“Mum, can I invite my classmate Brett over to stay tomorrow night, please? It’s Friday, and we don’t have any .Can I, please?” Mum was sitting at the kitchen table. Dad was next to her, resting his head on his arms. Mum could that James wanted so badly to have his friend over.

“I’m so sorry, James,” she said.

“I’m never allowed to have friends come to the house? Why, Mum?” James asked sadly, almost in .

“I know it’s for you,” Mum said softly. “But I’m just worried other people might think we’re a little… strange. And then they would make fun of you.”

“No, they wouldn’t, Mum,” James protested. “We’re not at all. We’re just ordinary people.”

Mum sighed heavily. “To tell you the truth, James, my neck has been so painful that it’s given me a heavy . And your poor father ---he doesn’t feel . He really needs a rest.”

“I can help, Mum!” James said. “ I can make you and Dad feel better, can Brett come over? Please?”

“Well…”Mum began.

“Great! Thanks, Mum!” James almost shouted. “Just sit there, don’t move.” He rushed over to the kitchen drawer and what he needed ---two spanners(扳手). “Hang on, Mum,” he said. “This won’t take a second.” After some , James was finished. With a smile of on his face he said, “There! How does that feel?” “Oh, James,” Mum said. “That’s a much better! How did you do it?”

“Easy,” James said .” Dad had tightened your neck bolts (螺栓) too much! I just them slightly! I learned that in robotic science at school.”

“What about you father? Can you him?” asked Mum.

“I’ll try,” James replied. He up Dad’s hair at the back of his neck and plugged the electric wire into Dad’s head. Then he turned the on. Dad opened his eyes and immediately. “He just let his run too low, that’s all,” James said, “Shall I tell Brett to come over straight after school tomorrow?”

“I guess so,” replied Mum. “Your friends will just have to that we are a very unusual family. Thanks, son!”

1.A. chance B. message C. difficulty D. homework
2.A. reading B. alone C. asleep D. standing
3.A. see B. explain C. agree D. doubt

4.A. terror B. surprise C. silence D. tears

5.A. hard B. fair C. easy D. good

6.A. normal B. popular C. strange D. anxious

7.A. loss B. headache C. task D. day

8.A. ill B. well C. funny D. sorry

9.A. As B. Since C. Before D. If

10.A. found B. kept C. controlled D. returned

11.A. requests B. repairs C. thoughts D. instructions

12.A. sympathy B. bitterness C. politeness D. satisfaction

13.A. embarrassedly B. proudly C. gratefully D. impatiently

14.A. collected B. produced C. adjusted D. covered

15.A. greet B. accompany C. help D. ask

16.A. caught B. lifted C. gave D. filled

17.A. television B. light C. gas D. power

18.A. grew up B. lay down C. sat up D. broke down

19.A. battery B. food C. temperature D. blood

20.A. prove B. expect C. accept D. suspect

Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium (水族馆)

The all-new Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium, located in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD, is one of Victoria’s leading visitor attractions and an unforgettable outing for the whole family. Having 12 amazing zones of discovery, Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium is the very place that you cannot miss when you visit the city.

* Opening Times

Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium is open from 9:30 am until 6:00 pm every day of the year, including public holidays. Last admission is at 5:00 pm, one hour before closing.

* Location.

Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium is located on the corner of Flinders Street and King Street, Melbourne. It is located on the Yarra River, opposite Crown Entertainment Complex.

* Getting to Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium

Train

The Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium train stop is located on the free City Circle Tram route (公交线路) and also routes 70 and 75. City Circle trams run every 10 minutes in both directions.

Shuttle Bus

The Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium is a free bus service, stopping at key tourist attractions in and around the City. Running daily, every 15 minutes from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Car Parking

While there is no public car parking at Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium, there are several public car parking lots available only a short walk away.

* Wheelchair Access

Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium provides people in wheelchairs with full access to all 12 zones. Each floor also has wheelchair accessible toilets.

* Terms

Tickets will be emailed to you immediately after buying or you can download and print your ticket once payment has been accepted. Please print out all tickets bought and present at the front entrance of Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium. No ticket, no entry!

1.Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium _________ .

A. is located at the center of the CBD in the city

B. has 12 most attractive places in Melbourne

C. admits visitors from 9:30 am until 6:00 pm

D. is beside Crown Entertainment Complex

2.Getting to Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium, visitors can take ________.

A. trains from southern Cross train station

B. shuttle buses around the train station

C. boats across the Yarra River

D. either tram route 70 or 75

3.Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium offers visitors ________.

A. free car parkingB. wheelchair access

C. Internet connectionD. transportation service

4.Tickets to Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium ________ .

A. are free to all visitors

B. can be bought by email

C. are checked at the entrance

D. can be printed at the ticket office

Air pollution is a leading cause of cancer and classified among top human carcinogens (致癌物质), said the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is the World Health Organization's (WHO) cancer agency, on Oct 17,2013.“Our task was to evaluate the air everyone breathes rather than focus on specific air pollutants,” the IARC's Dana Loomis said in a statement. “The results from the reviewed studies point in the same direction the risk of developing lung cancer is significantly increased in people exposed to air pollution.”
In 2010, lung cancer resulting from air pollution killed 223,000 people worldwide, and there was also convincing evidence that it increases the risk of bladder (膀胱) cancer. Loomis said people in Asia, Eastern North America, some places in Central America and Mexico, as well as North Africa have relatively high exposure(暴露). Developing countries with large populations and booming manufacturing sectors, such as China, are particularly at risk. This week, Harbin, the capital city of Heilongjiang province, became the first Chinese city to officially suspend classes due to serious smog, really good for teachers and students.
Many developed countries face similar problems, although to a lesser（较少的、次要的） degree than most developing nations. Between 91 and 96 percent of Europeans living in cities are exposed to levels of PM2.5—tiny particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers—that are higher than the WHO safety limits.
Although both the composition and levels of air pollution can vary dramatically from one location to the other, the IARC said its conclusions apply to all areas of the world. “Given the scale of the exposure affecting people worldwide, this report should send a strong signal to the international community to take action without further delay,” said Christopher Wild, director of the IARC.

1.What’s the main task of IARC?

A. To focus on cancer-causing substances.

B. To evaluate the air quality.

C. To study the developing risk of cancer.

D. To send signals to the international community.

2.The underlined word “suspend” in Paragraph 2 probably means ______.

A. accelerate B. acknowledge

C. delay D. decline

3.Why should the international community take action without further delay?

A. A large number of people worldwide are exposed to air pollution.

B. More and more people in developing countries are exposed to air pollution.

C. Developed countries face air pollution, the level of which is higher than the safety limits.

D. The composition and levels of air pollution vary from place to place.

4.What might be the best title of the passage?

A. PM2.5，bad effect.

B. Safety limits of air pollution.

C. Signals of air pollution.

D. Air pollution, cancer risk.

Dear Dad,

Today I was at the shopping mall and I spent a lot of time reading the Father’s Day cards. They all had a special message that in some way or another reflected how I feel about you. Yet as I selected and read, it occurred to me that not a single card said what I really want to say to you.

You’ll soon be 84 years old, Dad, and you and I will have had 55 Father’s Days together. I haven’t always been with you on Father’s Day but I’ve always been with you in my heart.

You know, Dad, there was a time when we were separated by the generation gap. You stood on one side of the Great Divide and I on the other.

The Father-Daughter Duel shifted into high gear（档位）when you taught me to drive the old Dodge and I decided I would drive the 54 Chevy(雪佛兰) whether you liked it or not. The police officer who sent me home after you reported the Chevy stolen didn’t have much tolerance（容忍） for a stubborn 16 -year- old girl, while you were so tolerant about it, Dad, and I think that was probably what made it the worst night of my life.

Our relationship picked up when I married a man you liked, and things really turned around when we began making babies. Somewhere along the line, the generation gap disappeared. I suppose I saw us and our relationship as aging together, rather like a fine wine.

But the strangest thing happened last week. I was at a stop sign and I watched as you turned the corner in your car. It didn’t immediately occur to me that it was you because the man driving looked so elderly and weak behind the wheel of that huge car. It was rather like a slap(打) in the face delivered from out of nowhere. Perhaps I saw your age for the first time that day.

I guess what I’m trying to say, Dad, is what every son and daughter wants to say to their Dad today. Honoring a father on Father’s Day is about respect and sharing and acceptance and tolerance and giving and taking. It’s about loving someone more than words can say, and it’s my wish that it never had to end.

I love you, Dad.

Love,

Jenny

1.What caused Jenny to write the letter?

A. Getting along well with her father.

B. Failing to find a satisfactory card.

C. Visiting a card exhibition at a mall.

D. Being away on previous Father’s Day.

2.What does the underlined phrase “ turned around ” in Para. 5 mean?

A. Became better.B. Changed unexpectedly.

C. Went worse. D. Progressed unsteadily.

3.What can we learn from Para. 6?

A. Jenny seldom saw her father drive that huge car.

B. Jenny knew her father’s real age from that day on.

C. Jenny’s father slapped her on the face somewhere.

D. Jenny had never realized her father’s being weak.

4.Jenny wrote her father this letter to __________ .

A. inform him of their conflicts

B. apologize for her being stubborn

C. express her deep love to him

D. remind him of the early incident

From now on, never spend your precious time thinking of reasons for your failures and shortcomings. Instead, realize that the seeds of success were planted within you when you were born. Only you have the power to make those seeds grow.

The seeds, and the power to grow them, are contained in the best machine ever created: the human mind. Success is a choice and not a chance. You were born a winner. You can be a success if only you make the right choice.

You cannot be successful without first developing your self-esteem(自尊). Your level of self-esteem is always based on the degree of control that you are able to have over yourself, and thus over your life. People with low self-esteem are people who do not believe that they have any power, or responsibility for their lives. They are leaves tossed(摇摆) by the winds of chance blown about with any sudden change in the weather.

You can control your life only to the degree that you believe that you are responsible for everything that happens in your life. Failures think that everything happens by accident and chance. Successful people realize that they are responsible.

Everything happens as a result of something. If we can identify the cause, we can control the effect. We are responsible for what we choose to think and believe. One generally rises to the level that one expects. We are responsible for setting our expectations. Our success is dependent upon our level of confidence.

In short, in all areas of your life, whether they are financial, physical, emotional, or spiritual, you are responsible. Once you recognize this, accept it, and firmly believe it, you are on the road to success.

1.People with low self-esteem are compared to leaves because they ______.

A. are easily affected by windy weather       

B. are ready to change their minds

C. don’t have the power to face their fate      

D. can’t control themselves

2. Losers would think that ______.

A. their failure is only because of bad luck         

B. they don’t make efforts to succeed

C. working hard will lead to success   

D. success is the result of hard work

3.It can be inferred from paragraph 5 that ______.

A. success is a chance

B. We are what we make us

C. thoughts and beliefs are the result of creative mind

D. developing confidence is the only way to future success

4.The last paragraph serves as ______.

A. the proof of the author’s points            

B. an introduction to another topic

C. the conclusion of the argument            

D. a comparison between two views

The iPhone, the iPad, each of Apple’s products sounds cool and has become a fashion. Apple has cleverly taken advantage of the power of the letter “i” — and many other brands are following suit. The BBC’s iPlayer — which allows Web users to watch TV programs on the Internet — adopted the title in 2008. A lovely bear — popular in the US and UK — that plays music and video is called “iTeddy”. A slimmed-down version of London’s Independent newspaper was launched last week under the name “i”.

In general, single-letter prefixes have been popular since the 1990s, when terms such as e-mail and e-commerce first came into use.

Most “i” products are targeted at young people and considering the major readers of Independent’s “i”, it’s no surprise that they’ve selected this fashionable name.

But it’s hard to see what’s so special about the letter “i”. Why not use “a”, “b”, or “c” instead? According to Tony Thorne, head of the Language Center at King’s College, London, “i” works because its meaning has become ambiguous. When Apple uses “i”, no one knows whether it means Internet, information, individual or interactive, Thorne told BBC Magazines. “Even when Apple created the iPod, it seems it didn’t have one clear definition,” he says.

“However, thanks to Apple, the term is now associated with portability (轻便) .”adds Thorne.

Clearly the letter “i” also agrees with the idea that the Western World is centered on the individual. Each person believes they have their own needs, and we love personalized products for this reason.

Along with “Google” and “blog”, readers of BBC Magazines voted “i” as one of the top 20 words that have come to define the last decade.

But as history shows, people grow tired of fads(一时的狂热). From the 1900s to 1990s, products with “2000” in their names became fashionable as the year was associated with all things advanced and modern. However, as we entered the new century, the trend eventually disappeared.

1.People use iPlayer to ______.

A. listen to music

B. make a call

C. watch TV programs online

D. play computer games

2.We can infer that the Independent’s “i” is aimed at ______.

A. fashionable women B. young readers

C. old readers D. engineers

3. Nowadays, the “i” term often reminds people of the products which are ______.

A. environmentally friendlyB. advanced

C. recyclable D. portable

4.The writer suggests that ______.

A. the popularity of “i” products may not last long

B. “i” products are often of high quality

C. iTeddy is a live bear popular in the US and UK

D. the letter “b” replaces letter “i” to name the products

Many of us invest valuable time，energy and money planning our vacations. We do this because we know for sure that going on vacations must be good for us. Research proves this feeling without a doubt. Vacations help us perform better at work, improve our sleep quality and cushion us against depression.

Yet, despite these benefits, many of us return home with a feeling that our last vacation was OK --- but not great. In order to change this, some mistakes should be avoided. A classic one for vacation planners is attempting to maximize value for money by planning trips that have too many components (组成部分).Perhaps you’re planning a trip to Europe, seven cities in 10 days，and you realize it will cost only a little more to add two more destinations to the list. It sounds fine in theory, but hopping from one place to the next hardly gives an opportunity to experience what psychologists call mindfulness(留意) --- time to take in our new surroundings, time to be present and absorb our travel experiences. Another mistake is that we worry too much about strategic issues such as how to find a good flight deal，how to get from A to B，or which destinations to add or subtract from our journey. These issues may seem important, but our psychological state of mind is far more important.

Actually, vacation happiness is based on the following top rules. First, choose your travel companions wisely, because nothing contributes more significantly to a trip than the right companions. Second，don’t spend your vacation time in a place where everything is too expensive so as to keep a positive mood. Third, shop wisely, for meaningful experiences provide more long-term happiness than physical possessions.

假若你是二十一世纪英文报的编辑Tom，高二学生李华来信说，他即将升入高三，感觉压力大，很担心不能适应高三学习及生活。请用英文给该同学写一封回信。
内容要点如下：
1．表示理解并给予安慰；
2．提出建议并说明理由。
注意：
1．词数120左右；
2．信中不能出现与本人相关的信息；
3．信的开头与结尾已为你拟好，不计入总词数。
Hi Li Hua,

I’m sorry to know that you’re having such a difficult time at present. 

Yours,
Tom

It turned out that she won the first prize in the competition, which was beyond her .

A. expectations B. reputations C. contributions D. celebrations

Paper produced every year is ________ the world’s production of vehicles.

A. the three times weight of B. heavier three times than

C. as three times heavy as D. three times the weight of