Once when I was facing a decision that involved high risk, I went to a friend. He looked at me for a moment, and then wrote a sentence containing the best advice I’ve ever had: Be bold and brave — and mighty (强大的) forces will come to your aid.
Those words made me see clearly that when I had fallen short in the past, it was seldom because I had tried and failed. It was usually because I had let fear of failure stop me from trying at all. On the other hand, whenever I had plunged into deep water, forced by courage or circumstance, I had always been able to swim until I got my feet on the ground again.
Boldness means a decision to bite off more than you are sure you can eat. And there is nothing mysterious about the mighty forces. They are potential powers we possess: energy, skill, sound judgment, creative ideas — even physical strength greater than most of us realize.
Admittedly, those mighty forces are spiritual ones. But they are more important than physical ones. A college classmate of mine, Tim, was an excellent football player, even though he weighed much less than the average player. “In one game I suddenly found myself confronting a huge player, who had nothing but me between him and our goal line,” said Tim. “I was so frightened that I closed my eyes and desperately threw myself at that guy like a bullet (子弹) — and stopped him cold.”
Boldness — a willingness to extend yourself to the extreme—is not one that can be acquired overnight. But it can be taught to children and developed in adults. Confidence builds up. Surely, there will be setbacks (挫折) and disappointments in life; boldness in itself is no guarantee of success. But the person who tries to do something and fails is a lot better off than the person who tries to do nothing and succeeds.
So, always try to live a little bit beyond your abilities — and you’ll find your abilities are greater than you ever dreamed.Why was the author sometimes unable to reach his goal in the past?
| A．He faced huge risks. |
| B．He lacked mighty forces. |
| C．Fear prevented him from trying. |
| D．Failure blocked his way to success. |
What is the implied meaning of the underlined part?
| A．Swallow more than you can digest. |
| B．Act slightly above your abilities. |
| C．Develop more mysterious powers. |
| D．Learn to make creative decisions. |
What was especially important for Tim’s successful defense in the football game?
| A．His physical strength. |
| B．His basic skill. |
| C．His real fear. |
| D．His spiritual force. |
What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?
| A．To encourage people to be courageous. |
| B．To advise people to build up physical power. |
| C．To tell people the ways to guarantee success. |
| D．To recommend people to develop more abilities. |
第二节（共5小题，每小题2分，满分10分）
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。其中有两项为多余选项。
Is the customer always right? 71 Shopping is very much a part of a country’s culture, and attitudes to shopping and consumers vary from country to country just as much as climate or taste in food.
Recent economic hardship has given the consumers increased power in Europe because shopkeepers fight to win their share of reduced disposable(可支配的) income. This has meant falling prices, plenty of special offers and a re-examination of what customer service really means. 72 In restaurants in the south of the USA, for example, waiters compliment(恭维) you on your clothes, ask about your day, compliment you on your wisdom of your order and then return every ten minutes to refill your glass and make sure that everything is to your satisfaction.
Anyone who has waited 30 minutes to be served in a restaura
nt may possibly dream of such customer service. 73 In fact, different nationalities expect different types of service. As a friend of mine once told me, “By the end of evening I had spent as much time talking to the waiter as to my wife.”
A Chinese-American friend loves telling people about how her Chinese mother shops for clothes. First of all she waits until they are on sale. 74 And later she finds some small fault wi
th the product and demands a further reductio
n. She never buys anything at the regular price. Could you imagine trying such ways in department stores in other countries?
Attitudes to service are, of course, affected by employers’ attitudes to their workers. As American waiters heavily depend on tips, they have to provide more service. But is this fair？ 75 It might not be a
case of “Is the customer always right?” but a case of “How much service is it fair to expect?”
| A．People often point to America as an example of good customer service. |
| B．It is a question of expectations. |
| C．Do we think it is fair to ask shop assistants to work late evenings or on Sundays? |
| D．Then she asks for a discount until she gets an even better price. |
E.The answer, it seems, depends on which country you are in.
F.The way we shop shows the way we get along with other people.
G..However, do Europeans really want US style service?
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Campaigns: A Century of Presidential Races
Every campaign since 1900—including the historic 200 races—in images from the New York Times Photo Archives. With 350 photos, contemporary newspaper reports and an introduction by prize winning historian Alan Brinkldy DK Publishing. 410 pages. Hardcover.
1. A student of history is most likely to take _____ listed above.
A. the fourth book B. the third book C. the second book D. the first book
2.The underlined word“others”in Paragraph 3 may include______.
A. traffic accidents B.floods C. pollution D.explosions
3.It can be learned from one of the books _____.
A. how to repair your digital camera for yourself
B. how to work out the expenses before going to a restaurant
C. how to get the latest information about natural disasters
D. how to learn a lot about historian Alan Brinkley
A team of researchers recently created a robot that can repair itself. The newly designed machine can sense injury to itself and adapt. That ability sets the new robot apart from earlier machines. Because the robot can recover from unexpected damage, it may be especially useful in exploring unfamiliar places. “There is a need for planetary robotic rovers(流浪者) to be able to fix things on their own,” says Josh Bongard, one of the device’s creators. “Robots on other planets must be able to continue their mission without human help if they are damaged and cannot communicate their problem back to Earth.”
A typical robot functions according to a computer program, but the new robot works differently. First, sensors in its four legs observe the robot’s movements and signals to its built-in computer. From the information it collects, the robot creates its own programs that allow it to adapt to different situations. For example, when the researchers shortened one of the robot’s legs, the smart machine simply adjusted its way of walking—it used three legs instead of four.
The researchers are looking for other places to put the resilient(迅速恢复) robot to work. One possible spot is the ocean floor. That dark and dangerous undersea terrain(地带) might be a good choice for a robot the scientists call the Starfish. “We never officially named the robot, but we usually refer to it as the Starfish, even though a real starfish has five rather than four legs,” says Bongard. “Also, a real starfish is much better than our robot at recovering from injury, because it can ac
tually regrow its legs.” Scientists have created robots that help humans in many ways: by exploring space, fighting fires, and even performing surgery.
1. The newly designed robot is different from the former ones because it ___________.
A. can communicat
e with people on the earth about their problems
B. works according to a certain computer program
C. can find problems itself and get used to the new environment
D. can explore unfamiliar places
2. An example is given in the second paragraph in order to explain that the new robot ___________.
A. is used to create new programs B. has typical robot functions
C. has sensors to observe its movements D. can adapt to new conditions
3. What might be the best title of the passage?
A. How does the Starfish Robot work B. Do-It-Yourself Robot Repair
C. Robots Designed to Work On Other Planets D. New Robot Helping Us In Many Ways
4. Which of the following is True about the Starfish?
A. It has more than four legs. B. It hasn’t been officially named.
C. It can regrow its legs quickly. D. It has started to work on the ocean floor.
WASHINGTON Laura Straub is a very worried woman. Her job is to find families for French teenagers who expect to live with American families in the summer.
It’s not easy, even desperate.
“We have many children left to place: 40 out of 75,” said Straub, who works for a Paris based foreign exchange programme called LEC.
When exchange programmes started 50 years ago, more families were willing to help others. For one thing, more mothers stayed home.
But now, increasing numbers of women work outside the home. Exchange student programmes have struggled in recent years to sign up host families for the
30,000 teenagers who come from abroad every year to have some courses for one year in the United States. as well as the thousands more who take part in summer programmes.
School systems in many parts of the US, unhappy about accepting non taxpaying students, have also strictly limited the number of exchange students they accept. At the same time, the idea of hosting foreign students is becoming less 
exotic (异国情调的).
In searching for host families, who usually receive no pay, exchange programmes are increasingly br
oadening their requests to include everyone from young couples to the retired.
“We are open to many different types of families.” said Vickie Weiner, eastern regional director for ASSE, a 25-year-old programme that sends about 30,000 teenagers on one-year exchange programmes worldwide.
For elderly people, exchange students “keep us young——they really do,” said Jean Foster, who is hosting 16-year-old Nina Ports from Denmark.
1.Foreign teenagers come to American families with the purpose of _____.
A. finding their parents in America B. finding good jobs in America
C. learning the culture of America D. enjoying the life of America
2.In the past, Straub’s job was easy, because American families _____.
A. needed more money to live B. had fewer children to support
C. had spare rooms to rent D. were not as busy as now
3.To deal with the problem in recent years, Straub and her workmates have to _____.
A. ask different kinds of families for help B. limit the number of the exchange students
C. borrow much money to pay for the costs D. force some families to accept students
4.From the last paragraph we can conclude that _____.
A. exchange students are welcome in America
B. exchange students must pay much money to the host families
C. American students don’t want to join the exchange programmes
D. old Americans can benefit from hosting exchange students
第三部分阅读理解（共两节，满分40分）
第一节（共15小题，每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
Just call Apolo Anton Ohno the most decorated sportsman in the history of the Winter Olympics. The speed skater glided into the history books after the 2010 Olympics, winning a record-breaking eighth Olympic medal after completing the men’s 5,000-meter relay.
Apolo Anton Ohno, born on May 22, 1982, is an American short track speed skating competitor and an eight-time medalist (two golds, two silvers, four bronzes) in the Winter Olympics. He is one of the only four Americans who have won three medals in a single Winter Olympic Games. He started skating at age 12, and in two years became the best short track skater in the United States. In December1999, he became the youngest skater to win a World Cup event title.
“It feels amazing, especially in a sport as volatile as short track speed skating,” he remarked after his historic win. “This is my third Olympic Games and there is no other athlete here who has gone to three Olympic Games and won a medal every time. I wanted to leave my heart and soul on the ice and I did. I don’t look back at past medals, but I look back at the struggles. I live my life with the philosophy that anything’s possible but I had no idea I’d have this much success.”
Ohno’s third Olympics might have been his last. He is considering retirement, although US national coach Jimmy Jang is hoping to convince his longtime friend to compete four years from now in Sochi, a Russian city where the next Winter Olympics is going to be held.
“I never say ‘never’,” Ohno said. “I need a break from this sport that’s been very good to me.”
After the relay, Ohno skated over to congratulate the Canadians and shook hands with his South Korean competitors. One of them said: “We have some good memories and we also have some bad memories of Ohno. I will be sorry to see him leave the world of short track when he does.”
1. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Short Track Speed Skating
B. Apolo Anton Ohno’s sport dream
C. Eight Gold Medalists in the Winter Olympics
D. “Michael Phelps” on the Ice—Apolo Anton Ohno
2. What does the underlined word “volatile” in Paragraph 3 mean?
A. changeable B. violent C. stable D. interesting
3. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. His three medals in this Olympics makes him the third one in American sports history.
B. He owes his success to his hard working and his strong belief.
C. He will retire after the next Winter Olympic Games to be held in Russia.
D. He has gained worldwide fame and recognition but his competitors’ envy.
4. In which section of a newspaper is the passage most likely to be found?
A. Health and Entertainment B. News abroad
C. Life and Society D. Great people
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