? When my father gave me my first taste of beer as a teenager, I wondered why anyone would voluntarily drink it. And smoking? No one enjoys their first cigarette — it tastes awful. So even though smoking, and drinking alcohol or coffee, can become temptation (诱惑) you need will power to resist, they never, ever start out that way.
Just getting past those first horrible experiences actually requires a lot of self-control. Ironically (讽刺的是), only those who can control themselves well, rather than give in to them, can ever come to someday develop a “taste” for Budweiser beer, Marlboro cigarettes, or dark-roasted Starbucks coffee. We do it for social acceptance. We force ourselves to consume alcohol, cigarettes, coffee and even illegal drugs, in order to seem experienced, grown-up, and cool.
These bad habits aren’t self-control failures — far from it. They are voluntary choices, and they are in fact self-control successes. Self-control is simply a tool to be put to some use, helpful or harmful. To live happy and productive lives, we need to develop not only our self-control, but also the wisdom to make good decisions about when and where to apply it. What do most people think causes bad behavior?
| A．Being forced by others. |
| B．Not having enough will power. |
| C．Enjoying their first experiences. |
| D．Following the examples of their friends. |
The author mentions his experience in the third paragraph to prove ____.
| A．will power helps develop bad habits sometimes |
| B．drinking beer is harmful to the health of teenagers |
| C．self-control should be developed when one is young |
| D．everyone can be challenged by different temptations |
In the last paragraph, the author stresses that ____.
| A．without self-control, no one can succeed |
| B．bad habits don’t always lead to bad results |
| C．applying self-control correctly is important |
| D．people can develop wisdom from bad behavior |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．My First Sip of Beer | B．Do You Have Will Power ? |
| C．Will Power Benefits Us | D．Dark Side of Self-control |
Basic Photography
This is an eight-hour course for beginners who want to learn how to use a 35mm camera. The teacher will cover such areas as kinds of film, light, and lenses(镜头). Bring your own 35mm camera to the class.
Course Charge: $150
Jan. 10, 12, 17, 19, Tues. & Thurs. 6-8p.m.
Marianne Adams is a professional photographer whose photographs appear in many magazines.
Understanding Computers
This twelve-hour course is for people who don’t know very much about computers, but who need to learn about them. You will learn what computers are, what they can and can’t do, and how to use them.
Course Charge: $75
Equipment Charge: $10
Jan. 7, 14, 21, 28, Sat. 9-12 a.m.
Joseph Saimders is a professor of computer science at New Urban University. He has over twelve years of experience in the computer field.
Stop Smoking
Do you want to stop smoking? Have you already tried to stop and failed? Now it is the time to stop smoking using the latest methods. You can stop smoking, and this twelve-hour course will help you do it.
Course Charge: $30
Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25 Mon. 4-7 p.m.
Dr.John Goode is a practicing psychologist(心理学家)who has helped hundreds of people stop smoking.
Typing
This course on weekdays is for those who want to type as well as those who want to improve their typing. You are tested in the first class and practice at one of eight different skill levels. This allows you to learn at your own speed. Each program lasts 20 hours. Bring your own paper.
Course Charge: $125
Materials Charge: $25
Two hours each evening for two weeks.
This course is taught by a number of business education teachers who have successfully taught typing courses before.The word “professional” in this advertisement most probably means “_____”
| A．spiritual | B．journalist |
| C．professor | D．experienced |
The shortest course is _____.
| A．Basic Photography | B．Understanding Computers |
| C．Stop Smoking | D．Typing |
A course which can do something good for your health will cost____.
| A．$50 | B．$30 | C．$10 | D．$125 |
In which of the courses do you have to take a test?
| A．Basic Photography | B．Understanding Computers |
| C．Typing | D．Stop Smoking |
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