Plants are very important living things. Life could not go if there were no plants. This is because plants can make food from air, water and sunlight. Animals and man cannot make food from air, water and sunlight. Animals get their food by eating plants and other animals. So animals and man need plants in order to live. This is why we find that there are so many plants around us.
If you look carefully at the plants around you, you will find that there are two kinds of plants: flowering plants and non-flowering plants.
Flowering plants can make seeds. The seeds are protected by the fruits. Some fruits have one seed, some have two, three or four, and some have many seeds. But a few fruits have no seeds at all. An example of a fruit without seeds is the banana fruit.
Most non-flowering plants don’t grow from seeds. They grow from spores. Spores are so small and light that they can float in the air. We may say that spores are quite the same as he seeds. When these spores fall on wet and shady places, they usually grow into new plants.
小题1:The main idea of the passage is that      .

A．plants are important for life	B．plants cannot grow without air
C．there are many plants around us	D．we cannot live without water

小题2:Which of the following is NOT TRUE?

A．Plants can be divided into main types: flowering plants and non-flowering plants.

B．All fruits have seeds in them.

C．Seeds are protected by the fruits.

D．Some plants grow from spores.

小题3:The underlined word "non-flowering" means        .

A．开花的

B．有花的

C．多花的

D．不开花的

小题4:In “shady places” there is        .

A．a lot of sunshine

B．a lot of water

C．no water

D．little sunshine

There are several ways you can find out about the countries and places you wish to visit. You can talk to friends who have travelled to the places. Or you can go and see a color film. Or you can read travel books.
It would seem that there are three kinds of travel books. The first are those that give a personal, subjective(主观的)account of travels which the author has actually made himself. If they are informative and have a good index(索引), then they can be useful to you when you are planning your travels. The second kind are those books whose purpose is to give a purely objective(客观的)description of things to be done and seen. If a well-read, cultured person has written such a book, then it is even more useful. It can be sorted as a selected guide book. The third kind are those books which are called “a guide” to some place or other. If they are good, they will, in addition to their factual information, give an analysis or an explanation. Like the first kind they can be inspiring and interesting. But their basic purpose is to help the reader who wishes to plan in the most practical way.
Whatever kind of travel book you choose you must make sure that it does not describe everything as “wonderful”, “excellent” or “magical”. You must also note its date of publication because travel is a very practical affair and many things change quickly in the twenty-first century. Finally, you should make sure that the contents are well presented and easy to find.
小题1:This passage is about      .

A．how to travel	B．how to buy travel books
C．how to read a travel book	D．travel books

小题2:The following travel books may be of use when you plan your travels except      .

A．the book written by some people who have had the same travel experience themselves

B．the book which tells you what is worth doing and seeing based on the facts

C．the book in which a lot of big adjectives are used to draw your attention

D．the book which offers you a lot of useful information like a tour guide

小题3:The date of the publication must be noticed because      .

A．the world is changing and so are the places you are going to visit

B．the price of the book is always changing

C．the author of the book may be different

D．the contents of the book are always the same

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。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Are you truly happy? Do you ever know what it means to be happy and what it takes to achieve happiness?   1 . The following are a few tips that I follow to create happiness in my life.
◆Make a plan for attaining goals that you believe will make you happy. Your moods will very likely increase if you are going after something you value.
◆Surround yourself with happy people. It is easy to begin to think negatively when you are surrounded by people who think that way.   2 .
◆When something goes wrong, try to figure out a solution instead of being absorbed in self pity. Truly happy people don’t allow setbacks to affect their mood because they know that with a little thought they can turn the circumstances back to their favor.
◆  3 . These few minutes will give you the opportunity to focus on the positive things in your life and will lead you to continuous happiness.
◆  4 . Whether you treat yourself to lunch, take a long relaxing bath or simply spend a few extra minutes on your appearance, you will be subconsciously(下意识)putting yourself in a better mood.
◆Finding the humor in situations can also lead to happiness. Find a way to make light of a situation that would otherwise make you happy.
◆Keeping healthy is another way to achieve happiness.   5  

A．What makes one person happy may be very different from what makes someone else happy.

B．On the contrary, if you are around people who are happy, their emotional state will be infectious.

C．Being overweight or not eating nutritious foods can have a negative effect on your mood.

D．These are important questions for anyone who is seeking happiness to ask themselves.

E. Spend a few minutes each day thinking about the things that make you happy.
F. There are some tips in life that lead to happiness.
G. It’s also important to take some time each day to do something nice for yourself.

One morning, a blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said, “I am blind. Please help me.” There were only a few coins in the hat.
A man was walking by. He took out a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote something on it. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by could see the new words. Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, “Are you the one who changed my sign this morning? May I know what you wrote?” The man said, “I only wrote the truth, I said what you said but in a different way.” What he had written was, “Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it.”
Of course both signs told people the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was a blind. The second sign told people they were so lucky that they were not blind. It reminded you to be thankful for what you have. When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1,000 reasons to smile. Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear. Keep the faith and drop the fear. The most beautiful thing is to see a person smiling.
小题1:We can learn from the text that the man helped the blind boy by __________.

A．sitting together with him	B．rewriting the sign
C．teaching him some principles	D．raising money for him

小题2:Why did the man come back that afternoon?

A．To bring some food to the boy.

B．To explain to the boy why he had left.

C．To make sure the boy was still there.

D．To check if there were some changes.

小题3:It can be inferred that the boy was ________ after he found out what the man had written.

A．moved

B．amazed

C．excited

D．worried

小题4:What is the main idea of the text?

A．We should help those who are in trouble.

B．We should value what we have in life.

C．We should respect people with disabilities.

D．We should use a wise way when helping others

 阅读下面短文，根据所读内容在表格中的空白处填入恰当的单词。注意：每个空格只填一个单词。
Third-generation mobile phones, known as 3G, are the next big step for the telecom industry. Data speed in 3G networks is much quicker than that in present technology. This means users can have high-speed Internet access and enjoy video and CD-quality music on their phones.
“Mobile data is not a dream; it’s not an option but a requirement,” said Len Lauer, head of a US communications company, Sprint PCS, at a 3G conference in Bangkok earlier this month.
With 3G, you can forget about text messages telling you yesterday’s news; a 3G phone can receive video news programs, updated four times a day. Internet access will also be much quicker, making it easier to surf the Web on your phone than on your computer at home.
Face-to-face video calls
Don’t worry about getting lost. 3G phones offer map services so you can find a new restaurant just by pressing a few keys on your handset.
However, the most impressive part of 3G technology is video calling. With live two-way video communication, you can have face-to-face talks with friends and family on your mobile phone.
Many European countries have already launched the service. In May 2000 the US Government issued five license to run 3G wireless services, while the first 3G phones arrived in Italy in March this year.
International telecom companies can’t wait to sell 3G in China, the world’s largest mobile telecommunications market. But they will have to be patient. At the moment, China is busy testing its 3G-based technologies, networks and services. This will be followed by a trial period before the phones can finally hit the shops.
“We need to create a pool of 3G customers before the large-scale commercial launch of the service,” said Fan Yunjun, marketing manager for Beijing Mobile. “We expect that the 3G licenses will be issued late next year.”

Third-generation mobile phones (3G mobile phones)
小题1: ______________	a. Data speed: 小题2: ______________ than present technology b. Video and 小题3: _____ music c. Video news programs: 小题4:________ four times a day d. Internet access: quicker and 小题5:__________
Impressive 小题6:______	a. Offer map services, helping you find your way b. Provide two-way video小题7:____________
3G phones in China	a. China is busy 小题8:________ its 3G-based technologies, networks and services. b. 3G phones should be 小题9:_____out before being put into market. c. 3G phones are 小题10:______ to be seen late next year.

　　For five days, Edmonton’s Downtown Park is transformed into one huge stage where artists are able to share their talents, and where people are able to celebrate and enjoy themselves .Since is beginning in 1980,the Edmonton Folk Music Festival has been commemorating(念）the ture feeling of what folk music is all about and that's the traditional togetherness(友爱）that is felt when people gather to share stories and feelings through song.
　　This year will be the sixth year when volunteer Riedel will be offering up her time to the festival. "People coming off a busy spring and summer have a moment of relaxation ," Riedel said. "It's really east to relax, and it's great seeing family and friends have fun together." These families and friends come from all different kinds of musical tastes. People who take pleasure in Blues are there, so are people who love Bluegrass. This festival does its best to develop everyone's musical interests.
　　With so many years of expenence .the festival has become a well-oiled machine, and does whatever it can to make attendees feel as possible. There are free water stations throughout the venue(举办地）for people to fill up their travel cups. When people buy food, reusable ashes are given a $2 plate fee, but that is returned when the plate is brought back.
　　The festival has completely sold out of tickets, and in record time. But with big names such as Van Morrison and Jakob Dylan, it’s easy to see how that was going to happen. There is no parking area during the festival, so using the Park & Ride system or Edmonton Transit is highly recommended. A bike lock-up area is provided and will be available Thursday until Sunday one hour before the gates open until 45 minutes after the gates close.
　　The Edmonton Folk Music Festival begins on Wednesday, Aug.4 with Van Morrison playing the special donation fund （基金）concert, and will finish up on Sunday, Aug.8.
小题1:The Edmonton Folk Music Festival is held mainly to ___________.

A．gather people with different musical tastes

B．remind people of the real sense of folk music

C．exhibitive good voices of great talents in folk music

D．collect old stories of folk music

小题2:Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Riedel has volunteered for the festival for at least 5years.

B．It’s hard for people to appreciate Blues.

C．It costs people a little to fill up their cups from water stations.

D．People have to pay ﹩2 for a plate of food.

小题3:We can learn from the passenger that____.

A．people can get tickets easily for the festival

B．the Edmonton Folk Music Festival is highly recommended.

C．driving one’s own car to the festival is highly recommended

D．bikes are available at the festival from Wednesday to Sunday

小题4:What would the best title for the passenger?

A．Folk Music of Blues

B．One Festival Family Gathering

C．Festival for family Gathering

D．Edmonton’s Downtown Park

One evening in February 2007, a student named Paula Ceely brought her car to a stop on a remote road in Wales. She got out to open a metal gate that blocked her path. That's when she heard the whistle sounded by the driver of a train. Her Renault Clio was parked across a railway line. Seconds later, she watched the train drag her car almost a kilometre down the railway tracks.
Ceely's near miss made the news because she blamed it on her GPS (导航仪). She had never driven the route before. It was dark and raining heavily. Ceely was relying on her GPS, but it made no mention of the crossing. "I put my complete trust in the device and it led me right into the path of a speeding train." she told the BBC.
Who is to blame here? Rick Stevenson, who tells Ceely's story in his book When Machines Fail Us, points the finger at the limitations of technology. We put our faith in digital devices, he says, but our digital helpers are too often not up to the job. They are filled with small problems. And it's not just GPS devices: Stevenson takes us on a tour of digital disasters involving everything from mobile phones to wireless keyboards.
The problem with his argument in the book is that it's not clear why he only focuses on digital technology, while there may be a number of other possible causes. A map-maker might have left the crossing off a paper map. Maybe we should blame Ceely for not paying attention. Perhaps the railway authorities are at fault for poor signalling system. Or maybe someone has studied the relative dangers and worked out that there really is something specific wrong with the GPS equipment. But Stevenson doesn't say.
It's a problem that runs through the book. In a section on cars, Stevenson gives an account of the advanced techniques that criminals use to defeat computer-based locking systems for cars. He offers two independent sets of figures on car theft; both show a small rise in some parts of the country. He says that once again not all new locks have proved reliable. Perhaps, but maybe it's also due to the shortage of policemen on the streets. Or changing social circumstances. Or some combination of these factors.
The game between humans and their smart devices is amusing and complex. It is shaped by economics and psychology and the cultures we live in. Somewhere in the mix of those forces there may be a way for a wiser use of technology.
If there is such a way, it should involve more than just an awareness of the shortcomings of our machines. After all, we have lived with them for thousands of years. They have probably been fooling us for just as long.
小题1:What did Paula Ceely think was the cause of her accident?

A．She was not familiar with the road.

B．It was dark and raining heavily then.

C．The railway workers failed to give the signal.

D．Her GPS device didn't tell her about the crossing.

小题2: The phrase "near miss" (Paragraph 2) can best be replaced by ________.

A．close hit	B．heavy loss
C．narrow escape	D．big mistake

小题3:Which of the following would Rick Stevenson most probably agree with?

A．Modern technology is what we can't live without.

B．Digital technology often falls short of our expectation.

C．Digital devices are more reliable than they used to be.

D．GPS error is not the only cause for Ceely's accident.

小题4:In the writer's opinion, Stevenson's argument is ________.

A．one-sided

B．reasonable

C．puzzling

D．well-based

小题5:What is the real concern of the writer of this article?

A．The major causes of traffic accidents and car thefts.

B．The relationship between human and technology.

C．The shortcomings of digital devices we use.

D．The human unawareness of technical problems.

In the more and more competitive service industry, it is no longer enough to promise customer satisfaction. Today, customer "delight" is what companies are trying to achieve in order to keep and increase market share.
It is accepted in the marketing industry, and confirmed by a number of researchers, that customers receiving good service will promote business by telling up to 12 other people; those treated badly tell tales of woe to up to 20 people. Interestingly, 80 percent of people who feel their complaints are handled fairly will stay loyal.
New challenges for customer care have come when people can obtain goods and services through telephone call centers and the Internet. For example, many companies now have to invest (投资) a lot of money in information technology and staff training in order to cope with the "phone rage" -- caused by delays in answering calls, being cut off in mid-conversation or left waiting for long periods.
"Many people do not like talking to machines," says Dr. Storey, Senior Lecturer in Marketing at City University Business School. "Banks, for example, encourage staff at call centers to use customer data to establish instant and good relationship with them. The aim is to make the customer feel they know you and that you can trust them -- the sort of comfortable feelings people have during face-to-face chats with their local branch manager."
Recommended ways of creating customer delight include: under-promising and over-delivering (saying that a repair will be carried out within five hours, but getting it done within two) replacing a faulty product immediately; throwing in a gift voucher (购物礼券) as an unexpected "thank you" to regular customers; and always returning calls, even when they are complaints.
Aiming for customer delight is all very well, but if services do not reach the high level promised, disappointment or worse will be the result. This can be eased by offering an apology and an explanation of why the service did not meet usual standards with empathy (for example, "I know how you must feel"), and possible solutions (replacement, compensation or whatever fairness suggests best meets the case).
Airlines face some of the toughest challenges over customer care. Fierce competition has convinced them that delighting passengers is an important marketing tool, while there is great potential for customer anger over delays caused by weather, unclaimed luggage and technical problems.
For British Airways staff, a winning telephone style is considered vital in handling the large volume of calls about bookings and flight times. They are trained to answer quickly, with their names, job title and a "we are here to help" attitude. The company has invested heavily in information technology to make sure that information is available instantly on screen.
British Airways also says its customer care policies are applied within the company and staff are taught to regard each other as customers requiring the highest standards of service.
Customer care is obviously here to stay and it would be a foolish company that used slogans such as "we do as we please". On the other hand, the more customers are promised, the greater the risk of disappointment.
小题1:We can learn from Paragraph 2 that _______.

A．complaining customers are hard to satisfy

B．unsatisfied customers receive better service

C．satisfied customers catch more attention

D．well-treated customers promote business

小题2:The writer mentions "phone rage" (Paragraph 3) to show that ________.

A．customers often use phones to express their anger

B．people still prefer to buy goods online

C．customer care becomes more demanding

D．customers rely on their phones to obtain services

小题3:What does the writer recommend to create customer delight?

A．Calling customers regular.

B．Giving a "thank you" note.

C．Delivering a quicker service.

D．Promising more gifts.

小题4:If a manager should show his empathy (Paragraph 6), what would be probably say?

A．"I know how upset you must be."

B．"I appreciate your understanding."

C．"I'm sorry for the delay."

D．"I know it's our fault."

小题5:Customer delight is important for airlines because ________.

A．their telephone style remains unchanged

B．they are more likely to meet with complaints

C．the services cost them a lot of money

D．the policies can be applied to their staff

小题6:Which of the following is conveyed in this article?

A．Face-to-face service creates comfortable feelings among customers.

B．Companies that promise more will naturally attract more customers.

C．A company should promise less but do more in a competitive market.

D．Customer delight is more important for air lines then for banks.

My father was Chief engineer of merchant ship, which was sunk in Word War II. The book Night of the U-boats told the story.
Memories
In September, 1940, my mother, sister and I went to Swansea, where my father's ship was getting ready to sail. We brought him a family photograph to be kept with him at all times and keep him safe.
Then I remember my mother lying face down, sobbing. She had heard from a friend that the ship had been sunk by a torpedo (鱼雷).
I can remember the arrival of the telegram (电报), which in those days always brought had news. My grandmother opened it. It read, "Safe, Love Ted."
My most vivid memory is being woken and brought down to sit on my father's knee, his arm in a bandage.
He was judged unfit to return to sea and took a shore job in Glasgow for the rest of the war. For as long as I can remember, he had a weak heart. Mother said it was caused by the torpedoes. He said it was because of the cigarettes. Whichever, he died suddenly in his early 50s.
Ten years later I read Night of the U-boats and was able to complete the story.
Torpedo
One torpedo struck the ship. Father was in the engine room, where the third engineer was killed. He shut down the engines to slow the ship making it easier for it to be abandoned.
By the time he got on deck (甲板) he was alone. Every lifeboat was gone except one which had stuck fast. When he tried to cut it free, it swung against the ship, injuring his hand and arm. He had no choice but to jump — still with the photograph in his pocket.
Three days later, he and other survivors were safe in Glasgow. All 23 with him signed the back of the photograph.
A Toast
In my room is the book and the photograph. Often, glass in hand, I have wondered how I would have dealt with an explosion, a sinking ship, a jump into a vast ocean and a wait for rescue? Lest（以免）we forget, I have some more whisky and toast the heroes of the war.
小题1:We can infer that the mother and children went to Swansea ________.

A．to meet a friend

B．to see the father off

C．to take a family photo

D．to enjoy the sailing of the ship

小题2:What did the author learn about the father from the telegram?

A．he was still alive.

B．His knee was broken.

C．His ship had been sunk.

D．He had arrived in Glasgow.

小题3:The underlined word "it" in Paragraph 6 refers to the father's ________.

A．weak heart

B．taking a shore job

C．failure to return to sea

D．injury caused by a torpedo

小题4:What can we know about the author's father after his ship was attacked?

A．He lost his arm

B．He repaired the engines.

C．He managed to take a lifeboat.

D．He was the last to leave the ship.

小题5:What is the massage mainly about?

A．A group of forgotten heroes

B．A book describing a terrifying battle.

C．A ship engineer's wartime experience.

D．A merchant's memories of a sea rescue.

The common cold is the world’s most widespread illness, which is plagues(疫病) that flesh receives. The most widespread fallacy(谬误) of all is that colds are caused by cold. They are not. They are caused by viruses passing on from person to person. You catch a cold by coming into contact, directly or indirectly, with someone who already has one. If cold causes colds, it would be reasonable to expect the Eskimos to suffer from them forever. But they do not. And in isolated arctic regions explorers have reported being free from colds until coming into contact again with infected people from the outside world by way of packages and mail dropped from airplanes.
During the First World War soldiers who spent long periods in the trenches(战壕), cold and wet, showed no increased tendency to catch colds.
In the Second World War prisoners at the notorious Auschwitz concentration camp(奥斯维辛集中营), naked and starving, were astonished to find that they seldom had colds. At the Common Cold Research Unit in England, volunteers took part in Experiments in which they gave themselves to the discomforts of being cold and wet for long stretches of time. After taking hot baths, they put on bathing suits, allowed themselves to be with cold water, and then stood about dripping wet in drafty room. Some wore wet socks all day while others exercised in the rain until close to exhaustion. Not one of the volunteers came down with a cold unless a cold virus was actually dropped in his nose.
If, then, cold and wet have nothing to do with catching colds, why are they more frequent in the winter？Despite the most pains-taking research, no one has yet found the answer. One explanation offered by scientists is that people tend to stay together indoors more in cold weather than at other times, and this makes it easier for cold viruses to be passed on.
No one has yet found a cure for the cold. There are drugs and pain suppressors(止痛片) such as aspirin, but all they do is relieve the symptoms.
小题1:The writer offered _______ examples to support his argument.

A．4

B．5

C．6

D．3

小题2:Which of the following does not agree with the chosen passage?

A．The Eskimos do not suffer from colds all the time.

B．Colds are not caused by cold.

C．People suffer from colds just because they like to stay indoors.

D．A person may catch a cold by touching someone who already has one.

小题3:Arctic explorers may catch colds when _______.

A．they are working in the isolated arctic regions

B．they are writing reports in terribly cold weather

C．they are free from work in the isolated arctic regions

D．they are coming into touch again with the outside world

小题4:Volunteers taking part in the experiments in the Common Cold Research Unit _______.

A．suffered a lot	B．never caught colds
C．often caught colds	D．became very strong

小题5:The passage mainly discusses _______.

A．the experiments on the common cold

B．the fallacy about the common cold

C．the reason and the way people catch colds

D．the continued spread of common colds