When families gather for Christmas dinner, some will stick to formal traditions dating back to grandma's generation. Their tables will be set with the good dishes and silver, and the dress code will be Sunday best.

But in many other homes, this china-and-silver elegance has given way to a stoneware (粗陶) and stainless informality, with dresses assuming an equally casual-Friday look. For hosts and guests, the change means greater simplicity and comfort. For makers of fine china in Britain, it spells economic hard times. Last week Royal Doulton, the largest employer in Stoke-on-Trent, announced that it is eliminating 1,000 jobs -- one-fifth of its total workforce. That brings to more than 4, 000 the number of positions lost in 18 months in the pottery (陶瓷) region. Wedgwood and other pottery factories made cuts earlier.

Although a strong pound and weak markets in Asia play a role in the downsizing, the layoffs in Stoke have their roots in earthshaking social shifts. A spokesman for Royal Doulton admitted that the company "has been somewhat slow in catching up with the trend" toward casual dining. Families eat together less often, he explained, and more people eat alone, either because they are single or they eat in front of television. Even dinner parties, if they happen at all, have gone casual. In a time of long work hours and demanding family schedules, busy hosts insist, rightly, that it's better to share a takeout pizza on paper plates in the family room than to wait for the perfect moment or a "real" dinner party.

Too often, the perfect moment never comes. Iron a fine-patterned tablecloth? Forget it. Polish the silver? Who has time? Yet the loss of formality has its down side. The fine points of etiquette (礼节) that children might once have learned at the table by observation or instruction from parents and grandparents (" Chew with your mouth closed." "Keep your elbows off the table. ") must be picked up else-where. Some companies now offer etiquette seminars for employees who may be able professionally but inexperienced socially.

1. Why do people tend to follow the trend to casual dining?

A. Busy schedules leave people no time for formality

B. Family members need more time to relax.

C. People prefer to live a comfortable life.

D. Young people won't follow the etiquette of the older generation.

2.It can be learned from the passage that 'Royal Doulton is .

A. a seller of stainless steel tableware

B. a dealer in stoneware

C. a pottery chain store

D. a producer of fine china

3.The main cause of the layoffs in the pottery industry is .

A. the increased value of the pound

B. the worsening economy in Asia

C. the change in people's way of life

D. the fierce competition at home and abroad

4.Formal table manners, though less popular than before in current Social life,___________.

A. are still a must on certain occasions

B. are certain to return sooner or later

C. are still being taught by parents at home

D. can help improve personal relationships

Never go into a supermarket hungry! This is a good piece of advice. If you go shopping for food before lunchtime, you’ll probably buy more than you plan to. Unfortunately, however, just this advice isn’t enough for consumers these days. Modern shoppers need an education in how and how not to buy things at the store. First, you check the weekly newspaper ads. Find out the items that are on sale and decide if you really need these things. In other words, don’t buy anything just because it’s cheaper than usual! “New and Improved!” or “All Natural” on the front of a package influence you. Instead, read the list of ingredients (contents) on the back. Third, compare prices: that is, you should examine the prices of both different brands and different sizes of the same brand.

Another suggestion for consumers is to buy ordinary items instead of famous brands. Ordinary items in supermarkets come in plain packages. These products are cheaper because producers don’t spend much money on packing or advertising. The quality, however, is usually as good as the quality of well-known name brands. In the same way, in buying clothes, you can often find high quality and low prices in brands that are not famous. Shopping in discount clothing stores can help you save a lot of money. Although these stores aren’t very attractive, and they usually do not have individual dressing rooms, not only are the prices low, but you can often find the same famous brands that you find in high-priced department stores.

Wise consumers read magazine ads and watch TV commercials, but they do this with one advantage: knowledge of the psychology behind the ads. In other words, well-informed consumers watch for information and check for misinformation. They ask themselves questions: Is the advertiser hiding something in small print at the bottom of the page? Is there any real information in the commercial, or is the advertiser simply showing an attractive image? With the answers to these questions, consumers can make a wise choice.

1.All the following statements are true about the phrase “ordinary items” in Paragraph 2 except _____.

A. ordinary items never say “New and Improved” or “All Natural”

B. ordinary products are usually cheaper than famous brands

C. producers spend less money on packaging of ordinary items

D. the quality of ordinary items is usually as good as that of famous brands

2.What does the writer think about ads?

A. They are believable.

B. They are helpful to consumers.

C. They are full of misinformation.

D. They are attractive.

3.One of the author’s suggestions to consumers is ____________.

A. not to buy items with words like “New and Improved” or “All Natural”

B. to make full use of advertisements

C. to buy high quality items such as famous brands after lunch

D. to buy any ordinary items instead of famous brands

4.The author implies that _________________.

A. going into the supermarket hungry, you may buy more than you plan to

B. the quality of ordinary items is usually high and the prices are relatively low

C. discount clothing stores are good places to go to

D. ads sometimes don’t tell the truth

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。

Things to Remember When You’re Having a Bad Day

Even the hardest days contain lessons that will help you be a better person. Feeling down? Consider these things to remember when you’re having a bad day.

No one promised life would be perfect.

1. Don’t base your happiness on meeting every expectation you set for yourself. It is good to be ambitious, but you’ll never be perfect. If you expect otherwise, your life will be filled with disappointments.

2.

Trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit. Don’t kid yourself into thinking success will come quickly. It isn’t easy to be patient, but anything worth doing requires time. 3. .

Without hard times, you wouldn’t appreciate the good ones.

Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to give up, that is strength. 4. . It is hard to find much to smile about when you fail, but how else would you improve yourself? If you look at failures as a part of your growing process, you’ll stay positive and follow your goals for as long as it takes.

It’s OK to cry sometimes.

Do not apologize for crying. Without this feeling, we are only robots. Don’t be afraid of crying. 5. Instead, it is an acceptable way to let go of your depressed feelings. If you let those feelings build up without release, you’ll have a much harder time dealing with them later.

A. Don’t get sad if you lose.

B. It isn’t a sign of weakness.

C. Success doesn’t happen overnight.

D. It’s not OK to worry now and then.

E. Don’t compare your life with others’.

F. Remember: Rome was not built in a day.

G. If you look for perfection, you’ll never be content.

完形填空,阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A, B, C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

Third Culture Kids

As more cities and companies become increasing international, there is a growing number of children that are creating their own sub-culture. Often ________ to as TCKs (Third Culture Kids) or Global Nomads, these students have a(n) ________ impact on the global community.

So who are these Third Culture Kids? They are not a new phenomenon. As one looks ________ history, there is a realization that certain groups of people have led highly ________lives, a key ________ in describing TCKs. They often________ their parents into another country and spend a significant part of his or her development years outside the parents’ culture. They are ________ to new cultures and to other people in the community who ________ move constantly. Their numbers________ into the hundreds of thousands and are increasing. Ease of ________and constant relocation of people through multinational companies and global business links contribute to this________.

The question “Who am I?” is frequently asked by TCKs. They have ________ a host of cultural identities, and have built relationships to all the cultures, ________ not having full ownership of any. Although elements from each culture are absorbed into TCK’s life experience, the sense of ________ is in relationship to others of a similar background.

As you enter into the world of TCKs, one might suspect they are no ________ . But it is ________ , after spending only a short time with them, that they bring a deep knowledge from inside and a special ability to compare________ and local issues. They represent many countries and cultures. They are the future cross-culturalists and ________ future politicians, diplomats, government employees and educators. They certainly experience a different lifestyle compared to their mono-cultural peers but we can benefit from their global and ________ lives. So, whatever one chooses to label the international students as ---TCKs, Global Nomads, or Global Souls ---we will gain unbelievable____________.

1.A. referred B. appealed C. subscribed D. submitted

2.A. initial B. temporary C. immediate D. tremendous

3.A. down on B. back on C. up to D. forward to

4.A. adventurous B. mobile C. civilized D. primitive

5.A. figure B. reason C. cause D. factor

6.A. drive B. divide C. accompany D. invite

7.A. connected B. addicted C. exposed D. committed

8.A. frequently B. also C. rarely D. altogether

9.A. change B. burst C. break D. extend

10.A. communication B. travel C. interaction D. export

11.A. tradition B. shift C. option D. trend

12.A. revealed B. discovered C. accumulated D. accelerated

13.A. as B. so C. when D. while

14.A. belonging B. achievement C. possessing D. responsibility

15.A. exception B. denying C. doubtful D. different

16.A. clear B. vital C. universal D. essential

17.A. international B. updated C. complicated D. specific

18.A. luckily B. necessarily C. hopefully D. generally

19.A. professional B. spiritual C. material D. colorful

20.A. awards B. rewards C. popularity D. success

阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

Around twenty years ago, I was going through hard times. I couldn’t find a 1. (satisfy) job. To my shame, I had to drive a school bus to make ends meet. One afternoon, while 2. (drive) through a suburban neighborhood, I was 3. sad that I kept asking myself, “Why has my life become so hard?” “What’s wrong with the world?” Then I pulled over the bus to drop off a little girl. As she passed, she 4. (hand) me a pretty earring, saying she found it 5. the floor and I should keep it in case the owner came to look for it. In the evening, the owner did come to look for her earring. When I gave it to her, she got excited and said, “Thanks, you are a 6. (really) gentleman.” I told her that she should thank the little girl 7. had found it. She said, “Yes, and you are a good driver, too. 8. a lovely world it is!” Then she left with satisfaction. I 9. (touch) by her words, I had thought something was wrong with the world just because of my poor condition. In fact, 10. was wrong with the world. I should change my attitude towards life.

短文改错

As it is known to us, fewer and fewer students do sports regularly, what makes them weak and easily tired. There are many reasons about this. First of all, some of the students complained that they have too many homework, resulting in less time to take exercise. Beside, some of them think that it is very difficulty for them to keep doing exercise, because it is a very hard thing.

Because lack of physical activities, many students are in poor health. I suggest that our school must take measures to encourage more students to take part in sports. For us students, no matter what busy we are, it is necessary to spare some time to do exercise.

书面表达

4月23日是“世界读书日”（World Book Day），目的是鼓励人们享受读书乐趣，开阔眼界。培根说：“读书使人明智”。请根据下图和要点提示，用英语写一篇100词左右的短文。

注意：1. 可参照图片内容及所给文字提示，作必要的发挥想象。2. 开头已经写好，不计入总词数。3. 作文中不得提及考生所在学校和本人姓名。

Francis Bacon once said that reading makes a full man. _______________________

Throughout history, people are now aware that Australian cuisine was based on the old British cooking which was handed down by the first settlers. Modern Australian cuisine, however, has been heavily influenced by Australia’s Asian and Southeast Asian neighbors. The trend, motivated by the government health programs, is towards low-fat healthy cookery including low-fat meat and lightly cooked colorful, steamed or fried vegetables. Besides, like many English families, in many Australian homes, a widespread tradition of having roast turkey, chicken, and ham for Christmas lunch or dinner still remains.

Basically speaking, breakfast is comparatively light for most Australians. But in the colder regions porridge or meals similar to the full English breakfast may be consumed. In recent years, however, most Australian people prefer light breakfast in order to control their weight. The light breakfast commonly consists of cereals, toast and fruit. A heavier breakfast will frequently include fried bacon, eggs, mushrooms, etc. Drinks consumed at breakfast include tea, coffee, milk or juice.

The meal in the evening is the main meal of the day for most Australians. When consumed at home, it is often eaten with members of the immediate family. The dishes served will vary widely according to the tastes and background of the family. A typical Australian restaurant might offer sandwiches, chicken or other meat-based dishes and cakes.

In recent years, take-away food is becoming popular in Australia. American style chain restaurants are common including Subway, KFC, and Mcdonald’s.

With the high portion of immigration from the Middle East，South and Southeast Asia，Korea，China and other countries from all over the world to Australia，any authentic and high-quality restaurants are run by first and second generation immigrants from these areas.

1.According to the first paragraph, what does the Australian government encourage its people to do?

A. To have roast turkey for Christmas dinner.

B. To try to eat low-fat healthy foods.

C. To use traditional British cooking methods.

D. To learn from Asian neighbors to cook foods.

2.The main idea of the second paragraph is_____.

A. what Australian people drink at breakfast.

B. what breakfast Australian people have nowadays.

C. that Australians often have a heavy breakfast.

D. that most Australian people don’t have breakfast to lose weight.

3.The underlined part “the immediate family” in Paragraph 3 probably mean people who_____.

A. have the same family names.

B. do some cooking together at times.

C. live next to one another in the same area.

D. are very directly-related members of a family

4. From the passage, we can learn that_____.

A. fewer and fewer immigrants enter Australia every year

B. Subway is a chain restaurant and it is from the South America

C. home cooking is becoming more and more popular in Australia

D. Asian and Southeast Asian countries have a great impact on the modem Australian food.

Chinese scientist Tu Youyou on October 5 won the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine amongst a trio for discovering parasite therapies(寄生虫疗法). 85-year-old Tu is awarded this world-renowned prize for her contribution to reducing the death rate of malaria, minimizing patients’ suffering and promoting mankind’s health. This is what science is all about.

Tu’s finding has saved millions’ lives during the 40 years. This also proves the value of her research product. The reward is never too late in that aspect. The moment of joy and satisfaction came when she discovered the artemisinin( 青蒿素) after all kinds of failures in experiments.

As the first Chinese mainland Nobel Prize Winner of natural science award, Tu’s winning completely surprised Chinese people, who have long been wondering when the first Chinese Nobel laureate in natural science would appear.

Let’s backtrack to 40 years ago. Tu accomplished the breakthrough findings without access to any advanced equipment, communication with outside world and papers to research. However, over the 40 years, improvements and innovations have transformed everything. Nowadays, Chinese scientists have the passion to invent. As Premiere Li Keqiang mentioned in his letter, “Tu’s winning the prize signifies China’s prosperity and progress in scientific and technological field”.

Tu’s record-breaking winning serves as a reminder to those who are too eager for instant success. Science is never about instant success. There is no way to measure how much you spend on scientific research and compare it with how much reward you get.

1. Which magazine this passage may be mostly selected from?

A. The Times B. Science Fiction

C. Fortune D. National Geography

2.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Science is just about the cure of the disease for mankind.

B. Tu is the first Chinese to win the Nobel Prize of natural science award.

C. Tu’s achievements tell us that victory doesn’t come in one day.

D. Tu made the breakthrough in discovering the artemisinin with advanced technology.

3.What does this passage mainly talk about?

A. Tu’s experience has made her way up to the Nobel Prize.

B. China displays its strength in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

C. Tu honors us Chinese by winning the Nobel Prize.

D. We should not expect to succeed in a short period of time.

Personality is, to large extent, inherent --A-type parents usually bring about A-type offspring. But the environment must also have a profound effect, since if competition is important to the parents, it is likely to become a major factor lives of their children.

One place where children soak up A characteristics is school, which is, by its very nature, a highly competitive institution. Too many schools adopt the "win at all costs" moral standard and measure their success by sporting achievements. The current passion for making children compete against their classmates or against the clock produces a two-layer system, in which competitive A types seem in some way better than their B-type fellows. Being too keen to win can have dangerous consequences: remember that Pheidippides, the first marathon runner, dropped dead seconds after saying，"Rejoice, we conquer!".

By far the worst form of competition in school is the disproportionate emphasis on examinations. It is a rare school that allows pupils to concentrate on those things they do well. The merits of competition by examination are somewhat questionable, but competition in the certain knowledge of failure is positively harmful.

Obviously, it is neither practical nor desirable that all A youngsters change into Bs. The world needs types, and schools have an important duty to try to fit a child's personality to his possible future employment. It is top management.

1. According to the author, what factors contribute to the building of personality?

A. Inheritance.

B. environment .

C. Competition.

D. inheritance, competition and environment.

2. The phrase "soak up" is closest in meaning to _____.

A. pull up B. take up C. take in D. pull in

3. What attitude does the author hold toward examinations in schools?

A. positive B. negative C. doubtful D. neutral

4.What suggestion does the author make concerning the management of schools?

A. All students be made into competitive A types.

B. A child's personality be considered in regard to his possible future job.

C. All students be changed into B characteristics.

D. Schools abolish all forms of examinations.