Not many people can say that they have lived in two totally different environments, and technically neither can I. I have lived in the same house in the same Connecticut town my whole life, but a lot of my childhood and teenage years have been spent visiting my family in New York City.

Wethersfield is a typical New England town, a small close community (社区) where almost everyone knows your name. My friends all go to the same high school and my parents are friendly with my friends’ parents. Most of my friends don’t realize what life is like outside this little town. Maybe every so often a few take a day trip to Manhattan or Boston, but none really knows what it’s like to live in an urban environment.

My parents are both from New York City and since they have siblings and friends who still live there, we visit a lot. From an early age I have been exposed to urban life. Jeff, one of my cousins, lives with his mother in a one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn. He has never had his own room and has always been very much on his own. I don’t think any of my friends could understand how someone could live like that. www.zxxk.com

When I go to the city I see things I would never see in my hometown. I see poverty and people struggling to make a living. I observe a whole different pace; there, you’re just one guy living with millions of others who will never know your name.

I feel blessed to have experienced the lifestyles of two completely different places. I am grateful for the opportunities I have had. I feel that living in Wethersfield has given me a solid base in forming my character and the ability to deal in a close-knit society. On the other hand, my time spent in New York has exposed me to diverse cultural experiences. I feel that I would be comfortable in any environment and could make the best of any situation.

1．According to the author, most of his friends in the town _____.

A. have never experienced city life

B. can only understand the rural life

C. prefer the small close community

D. know little about the real city life

2．The underlined word “siblings” in paragraph 3 means _____.

A. schoolmates  B. colleagues       C. relatives        D. parents

3．The author’s life in New York has brought him _____.

A. his present character                B. the social ability  

C. the comfort of city life         D. diverse cultural experiences

4．What could be the best title for the passage?

A. A Small Town and a Big City

B. A Man of Two Different Worlds

C. Experience Various Environments

D. Make the Best of Diverse Cultures

Every day we go to school and listen to teachers, and the teacher will ask us some questions. Sometimes, the classmates will ask your opinions of the work of the class. When you are telling others in the class what you have found out about these topics, remember that they must be able to hear what you are saying. You are not taking part in a family conversation or having a chat with friends --- you are in a situation where a large group of people will remain silent, waiting to hear what you have to say. You must speak so that they can hear you loudly enough and clearly enough but without trying to shout or appearing to force yourself.

    Remember, too, that it is the same if you are called to an interview whether it is with a professor of your school or a government official who might meet you. The person you are seeing will try to put you at your ease in ordinary conversation but the situation is somewhat different from that of an ordinary conversation. You must take special care that you can be heard.

5．When you speak to the class, you should speak __________.

A. as loudly as possible    B. in a low voice       C. loudly       D. forcefully

6．The situation in the class is _________ that in your house.

A. not very different from                      B. sometimes the same as

C. sometimes not the same as                    D. not the same as

7．If you are having a conversation with an official, the most important thing for you is _____________.

A. to show your ability                         B. to be very gentle

C. to make sure that you can be heard               D. to put the official at ease

8．The main idea of this passage is __________.

A. that we must use different ways at different situations

B. that we must speak loudly

C. that we must keep silent at any time

D. that we must talk with the class

YOU probably think you know about London’s problems. The people are unfriendly, it’s way too expensive, and the food is terrible - so why do so many tourists flock (蜂拥) there?

London was named the world’s most popular city between July and September 2013. It edged out other world-famous cities such as New York and Paris, welcoming 4.9 million visitors, according to the UK Office for National Statistics.

Amazingly, this was an increase of almost 19.5 percent on 2012 - the year when the Olympics happened in summer.

So can London’s success be explained? Well, maybe. As the English writer Samuel Johnson once said, “when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life”. London life is often crazy and expensive, but if you can think of something, you can probably do it there.

Anywhere in the city, you can often look around a great museum such as the British Museum, watch a concert at a historic venue (场所) like the Royal Albert Hall, or dance the night away in a cool nightclub such as Fabric.

And it’s not just about culture – there are also world-famous sporting venues around the city. Many tourists like to watch soccer matches at stadiums such as Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge, Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, or Tottenham’s White Hart Lane. Tourists even came to watch British tennis player Andy Murray’s famous victory at the Wimbledon tennis tournament (锦标赛) in 2013.

Yes, but what about the food? Well, even if you don’t like British food – and if you’ve never had real fish and chips, or a summer pudding, then perhaps you should wait until you’ve tried them – there is plenty of great food from all over the world available in London’s many restaurants.

London, like many of its buildings, has a long history, but also never lacks a vibrant pulse (充满活力的脉搏). All over the city, history and modernity come together to make it an essential place for tourists to discover.

9． What is the author’s main purpose in writing the article?

A. To show the effects of the 2012 London Olympics.

B. To analyze why London appeals to tourists.

C. To compare London with other world-famous cities.

D. To talk about common problems in London.

10． The underlined phrase “edged out” in the second paragraph probably means ______.

A. took the lead of

B. had a lot in common with

C. followed the example of

D. became more popular than

11． In Samuel Johnson’s eyes, life in London is probably ______.

A. relaxed        B. boring

C.  colorful    D. challenging

12． According to the article, London is attracting many visitors from across the world, mainly because ______.

a. it is a city rich in culture and attractions

b. most local people are friendly

c. the sporting venues around the city are worthy of a visit

d. British food enjoys a good reputation among visitors

e. the city has a combination of history and modernity

A. abc       B.ace      C. bcd       D. bde

Disease, poverty, hate, love—Charles Dickens’ stories opened his readers eyes to the most important themes of his age. Two hundred years on, his stories still speak volumes across the world, proving that Dickens’ legacy(遗产) was far greater than just “great literature”

    February 7 marks the 200^th anniversary of the writer’s birthday. To mark this date, BBC writer Alex Hudson listed six things Dickens gave the modern world. Let’s take a look at two of them.

A white Christmas

Dickens is described as “the man who invented Christmas”—not the religious festival, but the cultural aspects that we associate with the festive season today. In the early 19^th century, Christmas was barely worth mentioning, according to critic and writer Leigh Hunt. The committee which ran the Conservative Party even held ordinary business meetings on Christmas Day – unthinkable in the West nowadays, when everyone but the most necessary workers takes at least three days off.

Many people believe that Dickens’ popular descriptions of the festive period became a blueprint for generations to come. In his classic novel, A Christmas Carol, he not only put forward the idea of snow at Christmas, but also painted a picture of glowing warmth –“ home enjoyments, affections and hopes”.

In his biography of Dickens, Peter Ackroyd wrote: “ Dickens can be said to have almost single-handedly created the modern idea of Christmas.”

“Dickensian” poverty

Dickens was one of the first to take an honest look at the underclass and the poor of Victorian (the period during British Queen Victoria’s reign from 1837 to 1901) London.

He helped popularize the term “red tape” to describe situations where people in power use needless amounts of bureaucracy（官僚作风） in a way that particularly hurts the weaker and poorer members of society.

“Dickensian” has now become a powerful word for describing an unacceptable level of poverty. In 2009, when the president of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers in the UK wanted to talk about deprivation in some areas of Britain, she did not use words like “terrible” or “horrific”, but rather described it as “life mirroring the times of Dickens”. 

13．What is the main idea of the article?

   A. An introduction to Charles Dickens’ classic novels.

   B. Charles dickens’ impact on the world.

C. Charles Dickens’ amazing characters.

D. Why Charles Dickens is popular across the world.

14．Why is Dickens called “the man who invented Christmas”?

A. Because he created the religious festival.

B. Because many of his novels have something to do with Christmas.

C. Because one of his novels helped to shape Christmas celebrations.

D. Because he was the first man to have proposed celebrating Christmas.

15．According to the article, the phrase “red tape” refers to _______.

   A. rules or procedures that are required to accomplish a task

B. a situation in which poor members of society are hurt.

C. conflict between people in power and weaker people

D. pointlessly time-consuming official procedures

Last year, I lost my best friend in high school. It seemed that everyone else’s life could just continue on in its  36  way, but mine couldn't. I wasn't sure how I was going to be able to face  37 and their gossip at school. I was forced to   38  my routine on Monday morning as usual. In the evening I returned home from school  39  completely defeated. All I wanted to do was  40  into bed and wallow（沉迷于）in my own self-pity. I pulled back the covers on my bed and  41 a pile of cards left by my dad. Each card included a（n）  42  that it was to be opened on a  43  night that week.

I made it through that week   44  my father. Each card 45  to say just what I needed to hear. Tuesday’s card said, “The past is painful to think about and the  46  is impossible to imagine. Don't try. Just take it one minute at a time.” On Wednesday my mood  47  when I read, “What you are feeling now is   48  and normal. It still feels very bad, but it is part of the healing  49  .” Friday’s card contained a poem he wrote. The last lines made me smile through my tears. “Whatever special  50  you face along life’s way, may you  51  that you will find the best in every day.” I was instructed to open the last card  52 the party I went to on Saturday night. In it he wisely reminded me to  53  . “The world isn't so bad after a good laugh. The more you laugh, the more you heal.” Each card was signed, “Love, Dad.”

My world once collapsed but I  54  the difficult breakup eventually. It owed to my dad , who made his  55  known when he couldn't be present.

16．A. pleasant         B. strange              C. funny            D. normal

17．A. everyone         B. anyone           C. someone          D. nobody

18．A. work out         B. meet with            C. deal with            D.come across

19．A. making           B. feeling              C. regarding            D. onsidering

20．A. crawl       B. push             C. jump             D. draw

21．A. invented         B. discovered           C. created          D. wrote

22．A. instruction      B. explanation          C. presentation         D. information

23．A. regular          B. flexible             C. particular           D. legal

24．A.in favor of      B. regardless of        C. in search of        D. because of

25．A. seemed           B. happened         C. occurred             D. intended

26．A.life              B. future           C. dream            D. result

27．A. fell             B. passed               C. flied                D. lifted

28．A. false            B. honest               C. natural              D. innocent

29．A. content          B. process              C. cure             D. progress

30．A.destruction       B. competition          C. challenges           D. destination

31．A. trust            B. guess                C. predict              D. succeed

32．A. before      B. since                C. after                D. till

33．A. cry         B. scream               C. sing             D. laugh

34．A.got through       B. looked through       C. broke through   D.put through

35．A. schedule         B. concept         C. soul             D. confidence