My teachers suggested that I see a speech specialist (专家) in school.
I never really gave much thought to my speech. If other people understood what I was saying, then that was good enough. I didn’t mind repeating myself many times.
Before testing me, the speech specialist asked me what I thought of having good speech. I told her I thought it was not important.
“Well, when you are in an interview for a job, and they don’t know what you are saying, what are they going to say to you? Nice meeting you, bye,” she said.
Maybe good speech was important. I took part in 20-minute classes each week with the specialist.
After she tested me, she told me that I spoke too fast, and didn’t give enough eye contact (眼神交流). I learned that when I made eye contact with someone, it meant that I was talking to that person, and I could also see what he or she thought about what I was saying.
When my first speech class started, I found that I had been speaking too fast to be understood. Every time I spoke too fast, the specialist stopped me and told me to start again. At first, I got stopped after almost every other sentence. After a while, I felt my speech slow down. I wasn’t sure if people could understand me better, but my friends stopped asking me to repeat myself.
Speech is an important skill to have. If you do have good speech, that’s a good thing, but if you don’t have it, it is never too late to improve.
小题1:The article is probably taken from       .

A．a newspaper	B．an advertisement
C．a detective story	D．a science book

小题2:What did the writer think of having good speech before the classes?

A．It was very useful.	B．It was nothing important.
C．It was impossible.	D．It was good for interviewing.

小题3:What were the writer’s problems when he was speaking?
a. He spoke too quickly.
b. He never stopped once he started talking.
c. He seldom kept eye contact with people.
d. He didn’t give others time to ask questions.

A．a, b

B．b, c

C．a, c

D．b, d

小题4:From the sentence “but my friends stopped asking me to repeat myself,” we know that _____.

A．the writer’s friends couldn’t understand him

B．the writer still couldn’t make eye contact

C．the writer improved a lot

D．the writer didn’t slow down

小题5:Through the passage, the writer wants to tell us that _____.

A．seeing a speech specialist is necessary

B．speech is an important skill to have

C．good speech can help you make friends

D．good speech gets good affect

When I was a child I never said, "When I grow up, I want to be a CEO," but here I am. When I look back on my career, I realize the road to becoming a CEO isn't a straight, clear path. In fact, no two paths are the same. But whether you want to be a boss one day or not, there's a lot to learn from how leaders rise to the top of successful companies.  
As this series of stories shows, the paths to becoming a CEO may be different, but the people in that position(位置) share the qualities of commitment（义务）, work ethic（道德） and a strong desire for building something new. And every CEO take risks along the way—putting your life savings on the line to start a software company or leaving a big business to be one of the first employees at a startup.
I grew up in Minnesota, and learned how to be an entrepreneur（企业家）from my father, who has run a small business for almost 30 years. I went to Georgetown University and tried a lot of business activities in college with success. And I always had a dream job pattern(模式): to walk to work, work for myself and build something for consumers(顾客).  
I'm only 29, so it's been a quick ride to CEO. Out of college, I worked for AOL as a product manager, then moved to Revolution Health and ran the consumer product team. In mid-2007 I left Revolution Health and started LivingSocial with several other workmates, where I became a CEO.
Career advice: Don't figure out where you want to work, or even what industry you'd like to work at. Figure out what makes you do so. What gives you a really big rush? Answer why you like things, not what you like doing. . . and then apply it to your work life. Also, just because you're graduating, don't stop learning. Read more books than you did in college. If you do, and they're not, you're really well-positioned to succeed in whatever you do.
小题1:What can we know from the first paragraph?

A．The writer hasn't achieved his childhood ambition.

B．The writer thinks there is some easy way to become a CEO.

C．The writer had an ambition of becoming a CEO in his childhood.

D．The writer believes success stories of CEOs can be beneficial(有益的) to everybody.

小题2:According to the writer, successful CEOs should _____.

A．try not to take risks	B．stay in the same business
C．have a strong sense of creativity	D．save every possible penny

小题3:What can we know about the writer from the passage?

A．He started LivingSocial when he was still a student of Georgetown University.

B．He used to run the consumer product team for AOL.

C．His business activities at college ended up in more failure than success.

D．His father had far-reaching influence on him.

小题4:What does the underlined phrase “figure out” mean? ______.

A．断定

B．弄清

C．理解

D．领会

小题5:Which of the following proverbs may the writer agree with according to the last paragraph?

A．Well begun is half done.

B．Everything comes to him who waits.

C．Time and tide wait for no man.

D．One is never too old to learn.

You hurry into the kitchen，open the refrigerator and suddenly you forget why you open it．“What am I looking for？”You ask yourself．“What am I doing here？”Don't worry．You are not losing your mind．We have all had this kind of thing．If you think about something very quickly，it goes into your short-term memory and it goes right back out in just a few seconds．You have not moved things from short-term to long-term memory，so you won't be able to remember it later on．
What can you do to help get back your missing short-term memory？You may go back to where you were．So，for example，if you were sitting in a chair listening to the music in the living room，just go back into the living room．This will help you remember，and when you are back in the living room，you will suddenly think，“Oh，yes，I was thirsty and I wanted something cold to drink．That is why I went to the fridge．”If，sometimes，you can't go back to where you were before，just try tracing your steps back in your mind．Think back to things you did before，and this may help you．
小题1:We sometimes forget why we open the refrigerator, probably because___________.        

A．We lose our mind.	B．We are not thirsty.
C．We think about something too quickly.	D．we won’t be able to remember things.

小题2:What can you do to help get back the missing short-term memory?

A．Stay where you are.	B．Make yourself thirsty.
C．Listen to some music.	D．Try tracing your steps back in your mind

小题3:Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Only a few of us will have such experiences,

B．People always forget why they hurry into the kitchen.

C．It doesn’t matter if you can’t remember why you do a certain thing at times.

D．Have something cold to drink can help you to remember the things.

小题4:Which is the best title?

A．Lose your memory	B．What’s wrong with you?
C．Learn to forget	D．Just open the refrigerator

We have no idea about   1 men first began to use salt. But we do know that it had been used in many different ways __2___ the history.
For example, in many history books it is __3__ that people who lived three thousand years ago __4__salted fish. Thousands of years ago in Egypt（埃及）, salt __5_ keep the dead. It can keep the dead bodies __6__ decay.（腐烂）
In the eighteenth century, a person who stole salt was __7__ to have broken the __8__. if a person was caught stealing salt, he would be thrown into __9__. Books also record that in England about ten thousand people were put into prison during that century _10__ stealing salt! In the year 1553, if a man took __11__ than his share of salt, he would be thought to have broken the law and would be __12__ punished(惩罚).
Salt was very __13__ on the dinner table of a king. It was always put __14__ the king when he sat down to eat. Then important visitors sat near the salt __15_ less important visitors were given seats farther away from it.

小题1:	A．when B．where C．what D．which

小题2:	A．throughout B．thought C．though D．although

小题3:	A．say B．reported C．recorded D．reading

小题4:	A．eat B．ate C．eating D．have eaten

小题5:	A．used to B．was used to C．was used D．used

小题6:	A．off B．from C．on D．out

小题7:	A．think B．consider C．thoughtful D．thought

小题8:	A．law B．glass C．computer D．time

小题9:	A．pool B．hill C．prison D．river

小题10:

A．because B．because of C．by D．as

小题11:

A．more B．less C．fewer D．most

小题12:A. serious    B. bad  C. terrible D seriously

小题13:

A．important B．necessary C．clever D．cheerful

小题14:A. in the front of    B behind    C. in front of  D. before

小题15:

A．when B．as C．however D．while

According to some predictions, human beings will die out in 2012. Nearly all people think it’s impossible, but there are some more earthquakes in recent years.
Animals can predict the weather or other natural events. It may sound strange, but farmers living in the countryside think so. For hundreds of years , they have observed animals.
“Animals ’ behavior can be connected to future weather conditions or events.” They say. For example, if cows lie down, a rainstorm is coming. There are many traditional stories connecting animals and natural events. Many people think that these stories don’t have scientific evidence( 根据 ) at all. Scientists, however, are beginning to take another look at some of these ideas.
A Japanese earthquake researcher named Kiyoshi Shimamura noticed an increase in dog bites a short time before earthquake hit. Then he did research on twelve public health centers in Kobe, Japan. These health centers treated people after the 1995 earthquake . He got some interesting information about the month before the big earthquake:  treatment for animals’ bites had increased . In fact, aggressive(侵略的)behavior in dogs, such as biting and barking loudly , jumped 60 percent.
There are also other changes in animals’ behavior before the earthquake. For example, fish began swimming together in large groups , but only in the middle of the water and not near the edges. Birds flew away from their nests for many days, leaving their eggs unprotected . These animals’ behavior suggests that animals may be able to predict natural events better than people.
小题1:What would cows behave before a rainstorm?

A．Running

B．Biting

C．Lying down

D．Sleeping

小题2:What do dogs begin to do just before an earthquake?

A．They leave their homes.	B．They hurt people.
C．They lie down in grass.	D．They stay together in large groups.

小题3:Which of the following animals behave strangely before an earthquake according to this passage?

A．Fish

B．Cows

C．Pigs

D．All of the above.

小题4:In Kiyoshi Shimamura’s investigation(调查)，before the big earthquake, treatment for animals’  bites had _________.

A．disappeared

B．increased

C．been the same as before.

D．never changed.

小题5:What is the main idea of the passage?

A．Natural events and animals’ actions.

B．What animals do during earthquakes

C．Many earthquakes of Japan.

D．Some stories about animals.

At last, the mid-term exams are over. You’ve done the hard work, but you can’t relax. You have to prepare for the next exams. Do you hate exams? If you do, you are not alone. Students in other countries hate them as well.
Luckily for them, British students have fewer exams than Chinese students. And they only have them once a year. Every summer they take a test in each subject. Each test lasts about an hour. These exams don’t count for much, even if a student does really badly they still progress to the next grade. When the results come out, they are then placed in an end-of-year report. The report is sent to the child’s parents. It describes how the student studied at school.
This report is private, so only the teacher, the student and his or her parents see it. This means that the students don’t know how other students scored(得分) in the test. Some students choose to tell each other, but others keep it secret.
Parents’ meetings are held twice a year, at the end of winter term and then at the end of the summer term. Children go along with their parents to meet their teachers privately and discuss their performance at school.
小题1:For British students, the school life is         than that of Chinese students.

A．more relaxing

B．much tenser

C．more boring

D．much harder

小题2:The underlined phrase “don’t count for much” means           

A．难以计数

B．不太重要

C．期望不多

D．难度不大

小题3:Which of the following is NOT true for British students?

A．They have exams once a year.

B．They don’t know their classmates’ scores.

C．Parents’ meetings are held at the end of the terms.

D．They like to tell each other their scores

Pandas live in the forests and mountains of Southwest China. They mainly   1  bamboo, and each panda   2 a lot of bamboo every day. The area of bamboo is becoming smaller for many different   3 ,so pandas have  4  land to live  5  . Pandas don’t have many babies, and baby pandas often   6 . The situation is becoming very serious.
Our government is working hard to save pandas. There are more than 30 natures reserves to protect pandas but these are not enough. The government has made a new plan   7 pandas. The nature reserves will be bigger and the bamboo will grow 8  .Then the pandas will have enough food to eat and enough places to live in. Pandas born in the zoos may   9 live in the nature reserves.
Most people love pandas. The panda is one of the best-known   10  in the world. It is the symbol for the World Wide Fund for Nature.

小题1:	A．live in B．live on C．live for D．live at

小题2:	A．need eating B．needs eating C．need to eat D．needs to eat

小题3:	A．causes B．excuse C．reasons D．result

小题4:	A．fewer and fewer B．more and more C．less and less D．bigger and bigger

小题5:	A．on B．in C．at D．into

小题6:	A．dying B．die C．death D．dead

小题7:	A．help B．helping C．to help D．helps

小题8:	A．well B．better C．bad D．worse

小题9:	A．goes back B．go back to C．go back D．goes back to

小题10:

A．animals B．animal C．an animal D．the animals

Thirty years ago, Lake Ponkapog in Hartwell, New Jersey, was full of life. Many birds and animals lived beside the water, which was full of fish. Now there are few birds, animals, and fish. The lake water is polluted. It is in a colour of dirty brown, and it is filled with strange plants.
How did this happen? First, we must think about how water gets into Lake Ponkapog. When it rains, water comes into the lake from all around. In the past, there were forests all round Lake Ponkapog, so the rainwater was clean.
Now there are many homes around the lake. People often use the chemicals (化学制品)in their gardens. They use other chemicals inside their houses for cleaning and killing insects. There are also many businesses. Businesses use chemicals in their machines of shops. Other chemicals fall onto the ground from cars or trucks. When it rains, the rainwater picks up all the chemicals from home and businesses and then carries them into the lake . They pollute the water and kill the animals.
Boats on the lake are also a problem. Lake Ponkapog is a popular place for motorboats（汽船）. But oil and gas from boats often get into the lake. So more bad chemicals go into the water this way.
People in Hartwell are worried . They love their lake and want to save it. Will it be possible? A clean lake must have clean rainwater going into it. Clean rainwater is possible only if people are more careful about chemicals at home and at other chemicals on the ground. And they mustn’t use motorboats any more on the lake. All these may change people’s lives. Only then can Lake Ponkapog be a beautiful, clean lake again.
小题1:In the past, the water in Lake Ponkapog was made clean by ________.

A．forests

B．rain

C．birds

D．fish

小题2:Chemicals from homes and businesses _________.

A．are always clean	B．can help the animals
C．are good for the lake	D．get into the rainwater

小题3:Cleaner rainwater will mean _________ .

A．more boats on the lake	B．more dirty things in the lake
C．a cleaner lake	D．a dirty lake

小题4:To save Lake Ponkapog, people need to ________.

A．be more careful about chemicals	B．use the water
C．grow fewer plants in the gardens	D．use more motorboats on the lake

小题5:The passage is about ________.

A．boats on the Lake Pankapog	B．why the water is dirty in Lake Ponkapog
C．clean rainwater	D．dirty lakes

任务型阅读（10小题*1=10分）
You must hear about earthquakes,but do you know what to do during and after an earthquake?Here is some advice for you:
Before an earthquake.It is necessary to prepare yourself and your family.All family members should know how to turn off gas,water and electricity and know useful telephone numbers（doctor,hospital,police,119,etc）.Never put heavy things over beds.
During the earthquake.It’s important to for each of you to stay calm.If you are indoors ,quickly move to a safe place in the room such as under a strong desk or a strong table.It can protect yourself from falling things.Stay away from windows ,large mirrors,heavy things and so on.If you are cooking,turn off the gas.
If you are outdoors,move to an open area like a playground.Move away from buildings,bridges and trees.If you are driving,stop the car as soon as possible .Stay in your car.
After an earthquake.Once the shaking stops,do not run out of the building at once.It’s  better to wait and leave when it is safe.
Check around you and help the people in trouble.If your building is badly broken,you should leave it.If you smell or hear gas,get someone outside and open windows and doors.If you can do it safely,turn off the gas.Repeat it to the gas company.

Some useful    小题1:    about earthquakes
Before an earthquade	小题2:   yourself and your family. Don’t   小题3:  to turn off gas，water and electricity. Remember some useful telephone numbers and not to 小题4:  heavy things over beds.
小题5:an earthquake	小题6:  calm is important for each of you. Moving to a safe place in the room can protect yourself from falling things if you are   小题7:    . Remmember to turn off the gas if you are cooking. Moving to an open area and away from builings is  小题8:   if you are outdoors. Remember to stop your car and stay in it if you are driving.
After an earthquake	Run out of the building    小题9:   it’s safe. Check around you and help the people in trouble. Leave your badly broken building. Keep everyone outside and ererything    小题10:   if you smell or hear a gas .

 

Baboons(狒狒) live in Africa. They are like monkeys. Most people think daddy baboons don’t know their babies. But scientists (科学家) find that daddy baboons know how to help their babies. The daddy baboons are smart.
Joan Silk is a scientist. She studies the baboons for 3 years. She says the daddy baboons are happy to see their babies. They have big teeth to help the babies to eat hard things. Mother baboons are small. And they live in a place. When a mother baboon gives birth(分娩), she often has only one baby. Baby baboons have fur. They are very cute.
During the day they eat things. At night, they sleep in the trees. Most children like baboons because they look like the man.
小题1:Where do baboons live?
A. In Africa.         B. In America.       C. In Canada.
小题2:How are daddy baboons?
A. They are shy.
B. They are beautiful.
C. They are smart.
小题3:They underlined word “hard” means________ in Chinese.
A. 困难的              B. 柔软的          C. 坚硬的
小题4:The mother baboon usually has _______baby baboon(s) when she gives birth.
A. one                  B. two              C. three
小题5:Which of the following is TRUE?
A. Baboons are small monkeys.
B. Baby baboons are very cute.
C. Daddy baboons don’t know how to help their babies.