When looking at Western Europe, we don’t usually think about poverty—but in fact, some people in modern-day Britain are so hard up that they can’t afford to buy food.

Back in 2008, the financial crisis caused a lot of unemployment. Then there were the cuts to the welfare system in 2013 which added to the problem—and many British people fell into debt. It’s estimated that 500,000 people in the UK have turned to food banks, just to get by.

Steph Hagen, who works in a Nottingham food bank, says：“People do not go to a food bank because it's an open door. It’s a case where they go to it because they need to. With our food bank—we are an independent one, and we have limited stocks—everyone who comes through our door has no income.”

There are checks to make sure nobody is abusing the system. If a doctor or a social worker thinks someone needs to use a food bank—even for a short time—they can give them vouchers(凭证). Then the people in need take them along to the food bank and they get handouts for three days.

Churches and individual donors provide most of the food in the banks. But some businesses might help out too.

And what sort of food is offered in food banks? Hagen says：“Basically, we’ve got porridge. We do occasionally get fresh produce but it’s very rare, especially in the winter months. It’s like tinned fruit, tinned ready meals. We have to give out‘no-cooking’food parcels because people can’t afford the gas and electricity”.

Community spirit has a lot to do with food banks. Volunteers say they are a great meeting place for people who are lonely and depressed. And when facing a crisis, some beneficiaries might need to feed not only their belly—but also their soul.

1.According to the text, the food bank is a place ________.

A．which is funded by the government

B．where people can get food randomly

C．which helps poor people live through crisis

D．where there is enough food supplies

2.What does the underlined word“them”in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A．Systems． B．Doctors．

C．Social workers． D．Vouchers．

3.Why do food banks mainly offer“no-cooking”food?

A．Poor people have no money for gas and electricity.

B．The volunteers hate to supply cooked food.

C．Food banks can’t afford cooked food.

D．This kind of food is easy to store.

4.What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．Community spirit can cure those who are depressed.

B．Food banks benefit poor people mind and body.

C．People can have great fun in food banks.

D．Volunteers tend to feel lonely and depressed in food banks.

I’ve often wondered how exactly sleep, or lack of it, can have such an awful effect on our bodies and, guess what, how much we sleep switches good genes(基因) on and had genes off.

In the first half of 2013, the Sleep Research Centre at the University of Surrey found a direct link between hours spent sleeping and genes. Every cell in our bodies carries genetic instructions in our DNA that act as a kind of operating handbook. However, each cell only “reads” the part of this handbook it needs at any given moment.

Can sleep affect how a gene reads instructions? It’s a question asked by Professor Derk-Jan Dijk at the University of Surrey. He set up an experiment and asked his volunteers to spend a week sleeping around seven and a half hours to eight hours a night and the next sleeping six and a half to seven hours.

Blood samples were taken each week to compare which genes in blood cells were being used during the long and short nights. The results were rather surprising. Several hundred genes changed in the amount they were being used, including some that are linked to heart disease, cancer, and Type 2 diabetes. Genes to do with cell repair and replacement were used much less.

Sleep restriction(six and a half to seven hours a night) changed 380 genes. Of these, 220 genes were down regulated (their power was increased). Those affected included body-clock genes which are linked to diabetes(糖尿病). One of the most downgraded genes is that which has a role in controlling insulin(胰岛素) and is linked to diabetes and insomnia(失眠). The most upgraded gene is linked to heart disease.

So changing sleep by tiny amounts can upgrade or downgrade genes that can influence our health and the diseases we suffer from when we sleep too little.

The important message is that getting close to eight hours of sleep a night can make a dramatic difference to our health in just a few days through the way it looks after our genes.

1.What kind of relation is directly discussed in the passage?

A. Sleeping hours and changes of genes.

B. Sleeping hours and diseases.

C. Changes of genes and diseases.

D. Genes and health.

2.What can we learn about Professor Derk-Jan Kijk’s experiment?

A. The experiment was carried out to find the answer to how genes affect sleep.

B. The experiment took a period of more than two weeks to reach a conclusion.

C. His volunteers were divided into two groups with two different sleeping patterns.

D. Blood samples of the volunteers were checked afterwards to decide how many genes changed in sleeping.

3.Which of the following may be concluded from the passage?

A. The experiment was performed at the University of Surrey in early 2013.

B. Body-clock genes are associated with heart disease, cancer and Type 2 diabetes.

C. Sleep restrictions may contribute to disease like diabetes, insomnia, and heart disease.

D. 7.5－8 hours’ sleep pattern makes little difference compared with 6.5－7 hours’ sleep pattern.

4.Which of the following can be inferred from the findings of the sleep research?

A. When there is a sleep restriction, genes to do with cell repair and replacement function less.

B. In a sleep, several hundred genes change in the amount. The more changes, the worse results.

C. When genes are up regulated, they do good to health; when genes are down regulated , they do harm to health.

D. Eight hours of sleep a day can be beneficial to our health in that it looks after our genes.

The oceans are unique to our planet. No other planet in our solar system has liquid water. The oceans cover about 70% of the earth's surface. They contain about 97% of the earth's water supply. Life on earth originated in the seas. The oceans continue to be home to an incredible number of plants and animals.

We know very little about the oceans. Because they are so deep and dark, they are hard to study. But scientists are discovering new strange creatures all the time. We are learning more by using satellites to look at the oceans' surfaces and by using buoys (航标) to measure temperature and saltiness. Special vehicles can now travel deep into the dark oceans to see what mysteries can be discovered.

More of the sun's heat is assimilated by water along the equator than at the poles. This means the water at the equator is warmer than water at the poles. These different water temperatures cause the water in the oceans to move. This is called an ocean current.

The air above ocean currents also moves. The warm or cold ocean air moves over the land as wind. Oceans are also a really important part of the water cycle. Evaporation (蒸发) from oceans creates most of the world's rainfall. Plants on land need the rain to absorb nutrients from the soil.

The oceans are also home to all kinds of sea life. These include fish, whales, dolphins, octopi, lobsters, crabs and shrimps. There are also jellyfish and starfish. Many kinds of plants, such as plankton, kelp and sea grass are part of the "forest of the seafloor."

Carbon dioxide in-oxygen out! Oceans help to capture and store carbon dioxide(C02). They are the largest natural "carbon sinks" in the world. Oceans trap about 1/4 of the CO2 that humans put into the air. Oceans also release oxygen. Half of the world's oxygen is produced by these tiny plants!

1.What does the author think of oceans?

A. They are amazing. B. They are common.

C. They are boundless. D. They are unimaginable.

【小题2 To know more about the mysterious oceans, ________.

A. scientists use satellites in the oceans

B. scientists are discovering new strange creatures

C. scientists are using satellites to monitor the depth of oceans

D. scientists are introducing scientific equipment in the research

2.What does the underlined word "assimilated" mean in the passage?

A. Taken in. B. Given off.

C. Cut down. D. Held back.

3.It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

A. oceans produce much carbon dioxide

B. it is not safe to live by the oceans

C. oceans provide humans with rich resources

D. humans can only depend on oceans for water

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。

What attitude would you have to disappointments in life? 1. Find out how a chair, a pair of sunglasses and other items can hold unexpected promise for controlling your anger.

1. Take A Seat—Right Now

There’s a reason you’ve probably never gotten into an angry state of mind from a chair. W．Robert Nay, a clinical professor, says, “Our brains become conditioned to associate sitting and lying down with feeling relaxed.”2. Sitting down, Nay says, sends a message of safety and security to your brain.

2. Don’t Get Mad, Get Organized

A study of nearly 11,000 subjects in 42 countries found that the key to hold back anger is preventing it in the first place. Spending a few minutes every morning to map out your day will go far in lowering anger and anxiety levels. The theory： 3.

3. Keep Your Cool With A Pair Of Shades

Research in the journal Cognition & Emotion(情绪) found that when people walk in direct sun without sunglasses, the light causes them to feel depressed. Those who walked unshaded against the rays had increased aggressiveness scores. Study co-author Daniele Marzoli suggests seeking shade during heated exchanges：“ 4. ”

4. Handle anger in a sensible way

We are busy working all day as if running a car on the high way. But remember：remind yourself to brake at any time in case of sudden crash. When you’re in anger, say to yourself, “Why am I angry? Is it necessary?”When attention is transferred(转移), blind emotion will be controlled． 5.

A．Don’t be an angry bird.

B．Well begun is half done.

C．It’s useful to handle problems.

D．You’re suddenly a crazy angry person.

E．That’s why it’s so easy to fall asleep on an airplane.

F．Effective time management keeps you on track, avoiding stress.

G．Compared outdoor, indoor conversations have more friendly interactions.

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。

Stealing? I guess we were stealing. But in our 13-year-old brains the matter of ownership _________ occurred to us. We just wanted to _________ some strawberries in Mr Jordan’s backyard. So we went _________ into his backyard.

When we started _________ his strawberries, all of a sudden Mr Jordan came outside.

“What are you boys doing out here?” he _________ and tried to grab one or two as my friends rushed past him, but they were too _________ for the older gentleman to seize, and all the boys except me disappeared within seconds.

Speed was never my _________. So I could just stand there and _________ whatever punishment would surely come my way from Mr Jordan.

He marched me to my house and my mother criticized me. My friends gathered to celebrate their _________and observe my capture. They _________ me about it for days afterwards, while all I could do was complain to my father about how _________ it was.

“I don’t think so,” Dad said. “You got the punishment you _________.”

“But what about other guys?” I asked.

Dad said, “You can’t _________what happens to other people. You can only _________ what happens to you. You picked Mr Jordan’s strawberries that night, and you were punished for it. To me, that is completely fair.”

Then I couldn’t _________my father’s words. _________through the years I knew what he talked about. We didn’t come to earth with a _________ that life would treat us fairly.

Like Dad said, the _________ thing we can actually _________ is what happens to us. How we choose to respond to what happens to us is truly the _________ by which the quality of our lives will be measured whether or not we think it happens fairly.

1.A.neverB.everC.oftenD.sometimes

2.A.seeB.plantC.pickD.water

3.A.carelesslyB.sadlyC.secretlyD.calmly

4.A.harvestingB.destroyingC.treatingD.facing

5.A.smiledB.shoutedC.doubtedD.added

6.A.stupidB.quickC.kindD.tall

7.A.characterB.luckC.choiceD.strength

8.A.denyB.judgeC.admitD.accept

9.A.escapeB.unitC.lifeD.holiday

10.A.helpedB.teasedC.blamedD.supported

11.A.illegalB.impracticalC.unfairD.unnecessary

12.A.deservedB.observedC.wantedD.imagined

13.A.ignoreB.expectC.concludeD.control

14.A.faceB.leadC.devoteD.refuse

15.A.markB.improveC.understandD.discuss

16.A.AndB.OrC.SoD.But

17.A.guaranteeB.directionC.questionD.form

18.A.commonB.obviousC.onlyD.easy

19.A.look atB.deal withC.dream ofD.take away

20.A.standardB.viewC.valueD.purpose

语法填空，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。

A father is very worried about his son, 1. acts like a coward. So his father paid a visit to the master and 2. (ask) him to train his son.

The master said, “I promise I'll be able to train your child 3. a real man in three months.”

Three months later, his father came 4. (pick) the child. The master arranged a match between the child 5. his coach to show the three-month training result.

At Round One, the child 6. (knock) down and fell to the ground. He stood up to meet the challenge. But he was knocked down again, and once again he stood up to fight... this was repeated six times.

The master asked his father, “Do you think your child's 7.(perform) is that of a man?” The father said, “I feel ashamed for 8. ！ I never expected that he would be so weak after three months 9. (train).”The master said, “I don't agree with you, and I regret that you only see _10. surface of things. You have not seen the courage and perseverance in your son. This is the very spirit of a man！”

短文改错

假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线（﹨）划掉。

修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；

2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

Have you ever had a headache during a test? Have you ever been too worried about something that you have a headache or even can’t sleep at night? If so, then you know that stress is.

Not all stress is bad for you. Some kinds of stress can help you get things do better, like when you are running towards the finishing line or when you are being asked to give a speech to your class. Stress sometimes can help push you to make full preparation for a test. However, too much stress can result in anger, depression and other related problems, which we need to take serious.

There are many things in our life what might cause stress — having too much homework, taking a difficult test, and having economic problems.

It’s impossible to live in a life completely free of stress, so you should learn to deal with stress. The best way reduce stress is to have a balance life. If you get enough sleep, eat properly, take more exercise and have enough fun time, you’ll probably feel less stressed.

书面表达

假设你是李华，你校英文报“My Point of View”一栏拟刊登“家庭与孩子成长”有关的内容。现在很多家庭只有一个孩子，这样的环境对孩子的成长是否有利？如果一个家庭可以有两个孩子，那对孩子的成长又有什么样的利弊？请你就这个话题给校报编辑写一封信，谈谈你的看法。

注意：1. 词数100左右；

2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；

3. 开头语已为你写好，不计入总词数。

Dear Editor,

With the implementing of family planning policy, most families have only one child.

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

The New York Times’ Room for Debate blog has a panel (专门小组) considering the pluses and minuses of summer homework. This has been the subject of debate in our house. Our 11th-grade daughter’s summer assignments were very challenging, to the point where I sometimes wondered if more of her time would have been better spent just riding a bicycle or swimming around a pool.

Here are some opinions from the panel:

Harris Cooper, psychologist, Duke University: “The long summer vacation disrupts the rhythm of instruction, leads to forgetting and requires time be spent reviewing old material when students return to school in the fall. My advice? Teachers, you need to be careful about what and how much summer homework you assign. Summer homework shouldn’t be expected to overcome a student’s learning deficits; that’s what summer school is for. Parents, if the assignments are clear and reasonable, support the teachers.”

Nancy Kalish, co-author of the Case Against Homework: “Schools should rethink summer homework, and not just because it stresses out kids (and parents). The truth is, homework doesn’t accomplish what we assume it does. According to a Duke University review of more than 175 studies, there is little or no connection between homework and standardized test score or long-term achievement in primary school.”

Mark Bauerlein, professor of English at Emory University: “To the general question of whether or not schools should assign summer homework, the answer is ‘Yes.’ The reason comes not only from the brain drain of summer. It relates also to an attitude young people take toward education. They tie knowledge to the syllabus, not to themselves. They read and study to write the paper and score highly in the test, not to furnish their minds. In a word, they regard learning as a classroom thing. That’s all.”

It seems to me that summer homework is a good idea to keep the brain cells moving, but like everything else it should be given in moderation.

1.Harris Cooper seems to believe that ________.

A. more summer homework causes students’ learning difficulties

B. students should go to summer school if they have no homework

C. teachers should give careful consideration to summer homework

D. parents should tell teachers how much homework their kids need

2.In the 4th paragraph, Nancy Kalish explains her idea by________.

A. making comparisons B. giving research findings

C. raising questions D. telling stories

3.Mark Bauerlein might agree that summer homework ________.

A. should be based on the school’s teaching program

B. has no direct connection to students’ higher grades

C. brings more pressure to both students and their parents

D. helps students develop the right attitude toward learning

Europe’s deadly outbreak of a rare form of E. coli bacteria (大肠杆菌) has brought new attention to food safety issues. One of the problems when people get sick from food is that the simplest question is often difficult or even impossible to answer. Just what did the people eat that made them sick?

Of course, one way to avoid these medical mysteries is to keep dangerous organisms out of the food supply. This is easier said than done, but scientists keep looking for new ways.

Scientists in the United States have developed an experimental system that uses a high-tech optical scanner. The system is designed to identify the presence of contaminants(致污物) like soil or animal waste on fresh produce. These can be sources of E. coli. E. coli bacteria naturally live in the intestines (肠) of humans and many animals. Most kinds of E. coli are harmless but some can make people sick.

The new scanner can also show damage and imperfections that might make the produce unappealing to shoppers.

Scientists designed the system at a Department of Agriculture research center in Beltsville, Maryland. Moon Kim of the Agricultural Research Service led the team.

MOON KIM: “We were requested, we were asked, to develop a method to detect contamination in produce. So we started with the apple as the model sample.”

The scanner uses a high-speed camera placed over the conveyer belt that moves the produce along. As the apples move along the belt, the scanner captures images of each piece of fruit.

Moon Kim says the team hopes the system will be available before long.

MOON KIM: “We are targeting for development in commercial plants for the next several years.”

The scanner can direct a sorting machine to separate the bad apples from the good ones. The system is currently able to show the surface of only half the apple as it speeds by. The inventers hope to improve the process so it can show the whole surface.

1.What is the main topic of the text?

A. Bacteria B. A high-tech scanner

C. A camera D. Food safety

2.E. coli bacteria ________.

A. broke out all over the world

B. comes from soil or animal waste

C. is extremely harmful to health

D. does not cause illness

3.The high-tech scanner ________.

A. can help to sort out different fruits

B. make the produce appeal to shoppers

C. can only capture images of the whole apple

D. can identify the presence of contaminants

4.What can be inferred from the text?

A. The scanner needs to be improved.

B. The scanner will be available in the next several years.

C. Moon Kim is unwilling to develop the scanner.

D. The scanner is connected to a sorting machine.