- Mr. Priestly has just accepted our offer over the phone.

   - Good, but you must ask him to ________ it in writing.

   A. consume              B. conduct       C. consult        D. confirm

 - I love the Internet. I’ve come to know many friends on the Net.

   - . ________. Few of them would become your real friends.

   A. That’s for sure                               B. It’s not the case

C. I couldn’t agree more                            D. I’m pleased to know that

第二节          

红光中学（Hongguang High School）为了鼓励学生们进行户外锻炼，近期举行了一次登山活动。假设你是学校英语报记者，请写一篇短文，报道此次活动。内容包括：

1. 时间地点：4月25日，松峰山 (Songfeng Mountain)。

2. 活动的过程：相互扶持；聊天唱歌；山顶野餐。

3. 你对于此次活动的感想（收获）。

注意：

1. 字数不少于100；

2. 可适当加入细节，以使内容充实、行文连贯；

3. 参考词汇：take outdoor exercise; a mountain-climbing activity

阅读下面短文，并根据题目要求用英语回答问题（请注意问题后的字数要求）。

   A new skateboard, named the Board of Imagination, proves that the future of travel is only limited by imagination. It takes orders directly from the rider’s brainwaves and transfers (传送) them to a 800-watt motor, which drives the board forward.

   Decide a destination and how fast you would like to get there, and you can start with the the Board of Imagination. If you think that’s too fast, it will slow down. The secret is in an onboard Samsung tablet (平板电脑) with Windows 8 and a headset that monitors and analyses (分析) brainwaves.

   Dr. Whurley showed how he mastered the board to travel from Point A to Point B. Now, he’s the leading driver of the board in the world. He compared the process to imagining yourself pulling yourself along with a rope. If you “see” the destination in your mind, and decide how fast you want to get there, the Board of Imagination will do the rest.

   Apart from making you able to balance, the only other form of training is to marry your brainwaves to the computer software. The problem with the board is that users really have to keep their minds on the job at hand. If you start thinking about lunch or something that you might have to do when the ride ends, the ride might end a lot sooner and more suddenly than you planned.

   Whurly said, “We quickly realized that we would have to find a way to handle distraction. While we did the best we could, it was always an issue for most riders.”

56. What’s special about the skateboard? (No more than 8 words)

   _______________________________________________________________________

57. How can you make the Board of Imagination start? (No more than 8 words)

   _______________________________________________________________________

58. What’s the meaning of the underlined word “distraction” in the last paragraph?

   (No more than 6 words)

   _______________________________________________________________________

59. What’s mainly talked about in the passage? (No more than 8 words)

   _______________________________________________________________________

60. Do you want to drive the board? What should you pay special attention to when you are driving the board？(No more than 25 words)

   _______________________________________________________________________

Meeting people from another culture can be difficult. From the beginning, people may send the wrong signal (信号). Or they may pay no attention to signals from another person who is trying to develop a relationship.

Different cultures emphasize (强调) the importance of relationship building to a greater or lesser degree. For example, business in some countries is not possible until there is a relationship of trust. Even with people at work, it is necessary to spend a lot of time in "small talk", usually over a glass of tea, before they do any job. In many European countries -- like the UK or France -- people find it easier to build up a lasting working relationship at restaurants or cafes rather than at the office.

Talk and silence may also be different in some cultures. I once made a speech in Thailand. I had expected my speech to be a success and start a lively discussion; instead there was an uncomfortable silence. The people present just stared at me and smiled. After getting to know their ways better, I realized that they thought I was talking too much. In my own culture, we express meaning mainly through words, but people there sometimes feel too many words are unnecessary.

Even within Northern Europe, cultural differences can cause serious problems. Certainly, English and German cultures share similar values; however, Germans prefer to get down to business more quickly. We think that they are rude. In fact, this is just because one culture starts discussions and makes decisions more quickly.

People from different parts of the world have different values, and sometimes these values are quite against each other. However, if we can understand them better, a multicultural environment (多元文化环境) will offer a wonderful chance for us to learn from each other.

51. In some countries, eating together at restaurants may make it easier for people to ________.

   A. develop closer relations                     B. share the same culture

   C. get to know each other                    D. keep each other company

52. The author mentions his experience in Thailand to show that ________.

   A. the English prefer to make long speeches            

B. too many words are of no use

C. people from Thailand are quiet and shy by nature

D. even talk and silence can be culturally different

53. According to the text, how can people from different cultures understand each other better?

A. By sharing different ways of life.       B. By accepting different habits.

C. By recognizing different values.      D. By speaking each other' s languages.

54. The author implies in the passage that ________.

A. Germans are less decisive and efficient than the English

B. the speech made in Thailand was not a success in the audience’s eyes

C. cultural differences hardly cause serious problems within European countries

D. it’s unnecessary to do a lot of “small talk” with people at work

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

   A. Multicultural Environment.                B. Cross-Cultural Differences.

   C. How to Understand Each Other.           D. How to Build Up a Relationship.

Malaria, the world's most widespread parasitic(寄生虫引起的) disease, kills as many as three million people every year—almost all of whom are under five, very poor, and African. In most years, more than five hundred million cases of illness result from the disease, although exact numbers are difficult to assess because many people don't (or can't) seek care. It is not unusual for a family earning less than two hundred dollars a year to spend a quarter of its income on malaria treatment, and what they often get no longer works. In countries like Tanzania, Mozambique, and the Gambia, no family, village, hospital, or workplace can remain unaffected for long.

Malaria starts suddenly, with violent chills, which are soon followed by an intense fever and, often, headaches. As the parasites multiply, they take over the entire body. Malaria parasites live by eating the red blood cells they infect (感染). They can also attach themselves to blood vessels in the brain. If it doesn't kill you, malaria can happen again and again for years. The disease passed on to humans by female mosquitoes infected with one of four species of parasite. Together, the mosquito and the parasite are the most deadly couple in the history of the earth—and one of the most successful. Malaria has five thousand genes, and its ability to change rapidly to defend itself and resist new drugs has made it nearly impossible to control. Studies show that mosquitoes are passing on the virus more frequently, and there are more outbreaks in cities with large populations. Some of the disease's spread is due to global warming.

For decades, the first-choice treatment for malaria parasites in Africa has been chloroquine, a chemical which is very cheap and easy to make. Unfortunately, in most parts of the world, malaria parasites have become resistant to it. Successful alternatives that help prevent resistance are already available, but they have been in short supply and are very expensive. If these drugs should fail, nobody knows what would come next.

46. According to paragraph 1, many people don't seek care because ________.

A. they are too poor        B. it is unusual to seek care

C. they can remain unaffected for long

D. there are too many people suffering from the disease

47. People suffering from malaria ________.

A. have to kill female mosquitoes   B. have ability to defend parasites

C. have their red blood cells infected     D. have sudden fever, followed by chills

48. Which of the following may be the reason for the wide spread of the disease?

A. Its resistance to global warming.      

B. Its ability to pass on the virus frequently.

C. Its outbreaks in cities with large populations.   

D. Its ability to defend itself and resist new drugs.

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

A. no drugs have been found to treat the disease

B. the alternative treatment is not easily available to most people

C. malaria has developed its ability to resist parasites

D. nobody knows what will be the drug to treat the disease

50. Which of the following questions has NOT been discussed in the passage?

A. How can we know one is suffering from malaria?

B. How many people are killed by malaria each year?

C. Why are there so many people suffering from malaria?

D. What has been done to keep people unaffected for long?

One of our biggest fears nowadays is that our kids might some day get lost in a “sea of technology” rather than experiencing the natural world. Fear-producing TV and computer games are leading to a serious disconnect between kids and the great outdoors, which will change the wild places of the world, its creatures and human health for the worse, unless adults get working on child’s play.

Each of us has a place in nature we go sometimes, even if it was torn down. We cannot be the last generation to have that place. At this rate, kids who miss the sense of wonder outdoors will not grow up to be protectors of natural landscapes. “If the decline in parks use continues across North America, who will defend parks against encroachment (蚕食)?” asks Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods.

Without having a nature experience, kids, can turn out just fine, but they are missing out a huge enrichment of their lives. That applies to everything from their physical health and mental health, to stress levels, creativity and cognitive (认知的) skills. Experts predict modern kids will have poorer health than their parents—and they say a lack of outside play is surely part of it; research suggests that kids do better academically in schools with a nature component and that play in nature fosters (培养) leadership by the smartest, not by the toughest. Even a tiny outdoor experience can create wonder in a child. The three-year-old turning over his first rock realizes he is not alone in the world. A clump of trees on the roadside can be the whole universe in his eyes. We really need to value that more.

Kids are not responsible. They are over-protected and frightened. It is dangerous out there from time to time, but repetitive stress from computers is replacing breaking an arm as a childhood rite（仪式）of passage.

Everyone, from developers, to schools and outdoors citizens, should help regain for our kids some of the freedom and joy of exploring, taking friendship in fields and woods that cement love, respect and need for landscape. As parents, we should devote some of our energies to taking our kids into nature. This could yet be our greatest cause.

41. The main idea of Paragraph 2 is that ________.

     A. kids miss the sense of wonder outdoors      

B. parks are in danger of being gradually encroached

C. Richard Louv is the author of Last Child in the Woods

D. children are expected to develop into protectors of nature

42. According to the passage, children without experiencing nature will ________.

   A. keep a high sense of wonder                 

B. be over-protected by their parents

    C. be less healthy both physically and mentally

    D. change wild places and creatures for the better

43. According to the author, children’s breaking an arm is ________.

A. the fault on the part of their parents         

B. the natural experience in their growing up

C. the result of their own carelessness in play      

D. the effect of their repetitive stress from computers

44. What does the underlined word “cement” in the last paragraph mean?

   A. strengthen           B. enrich        C. spread D. present     

45. In writing this passage, the author mainly intends to ________.

   A. blame children for getting lost in computer games

   B. encourage children to protect parks from encroachment

   C. show his concern about children’s lack of experience in nature

   D. inspire children to keep the sense of wonder about things around

Zoe Chambers was a successful PR (Public Relations) consultant and life was going well---she had a great job, a beautiful flat and a busy social life in London. Then one evening in June last year, she received a text message telling her she was out of work. “The first two weeks were the most difficult to live through,”she said. “After everything I'd done for the company, they dismissed me by text! I was so angry and I just didn't feel like looking for another job. I hated everything about the city and my life.”

Then, Zoe received an invitation from an old school friend, Kathy, to come and stay. Kathy and her husband, Huw, had just bought a farm in north-west Wales. Zoe jumped at the chance to spend a weekend away from London, and now, ten months later, she is still on the farm.

“The moment I arrived at Kathy’s farm, I loved it and I knew I wanted to stay.” said Zoe. “Everything about my past life suddenly seemed meaningless.”

Zoe has been working on the farm since October of last year and says she has no regrets. “It’s a hard life, physically very tiring.”she says. “In London 1 was stressed and often mentally exhausted. But this is a good, healthy tiredness. Here, all 1 need to put me in a good mood is a hot bath and one of Kathy’s wonderful dinners.”

Zoe says she has never felt bored on the farm. Every day brings a new experience. Kathy has been teaching her how to ride a horse and she has learnt to drive a tractor. Since Christmas, she has been helping with the lambing---watching a lamb being born is unbelievable, she says, “It's one of the most moving experiences I've ever had. I could never go back to city life now.”

36. When working as a PR consultant in London, Zoe thought she lived a ________ life.

A. satisfying     B. tough  C. meaningless       D. boring

37. The most important reason why Zoe went to visit Kathy's farm is that ________.

A. Zoe lost her job as a PR consultant           B. Kathy persuaded her to do so

C. Zoe got tired of the city life                    

D. Zoe loved Wales more than London

38. How docs Zoe feel about the country life according to the passage?

A. Tiresome and troublesome.                     B. Romantic and peaceful

C. Mentally exhausting but healthy              

D. Physically tiring but rewarding.

39. It is stated in the passage that ________.

   A. Zoe went to the farm to start a new life    

B. Zoe failed to find another job in London

   C. Kathy was Zoe’s friend from work          

D. watching a lamb being born touched Zoe’s heart

40. Which of the following is closest to the main idea of the passage?

A. A friend in need is a friend indeed.          

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

C. A misfortune may turn out a blessing.    

D. Kill two birds with one stone.

Evelyn Glennie was the first lady of solo percussion in Scotland. In an interview, she recalled how she became a percussion soloist in spite of her disability.

“Early on I decided not to allow the __16__ of others to stop me from becoming a musician. I grew up on a farm in northeast Scotland and began __17__ piano lessons when I was eight. The older I got, the more my passion for music grew. But I also began to gradually lose my __18__. Doctors concluded that the nerve damage was the __19__ and by age twelve, I was completely deaf. But my love for music never  __20__ me.

“My __21__ was to become a percussion soloist, even though there were none at that time. To perform, I __22__ to ‘hear’ music differently from others. I play in my stocking feet and can __23__ the pitch of a note (音调高低) by the vibrations (振动) I feel through my body and through my __24__. My entire sound world exists by making use of almost every __25__ that I have.

“I was __26__ to be assessed as a musician, not as a deaf musician, and applied to the famous Royal Academy of Music in London. No other deaf student had __27__ this before and some teachers __28__ my admission. Based on my performance, I was __29__ admitted and went on to __30__ with the academy’s highest honors.

“After that, I established myself as the first full-time solo percussionist. I __31__ and arranged a lot of musical compositions since __32__ had been written specially for solo percussionists.

“I’ve been a soloist for over ten years. __33__ the doctor thought I was totally deaf, it didn’t __34__ that my passion couldn’t be realized. I would encourage people not to allow themselves to be __35__ by others. Follow your passion; follow your heart. They will lead you to the place where you want to go.”

16. A. conditions            B. opinions              C. actions                D. recommendations

17. A. enjoying               B. choosing             C. taking                 D. giving

18. A. sight                    B. hearing                C. touch                  D. taste

19. A. evidence              B. result                  C. excuse                D. cause

20. A. left                      B. excited                C. accompanied       D. disappointed

21. A. purpose               B. decision               C. promise               D. goal

22. A. turned                 B. learned                C. used                   D. ought

23. A. tell                      B. see                      C. hear                    D. smell

24. A. carefulness          B. movement           C. imagination          D. experience

25. A. sense                  B. effort                  C. feeling                 D. idea

26. A. dissatisfied           B. astonished           C. determined          D. discouraged

27. A. done                    B. accepted              C. advised               D. admitted

28. A. supported            B. followed              C. required              D. opposed

29. A. usually                 B. finally                  C. possibly              D. hopefully

30. A. study                   B. research              C. graduate              D. progress

31. A. wrote                  B. translated             C. copied                 D. read

32. A. enough                B. some                   C. many                  D. few

33. A. However              B. Although             C. When                  D. Since

34. A. mean                   B. seem                   C. conclude             D. say

35. A. directed               B. guided                 C. taught                 D. limited

 I ________ to my cousin^’s birthday party last night, but I was not available.

A. went             B. had gone           C. would go    D. would have gone