Last week I visited my friend Pete in the new home where he lives with his wife and daughter. Pete used to spend his holidays travelling the world, visiting the pyramids in Egypt or scuba diving(潜水) in the Caribbean. Nowadays he prefers to spend his holidays and weekends making his house look more beautiful. Like hundreds of thousands of other British people, he has discovered the joy of DIY (Do It Yourself), which means if there are any things that need fixing around the house, he will try to do the job himself.
As he showed me the new kitchen he put together by himself and the newly painted walls, I asked Pete where he got his inspiration (灵感) from. He told me that his favorite source of ideas was a DIY program on TV.
This got me thinking about the great popularity of DIY programs in the UK. Each major channel has at least one home or garden improving show and there’s even a satellite channel completely about the subject.
I guess it is not really surprising that DIY programs are so popular. Two common sayings in Britain－ ‘an Englishman’s home is his castle’ and ‘there’s no place like home’－show how important our houses are to us. With the present economic downturn, many people can’t afford to buy a bigger house so they are looking at how they can make their house better without spending a lot of money. DIY is the perfect choice.
But be careful! I read a report that said over 230,000 people were injured while doing home improvements in the UK in just one year, including 41,000 who fell off ladders(梯子) and 5,800 who were seriously hurt by hammers. So I won’t be going down to the hardware store.How did Pete spend his holiday in the past?
| A．Visiting his friends. |
| B．Diving. |
| C．Travelling around the world. |
| D．Making his house beautiful. |
Which might NOT be shown in a DIY program on TV?
| A．Scuba diving |
| B．A garden improving feature. |
| C．Home improvements. |
| D．Fixing things in kitchens |
Which is NOT the reason why DIY is popular among British people?
| A．They enjoy DIY. |
| B．They want to make their houses better themselves. |
| C．They can improve their houses without spending much money. |
| D．They want to be on TV. |
At the end of the article the writer wants us to remember _____.
| A．not to go to the hardware store |
| B．to be careful not to get hurt while doing DIY |
| C．to keep watching DIY on TV while drinking a nice cup of tea |
| D．not to climb ladders or use hammers |
Teens are more likely to behave badly if their parents expect them to，a new US study has found.
“Parents who believe they are simply being realistic might actually be having a bad effect on their children，” Christy Buchanan，a teacher at Wake Forest University and one of the authors of the study，said. “Bad expectations on the part of both parents and children predict more rebellious (叛逆的) behaviors later on.”
The finding came from a study of more than 250 sixth and seventhgraders and their mothers. They were examined at the start of the study and again one year later. If kids’ mothers expected them to take more risks and be more rebellious，higher chances of risky behavior were seen.This_was_also_true when kids had bad expectations of themselves.
“Sometimes parents expect more negative behavior from their children than they should based on the children’s history of behavior，” Buchanan said.Parents shouldn’t be naive (无知的) about the possibility of bad behavior，she said，but it’s also a mistake to think that children who are wellbehaved will naturally become rebellious at the age of 13.
“By thinking risktaking or rebelliousness is normal for teenagers and showing that to their children，parents might add to other messages from society that make teenagers feel that they are strange if they are not willing to take risks or break laws，” she said.“This can mean，for example，that when parents expect teens to drink before they turn 21 or to do other risky behaviors，kids are less likely to refuse to do so later in their lives.”
On the other hand，parents’ expectations that teens can exhibit good behaviors and refuse to behave badly or to take risks could help reduce the possibility of bad behavior，Buchanan said.“As a parent，you should put expectations on your children carefully.”The passage is centered around the topic of________.
| A．parental rights |
| B．children’s habits |
| C．parental education |
| D．parentchildren relationship |
What do we know about the study?
| A．Only mothers were examined. |
| B．Participants were examined twice. |
| C．250 people were examined in the study. |
| D．Christy Buchanan was the only author of the study. |
What does the underlined part “This was also true” in Paragraph 3 refer to?
| A．The kids were more likely to take dangerous behavior. |
| B．The kids would have bad expectations of their parents. |
| C．The kids were likely to go against their mothers. |
| D．Mothers expected their kids to behave badly. |
Children may be more rebellious if________.
| A．they know parents think risktaking is normal |
| B．parents put little expectation on them |
| C．they behave well before they turn 13 |
| D．they are asked not to take risks |
What might be the most suitable title for the passage?
| A．Risktaking is normal for teens. |
| B．Why are my teens behaving badly? |
| C．Don’t expect too much from your teens. |
| D．Bad expectations lead to badbehaving teens. |
The name England comes from the words “Angle land”．The Angles were people who came from northern Germany in the 5th and 6th centuries，after the Romans had left.The French name for England is Angleterre，which also means “Angle land”．There were also invasions (侵略) of southern England by Saxons and Jutes (people from another part of northern Germany)．English people are sometimes called AngloSaxons.The Celts who used to live in this area were forced to move back into Scotland，Ireland，Cornwall and into Western France (the area known as Brittany)．
England at first became a series of kingdoms，the strongest of which was Wessex (the name comes from WestSaxon)．The names of many of the areas in England come from this period—for example，the name Sussex comes from SouthSaxon，Essex from EastSaxon，and East Anglia from EastAngle.The Vikings then came from Denmark，and later the Normans invaded from France. Eventually England，Wales，Scotland and Northern Ireland were united，forming the United Kingdom.
The English language is the main language spoken throughout England，although there are many different accents.It can be difficult to know how to spell or to pronounce some English words，because the language has been influenced by Latin and Greek (languages used at the time of the Romans，and used in religion and education until recent times)，German (the language of the Angles，Saxons and Jutes)，French(the language of the Normans)，Gaelic/Scots (Celtic languages) and Danish (the language of the Vikings)．
There are now many people throughout the United Kingdom who speak a foreign language either as their first or second language；mainly due to immigration (移民) from Europe or the Commonwealth (countries which used to be part of the British Empire)．According to the first paragraph，which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．The Romans were forced to leave England when the Jutes attacked there. |
| B．The Celts used to live in England but left for some reason. |
| C．Southern England once was attacked by Saxons and Jutes. |
| D．Angles and Saxons came from different parts of northern Germany. |
In the history of England，________once was the strongest kingdom.
| A．Sussex | B．Wessex |
| C．Essex | D．East Anglia |
What can we learn from the third paragraph?
| A．English words are hard to spell and to pronounce. |
| B．England had been invaded by most of the countries of Europe. |
| C．The English language was influenced by several foreign languages. |
| D．It’s hard for people who have different English accents to communicate. |
Why do many people in the UK speak a foreign language nowadays?
| A．Because they are required to learn a foreign language at school. |
| B．Because they plan to live outside the UK in the future. |
| C．Because they have moved from other countries. |
| D．Because they have worked in other countries. |
The author writes this passage to________.
| A．tell the history of England |
| B．tell how the United Kingdom was formed |
| C．introduce the main spoken language throughout England |
| D．tell the origin of the name of England |
After a very busy afternoon，as I walked into my house，I heard the phone ringing. It was my friend Lydia，upset over an argument with her husband. My usual approach is to offer advice，but this time，exhausted from chores，I simply sat down in a chair and listened to my friend’s frustration and sadness. Without the disturbance of judgment or the desire to comfort her，I stayed totally quiet while she talked. Eventually Lydia’s depression eased and we said our goodbyes. The next day she phoned to thank me. “I’m so grateful for the way you helped me through this，”she said.
At first I was surprised. After all，I had done nothing except be there for her. But after I had my own venting (发泄的) experience with another friend later that evening，I realized that my focused silence had some value. In fact，most relationship experts agree that talk is cheap；it’s listening that’s rare and valuable It allows you not only to hear what the other person is saying，but also to have a clear understanding of her thoughts and feelings. And for the speaker，that level of understanding translates into concern and respect.
Unfortunately，listening isn’t as easy as it sounds. Thanks to schedules filled with family and work，multitasking has become a barrier (障碍) to listening. My tiredness may have been the only thing stopping me from folding laundry or checking my email while Lydia talked that afternoon.
Another barrier to listening is our listening system：Most of us take in only about half of what’s being said during a conversation，according to the International Listening Association. Research shows that we speak at 125 to 150 words per minute，yet think at 500 words a minute. Therefore，because we think much more quickly than we speak，it is easy for us to lose our concentration when listening to speakers.
While it can be hard to focus at times，it’s a skill worth developing. With a little practice (employing some techniques)，you can become a better listener.Why didn’t the author give any advice to Lydia that afternoon?
| A．Because she thought her keeping silence was better for Lydia. |
| B．Because she didn’t know how to comfort Lydia. |
| C．Because she was too tired to talk to Lydia. |
| D．Because she couldn’t cut in while Lydia was talking. |
In Paragraph 2，the author mainly talks about________.
| A．the importance of listening |
| B．the importance of venting anger |
| C．her own listening experience |
| D．her own venting experience |
The author uses the result of the research in Paragraph 4 to mainly show that________.
| A．we think much more quickly than we speak |
| B．we can only understand about half of what we hear |
| C．there is not much thinking time available while we are listening |
| D．we lose our concentration easily while we are listening |
What will be discussed following the passage?
| A．Why listening is valuable. |
| B．What we should do while listening. |
| C．How to become a good listener. |
| D．How to stop drifting off while listening. |
The first paragraph serves as a(n)________．
| A．explanation | B．introduction |
| C．comment | D．background |
My husband can plan wonderful surprise celebrations for me.Recently，however，I told him I didn’t want him to plan one for my upcoming birthday.
“Why？” he asked.
“I am embarrassed being the center of attention，” I quickly explained.
Later，I began to think more deeply about this reason. Then I remembered the surprise celebration I had planned for my friend Nancy on her 60th birthday. We were roommates on a threeweek tour following the Silk Road on those famous steppes (大草原)—and through the mountains—of central Asia.
That afternoon we had arrived at our hotel in Samarkand，Uzbekistan. The young man at the hotel desk told me about a bakery about 10 minutes away. After giving me detailed directions，he added，“Your nose will let you know when you arrive there.”
The temperature was 40 ℃.Soon，my_olfaction proved to be an unfailing guide. Outside the bakery，a delicious smell greeted me.
There were several kinds of breads，cookies，and cakes on display. There were also beautiful iced cakes. I chose a cake topped with powdered sugar.
Later at the Karim Bek Restaurant，Nancy didn’t see the young waiter walk up the steps with the cake.When I began singing“Happy Birthday，”everyone at our table—except Nancy—joined in.
It took her a moment to realize what was happening. Then the grinning (咧嘴笑的) guest of honor thanked me，blew out the candles on the cake，and ate three pieces of it.
Today，after reliving this experience in my mind，I told my husband to ignore my request.I now understand what a surprise party is about：It is not about having a surprise party but rather the delight in giving it. That is what brings the satisfying joy.Why did the author go to the bakery?
| A．To get some bread for her journey. |
| B．To experience the local taste in Samarkand. |
| C．To buy a birthday cake for her friend. |
| D．To eat some iced cakes to cool herself down. |
The underlined words “my olfaction” in Paragraph 7 most probably refer to________.
| A．the waiter at the hotel |
| B．the author’s sense of smell |
| C．the author’s friend |
| D．the author’s map |
The party held at the Karim Bek Restaurant was________.
| A．very successful | B．a little simple |
| C．quite boring | D．too noisy |
From the last paragraph we learn that now the author________.
| A．becomes less interested in surprise parties |
| B．thinks surprise parties are embarrassing |
| C．enjoys giving others surprises |
| D．realizes the true meaning of surprise parties |
From the passage，we can NOT infer that________.
| A．the author’s birthday is coming |
| B．the author’s husband loves her very much |
| C．the author and Nancy have been roommates for three weeks |
| D．the author has already spent her 60th birthday |
Friends play an important role in our lives, and although we can’t be more familiar with the fact of friendship, we often don’t clearly understand how we make friends, especially with Americans. Here are some pieces of advice on making friends with Americans:
1. Visiting places Americans enjoy: parties, churches, restaurants, parks and sports clubs.
2. Be willing to take the first step. Don’t wait for them to get close to you. Americans in China may not know you speak English. They may be uncomfortable if they can’t speak your language.
3. Use small talks to open the conversation. Ask them where they’re from, why they come to China, etc. . Remember: Be careful not to ask personal questions about age, salary and so on.
4. Show an interest in their culture, their country or their job. Americans like to talk about themselves!
5. Invite them to join you for dinner or just for coffee or tea. Try to set a specific(明确的)time. Americans sometimes make general invitations like “Let’s go out for dinner sometime. ”Often this is just a way to be friendly. It is not always a real invitation.
6. Don’t expect too much at first. Maybe they’re being friendly. But maybe they want to be your good friends. It will take time to tell. According to the text, Americans like to visit the following places except＿＿＿＿.
| A．shopping centers | B．parks |
| C．sports clubs | D．churches |
What should you say when meeting an American for the first time?
| A．What’s your age? |
| B．How much do you get in a month? |
| C．Nice to meet you! Are you from America? |
| D．Let’s get together sometime. I want to ask you some questions. |
What is mainly discussed in the text?
| A．It’s very important to be a good friend of an American. |
| B．Some advice on how to make friends with Americans. |
| C．Something about the friendship in America. |
| D．Friendship is the most important in our life. |
Which is the best way to make friends with an American?
| A．To ask him if he is willing to make friends with you. |
| B．To spend a long time learning about him. |
| C．To wait until he tells you his thoughts. |
| D．To ask him to join you for dinner. |
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