C

If asked if space exploration should continue，most Americans would give an immediate response either in favor of continuing or in favor of ending space exploration．A common response would be that space exploration is a waste of money．An average American，uneducated on the subject，might believe that the government is wasting billions of dollars on the research that has no merit．Someone strange to the subject might say that a space shuttle goes up once in a while and that is about all that happens．Research is ongoing and continues when there are no shuttles being launched．This also costs the government money．Does the extreme cost of space exploration make sense？

One argument is that the government is wasting money on the research not being used on Earth．Actually，the money goes to workers and scientists that support National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) missions (任务)，and goes to major companies that play important roles in major sectors of the US economy．Boeing is a partner of NASA for aircraft，the same company that makes commercial aircraft for the airline industry．

Another benefit to continuing space exploration is the many spinoff (衍生的) technologies it provides．The artificial heart resulted from experiments on the space shuttle．The handheld Jaws of Life used to save victims from car accidents originated from the system used to separate the space shuttle from its booster rockets．Insulation in homes that keeps them warm and energy efficient is based on the technology used to insulate the space shuttle．

There are direct benefits to the economy provided by NASA missions as well as spinoff technologies．These advances are found in food，building materials，medical procedures and the vehicles we drive．While it can be proven that billions of dollars that could be used elsewhere is being spent on space exploration，the benefits it provides outweigh the terrible aspects．As a matter of fact，the money spent helps to improve the quality of our lives．

1.How is Paragraph 2 mainly developed？

A．By offering analyses．

B．By making comparisons．

C．By giving some examples．

D．By presenting research findings．

2.The function of Jaws of Life is to _____．

A．save people from traffic accidents

B．do experiments on the space shuttle

C．keep houses warm and energy efficient

D．separate the space shuttle from its booster rockets

3.In the author’s opinion，space exploration _____．

A．has changed our life completely

B．costs too much of our time

C．benefits us in many ways

D．has nothing to do with us

4.What would be the best title for the text？

A．Benefits of space exploration

B．Is space exploration worth the cost？

C．How to make space exploration affordable

D．Missions of the NASA space shuttle program

D Are you an optimist？ Do you look at your glass and see it as half full？ Do you believe that every cloud has a silver lining and that things generally turn out for the best？ Do you believe that if something is meant to be，it will be？ If you reply “yes” to all of these questions，then you are an optimist．You probably are enthusiastic，cheerful and outgoing．You may be successful at work and in love．

But you may be misguided because things don't turn out for the best．You may believe that when on door closes another one opens(for example，you may fail to obtain a new job; another chance will come around soon)．Wrong．When one door closes，another door slams(砰然关上)in your face．That's bitter reality．

Now a book has been published which confirms what pessimists(悲观者)have suspected all along．it's called The Positive Power of Defensive Pessimism．Its author argues that defensive pessimism can lead to positive results．Defensive pessimism is a strategy used to manage fear，anxiety and worry．Defensive pessimists prepare for the tings by setting low outcomes for themselves．They carefully consider everything that may go wrong and plan for ways to handle these problems．And this gives them a sense of control．Lawrence Sanno，a psychology professor，says，“What's interesting about defensive pessimists is that they tend to be very successful people，so their low opinion of the situation's outcomes is not realistic．They use it to motivate themselves to perform better．”

So far，so good．This is not rocket science．Defensive pessimists prepare carefully and consider what might go wrong，whether at work，on date or even in a sports game．It makes sense to have a back-up plan．There are many sayings in English urging caution．For example，“Don't put all your eggs in one basket．”

And “Don't count your chickens until they hatch．” To have a confident and optimistic approach to life's problems is good．But listen to what Woody Alien，the American comedian says ，”Confidence is what you have before you understand the problem．”

There are pros and cons to being an optimist and a pessimist．Don't feel bad if you see the glass half empty．You are a realist But lighten up and hook up with someone who sees the same glass half full．

1.What's the passage mainly about？

A．A book that has recently been published．

B．How to become successful in life

C．The dangers of being too optimistic．

D．The benefits of defensive pessimism．

2.The underlined sentence “This is not rocket science”(Para．4)means ______．

A．it's not a dangerous thing to do

B．it is quite simple to understand

C．the cost is not so high

D．there is no real proof

3.Which of the following English expressions would a defensive pessimist believe？

A．Don't put all your eggs in one basket．

B．The glass is half full not half empty．

C．Whatever will be，will be．

D．Every cloud has a silver lining．

4.The writer would probably describe himself as ______．

A．an optimist

B．a defeatist

C．a realist

D．a scientist

信息匹配（共1小题）

For the rest of March，a disease will sweep across the US．It will keep kids home from school．__1.__ Employees will suddenly lose their ability to concentrate．

The disease，known as “March Madness”，refers to the yearly 65-team US men’s college basketball tournament(锦标赛)．__2._ Teams compete against each other in a single-elimination(单局淘汰) tournament that eventually crowns a national champion．

__3._ The fun comes partly from guessing the winners for every game．Friends compete against friends．Husbands against wives．Colleagues against bosses．

Big-name schools are usually favored to advance into the tournament．But each year there are dark horses from little-known universities．This adds to the madness．Watching a team from a school with 3，000 students beat a team from a school with 30，000，for many Americans，is an exciting experience．Two years ago，the little-known George Mason University was one of the final teams．_4.__

College basketball players are not paid，so the game is more about making a name for their university and themselves．__5._ About $4 billion will be spent gambling on the event．According to Media Life magazine，the event will bring in $500 million in advertising income this year，topping the post-season income of every US professional league，including that of the NBA．A．Nearly 20 million Americans will find themselves prisoners of basketball festival Madness．

B．The players will go all out for the games．

C．But that doesn’t mean money isn’t involved．

D．College students will ignore piles of homework．

E．People are willing to spend more money on watching it．

F．It begins on March 15 and lasts through the beginning of April．

G．Many people had never even heard of the university before the tournament．

书面表达（共2小题）

假如你是北京阳光中学的李涛，今年暑假你打算到纽约自助游，你在沙发网上找到了一位愿意免费为你提供住宿的美国人Peter，请根据下表提供的信息，给Peter 写一封信，介绍你的情况以及你的需求。

注意：

1．词数不少于50；

2．可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；

3．开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。

Dear Peter，

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

Li Tao

假设你是红星中学高二（1）班的学生李华。下面四幅图描述了上周五你在放学路上，撞倒一位骑车老人并实施救助的过程。请根据图片的先后顺序，写一篇英文周记。

注意：

1．文章的开头已为你写好；

2．词数不少于60。

Last Friday _____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

Why play games? Because they are fun, and a lot more besides. Following the rules… planning your next move… acting as a team member… these are all “game” ideas that you will come across throughout your life.

Think about some of the games you played when you were in a primary school, such as rope-jumping and hide-and-seek. Such games are entertaining and fun. But perhaps more importantly, they translate life into exciting dramas that teach children some of the basic and practical rules they will be expected to follow the rest of their lives, such as taking turns and cooperating.

Many children’s games have a practical side. Children around the world play games to help them make preparations for work they will do as grown-ups. For example, some Saudi Arabian children show preference for a game called bones, which sharpens the precise hand-eye coordination needed in hunting.

Many sports encourage national or local pride. The most famous games of all, the Olympics, bring athletes from around the world together to take part in friendly competition and make a presentation of their talents. People who watch the event wave flags, knowing that a precious gold medal is a win for an entire country, not just the athlete who has earned it and should be praised. For countries facing the pressure of natural disasters or war, an Olympic win can mean so much.

Sports are also an event that unites people. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. People on all continents play it–some for fun and some for a living. Nicolette Iribarne, a Californian soccer player, has discovered a way to spread hope and power through soccer. He created a foundation to provide poor children with not only soccer balls but also a promising future.

Next time you play your favorite game or sport, think about why you enjoy it, what skills are needed, and whether these skills will help you in other aspects of your life.

1.Through playing hide-and-seek, children are expected to learn to ________________.

A. be a team leader B. obey the basic rules

C. act as a grown-up D. predict possible danger

2. According to the passage, why is winning Olympic medals so encouraging?

A. It inspires people’s deep love for the country.

B. It proves the exceptional skills of the winners.

C. It helps the country out of natural disasters.

D. It earns the winners fame and fortune.

3. Iribarne’s goal of forming the foundation is to __________________.

A. bring fun to poor kids

B. provide soccer balls for children

C. give poor kids a chance for a better life

D. call on soccer players to help poor kids

4.We can infer from the passage _______________________.

A. Games benefit people all their lives

B. Sports can get all athletes together

B. People are advised to play games for fun

D. Sports makes a country competitiveness

Thinking is something you choose to do as a fish chooses to live in water. To be human is to think constantly. But thinking may come naturally without your knowing how you do it. Thinking about thinking is the key to critical(判断性的) thinking. When you think critically, you take control of your thinking processes to construct your own ideas. Otherwise, you might be controlled by others’ ideas. Indeed, critical thinking is at the heart of education.

The word “critical” here contains a special meaning. It doesn’t mean taking one view against another view, as when someone criticizes another person for doing something wrong. The nature of critical thinking is thinking beyond the easily seen–beyond the pictures on TV which are often not consistent with reality, the untrue and controversial reports in the newspapers, and the faulty and contradictory reasoning.

Critical thinking is an attitude as much as an activity. If you are curious about life and desire to dig deeper into it, you are a critical thinker. If you find pleasure in deep thinking about different ideas, characters, and facts, you are a critical thinker.

Activities of the mind and higher-order reasoning are processes of deep and careful consideration. They take time, and do not consist with the fast speed in today’s world: fast food, instant coffee, and self-developing film. If you are among the people who believe that speed is a measure of intelligence, you may learn something new from a story about Albert Einstein, who made great contributions to science during his life. The first time Banesh Hoffman, a contemporary scientist, was to consult Albert Einstein about his work, Hoffman was too nervous to speak. but Einstein was very considerate and immediately put Hoffman at ease by saying, “Please go slowly. I don’t understand things quickly.”

1.Critical thinking is important to us because if we don’t think critically, ______________.

A.it will be hard for us to think naturally and fast

B.we might be controlled by other people’s ideas

C.we will follow the ideas of others naturally

D.we might be fooled by other people’s ideas

2.If you are a critical thinker, you will ______________________.

A. think deeply about different ideas

B. trust the reports in the newspapers

C. take one view against another view

D. criticize other people for their mistakes

3.In the last paragraph, “something new” suggests that ___________________.

A. the smarter you are, the faster you do things

B. the faster you do things, the smarter you become

C. speed can improve intelligence

D. intelligence is not decided by speed

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

A. Thinking and Critical Thinking

B. Understanding Critical Thinking

C. Thinking is Natural and Human

D. Thinking Fast Means Intelligence

In the near future, daily newspapers and monthly magazines will probably disappear. Electronic media can provide the same information faster and cheaper. The Internet, together with laptops and cellphones, makes it possible that almost everyone can at any time and in almost any place get some news for free or for few fees.

You’ll browse the computer newspapers or magazines just like switching on TV. An electronic voice will tell you stories about the latest events. You’ll even get to choose the kind of voice you want to hear. Want more information on the brief story? A simple touch makes the entire text appear.

There are the predictions from the experts working on the newspapers of the future. Pictured as part of home-based media and entertainment systems, computer newspapers and magazines would unite printed and broadcast news, offering information and analyzing video images of news events.

The continuing loss of readers will result in a small number of advertisements in newspapers. It makes no sense to spend millions of dollars to print ads.

With the development of technology, more and more electronic medium have been created until now, but replacing the traditional newspapers and magazines has a long way to go, because the resistance to computer newspapers and magazines from journalism(新闻业) may be much stronger. Since it is such a cultural change, it may be not until the present journalists, who aren’t used to it, die off that the newspaper industry is not considered as an industry any longer. Anyway, technology is making the traditional newspapers and magazines disappear gradually.

1.Computer newspapers and magazines have all the advantages except that ____________.

A. they are more expensive than traditional newspapers

B. you can choose the kind of voice you like to hear

C. you can get more information from them easily

D. you can easily store information for the future use

2.The underlined word “resistance” in the fifth paragraph probably means ____________.

A. a thought which directs your action

B. a force that acts to stop something happening

C. a force that helps you do something

D. an idea which is different from others

3.We can infer from the passage that _________________.

A. all technological developments are very important

B. traditional newspapers and magazines will disappear soon

C. new things will replace the old ones in the future

D. traditional newspapers and magazines will be more popular

4.The author writes the article to __________________.

A. let people know the great development of the journalism

B. tell readers what newspapers and magazines are like in the future

C. prove newspapers and magazines are not welcomed any more

D. say traditional newspapers and magazines are better than before

My father often talks about his definition of success. He tells us that it isn’t measured in money or material things, but in love and joy. While my brothers and I were all raised together under the same roof, I wonder how different we can be sometimes. Four kids, four different life paths, personalities and ambitions.

We must follow a different path to let our light shine, and that’s what makes us so unpredictable and unique. In today’s world, expecting every child’s education to be the same, progress at the same rate and be measured against the narrow standards of performances is not just outdated, it’s also harmful to young people.

I experienced this disconnect(脱节) firsthand after graduating from college. I had many opportunities in front of me, but they didn’t test my limits and my creativity to pursue my passions. At first, I took a job at a big consulting firm. However, I couldn’t shake my passion for music. I had followed the somewhat predictable path of a college graduate, but I was crazy about how to become an artist. Now I am a nine-time Grammy Awards winner who has sold multiple Top 10 Albums.

Imagine what it would look like if our schools were set up to help people discover and pursue a personal passion instead of a predictable path? The good news is that a number of individuals and organizations are finding new ways to innovate in education. The goal is to create more student-centered environments that help young people not just do better in school but also discover what they love.

We can’t live lives of joy if we can’t discover what we love doing with our lives. So let each person discover the power and uniqueness of his or her own passion.

1.What does the writer’s father think success should be measured in?

A. Pleasure. B. Ability. C. Wealth. D. Fame.

2.We can infer that the writer _________________________.

A. is devoted to reforming the education system

B. pursued his passions once he left college

C. realized his dream before his graduation

D. finally became an outstanding singer

3.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A. Where there is a will, there is a way.

B. Let every child’s light shine.

C. All that glitters is not gold.

D. Let bygones be bygones.

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，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。选项中有两项为多余选项。

How to Motivate Yourself to Study

Studying can be one of life’s most boring activities. 1. But you can change your attitude towards the hardship of studying by reminding yourself of a few basic but important truths!

Remind yourself of your purpose. 2. Where do you see yourself in 5, 10, or even 20 years? The time you spend studying now will help to make your future dream a reality. Whether you are working towards a degree, a special skill, or some type of personal achievement, the act of studying is like a bridge between where you are now and where you want to be in the future.!

3. A well-educated person is a powerful person. Knowledge is priceless. A well-educated, knowledgeable person is a person who is able to navigate and excel better within the world around him/her.

Dare yourself to succeed. 4. When you get over the barriers, you’ll realize that personal achievement and fulfillment are wonderful things. Allow yourself to do the things that can contribute to your personal achievement and fulfillment –like studying!

Always keep a positive attitude. Your attitude towards study can have a huge impact on your motivation! 5. But if you have a positive attitude towards your study, you will be able to boost motivation, just by having a positive attitude towards it.

A.Is it never too old to learn?

B.Realize knowledge is power.

C.What are your goals in life?

D.Devote your spare time and energy to study.

E.Thinking negatively is not helpful and will not help you to get motivated.

F.In fact, the very nature of studying goes against the basic human desire to maximize pleasure.

G.Tell yourself you can successfully overcome any real or imagined difficulty standing in your way.