Book: No Looking Back

Author: Shivani Gupta

Shivani had thrown a party one evening and awoke the next morning in hospital because of a car crash. It took Shivani years of pain, struggle and determination to regain control of her life and her body. Then tragedy struck again. As the newly-married Shivani drove to Manali with her family, a truck crashed into her car. Shivani refused to give in-she wouldn't let her injury keep her from achieving her ambitions.

Book: Courage Beyond Compare

Author: Sanjay Sharma

　　The 10 sportspersons in the book are champions in diverse fields like athletics, swimming, and badminton, who have brought glory to the country. They overcame their physical limitations to reach the top of their chosen fields.

Book：Face to Face

Author: Ved Mehta

Blind since the age of four, the author led a lonely childhood in India until he was accepted to the Arkansas School for the Blind, to which he flew alone at 15. America and the school changed his life, leading him to degrees at Oxford and Harvard and a fruitful writing career.

Book: This Star Won’t Go Out

Author: Lori and Wayne Earl

Diagnosed with cancer at 12, Esther Earl was a bright and talented, but very normal teenager. She lived a hope-filled and generous life. A cheerful, positive and encouraging daughter, sister and friend, Esther died in 2010, shortly after turning 16, but not before inspiring thousands through her growing online presence.

21. The book No Looking Back mainly talks about_________________.

A. an unlucky girl who experienced two car accidents

B. 10 disabled athletes who are champions in sports field

C. a successful author who was blind during his childhood

D. an inspiring teenager who died of cancer

22. When reading the book written by Sanjay Sharma, we will_______.

A. find the author is a sports lover

B. get inspired by the sportspersons' spirits

C. be proud to be a sportsperson

D. find sportspersons are full of power

23. In which book does the author tell of himself?

A. Face to Face.                                                                                                  B. This Star Won’t Go Out.

C. Courage Beyond Compare.                                                        D. No Looking Back.

24. Which word can best describe the characters of all the four books?

A. Intelligent.                                B. Passionate.                   C. Inspiring     D. Pessimistic

In Florida, one McDonald's customer started a pay-it-forward chain that inspired other 249 customers to be generous and do the same.

ABC News reports the spirit of giving is in the air as 250 drive-thru (免下车服务)customers at a local McDonald's paid for the meals of the people next to them. Lakeland customer Torie Keene was paying for her food on Wednesday morning when she decided to pay for the meal of the car next to her.

Keene then purposely told McDonald's cashier Marisabel Figueroa to greet the other customer "Merry Christmas" and not "Happy Holidays." The next customer was moved when Figueroa said her food was already paid by the previous car. That's when she thought that she would love to do the same and the domino effect followed.

Figueroa, who worked from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, said that the chain reaction almost lasted for her entire shift. "I just kept giving everyone the same message, and they were all so stunned and so happy," she continued. "One lady even paid for the meals of the next three cars behind her."

While people were amazed by how generous they could get, Figueroa said she had "never experienced something like that before" in her 12 years of working for McDonald's. "I feel very blessed to have been a part of all that," the cashier said.

Keene contacted Figueroa on Facebook when the pay-it-forward chain came out in the local news. She revealed that she was the "mystery customer" that started the long chain of kindness.

Keene added that she was surprised by the number of people who continued her good deed when she was "only trying to brighten someone's day."

25. Who started the pay-it-forward chain?

A. Father Christmas                                                                          B. Marisabel Figueroa

C. Manager of a McDonald's                                               D. Torie Keene from Lakeland

26. What're the drivers' reactions towards the generous behavior? 

A. Lucky and unbelievable                                                                      B. Funny and surprised

C. Amazed and moved.                                                                      D. Ridiculous and happy

27. For how long did the chain last?

A. A week.    B. A whole day.   C. About twelve hours.               D. About six hours.

Music is magic! Music speaks louder than words and it is a “language” that the whole world can understand. A piece of music can produce a response in the heart and mind. Like feeling an electrical current or receiving a personal radio signal, music has a spiritual effect on a person. Different kinds of music influence people in different ways.

I have listened to music all my life. When I was twelve years old, the Beatles came to America and my whole world opened up. Maybe young people today cannot understand the influence of the Beatles when they exploded across America. Their influence changed the way we dressed, looked, acted and spoke... even our culture. The Beatles arrived in America from the UK just three months after the assassination(暗杀) of President John Kennedy, which had put America into a great depression. And the freshness and lively spirit of the Beatles was exactly what the country needed to refresh itself.

Music links the heart of the hearer with that of the composer. This means that it mixes the spirit of the composer with your spirit when you listen to it. And the music can take your spirit out of your body and transport you into another world. Music has a great way of touching people. Music can make you laugh, cry or shout. It's also a great source of inspiration.

Try this one day and notice what happens: make yourself a cup of tea, sit on your sofa and play one of your favorite songs. Close your eyes, and soon you'll find yourself creating vivid mental images-matching the music that you are listening to.

28. Music has magical power because it ________.

A. is a kind of language

B. can be played much louder than words

C. receives a personal radio signal

D. can influence a person's spirit

29. What can we learn about the Beatles from the passage?

A. They were the biggest band in American history.

B. They are not accepted by modern American people.

C. They appeared at a special time in American politics.

D. They represented the roots of American culture.

30. Music influences people in the following ways except ___________.

A. connecting the listener and the composer mentally                                                          

B. transporting people from one place to another

C. allowing people to express their emotions                                            

D. touching and inspiring people

31. What does the writer suggest people do in the last paragraph?

A. Relax and listen to their favorite music.

B. Enjoy drinking in spare time.

C. Create vivid pictures.

D. Notice everything happening around.

After studying the daily habits of 177 self-made millionaires over the course of five years, Thomas C. Corley found that they avoid one costly habit: procrastination (拖延症).

“It prevents even the most talented individuals from realizing success in life,” he writes in his upcoming book, “Change Your Habits, Change Your Life.”

This goes hand-in-hand with author Napoleon Hill’s claim that the wealthiest people are also the most decisive people.

Out of the 500 millionaires Hill studied in the early 20th century, “Every one of them had the habit of reaching decisions quickly,” Hill wrote in his 1937 classic, “Think and Grow Rich.”

One of the major causes of procrastination is lack of passion, Corley emphasizes: “We simply like to do the things we like to do and we put off the things we do not like to do.”

“According to Gallup, only 13% of employees are ‘engaged’ in their jobs, or emotionally invested in their work,” Corley writes.

“Whether you realize it or not, procrastination is a big reason why you are struggling financially in life. It damages your credibility with employers and fellow colleagues at work. It also affects the quality of your work and this affects the business you or your employer receive from customers, clients, and business relationships.”

The good news is that anyone can overcome procrastination – and it’s simpler than you may think. He also notes that “the voice of procrastination screams just as loud and clear in the minds of those who excel in life as it does in the minds of those who do not.”

How do they silence it? They rely on “to-do” lists to get things done. They create firm deadlines, and they meet with “accountability partners” to ensure they’re sticking to their goals and deadlines, Corley says.

Nearly everyone is susceptible to procrastination – but fighting against it can make all the difference.

32. According to the passage, millionaires______.

A. usually succeed through their own efforts

B. are only passionate about making money

C. don’t hesitate when making decisions

D. create both long-term and short-term goals

33. What can people do to overcome procrastination?

A. Do whatever they like to do.

B. Avoid things they are unwilling to do.

C. Be fully prepared for emergencies.

D. Accomplish things on schedule.

34. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “excel”?

A. struggle                  B. stand out                    C. think                               D. work hard

35. What might be the best title for the passage?

A. Fighting procrastination.      B. How to become a millionaire.

C. Research on a bad habit       D. The importance of making “to-do” lists.

With the summer holiday just around the corner, it seems like everybody is busy planning their vacations. Here are some tips that can help you enjoy your holiday without emptying your pocket.

Travel off-season

Go to your desired destination while the demand is low and take advantage of huge discounts. During the peak season, the hotel and flight prices increase quickly, and you’ll likely spend more of your vacation time standing in line due to the rush of tourists.    36 

  37 

Websites can help you find discount hotel rooms. Look for places that do not charge extra for children if they use the existing bedding. Stay with the locals. If you and your family are going to stay for a longer period, renting a small apartment is a good choice.

Eat like a local

Why eat at big chain restaurants when you can experience something new? Planning your meals is another way to reduce your travel costs. During your family trip, try new food where the locals eat.  38  For smaller meals and snacks, avoid restaurants and try street food or other takeout.

Don’t hesitate to bargain

Tourist- heavy places are known for overcharging for just about everything.

Clothes, travel goodies, souvenirs, etc. are very expensive at these places. For this reason, you shouldn’t feel ashamed to ask for bargains.  39 

Choose local transportation

As a tourist, avoid taking taxis whenever possible, since they are expensive.

40  If you are planning to stay for a while, you can consider renting a car. Hiring a car is much easier than carrying your bags everywhere if you are moving around a lot.

A. Save on hotels.

B. Surf the Internet while traveling.

C. Therefore, avoid buying anything there.

D. So it’s best to find out when the off-season starts.

E. This will not only save money, but offer you a new and different experience.

F. Bargain hard to get the best price.

G. Instead, take buses, railways or subways, which are always cheaper.

One of the qualities that most people admire in others is the willingness to admit one’s mistakes. It is extremely hard sometimes to say a (n)   41  thing like “I was wrong about that,” and it is even harder to say, “I was wrong, and you were right about that.” 

And I had an experience recently with someone   42  to me that he had made a mistake fifteen years ago. He told me he had been the   43  of a certain grocery store in the neighborhood where I grew up, and he asked me  44  I remembered the egg boxes. Then he   45 an incident and I began to remember vaguely the incident he was describing.

I was about eight years old   46  , and I had wandered into the store with my mother to do the weekly grocery shopping. On that   47  day, I must have found my way to the dairy food department   48  the incident took place. There must have been a special   49  on eggs that day because there was an impressive display of eggs in dozen and half-dozen boxes. The boxes were   50  three or four feet high. I must have stopped in front of them to   51 the boxes. Just then a woman came by pushing her grocery cart,   52  the boxes and left. For some reason, I   53  that it was up to me to put the display back together even though it was not my  54 , so I began to work.

The manager heard the   55 and came rushing over to see what had happened. When he appeared, I was on my   56  checking some of the boxes to see if any of the eggs were broken, but to him it looked as if I was the wrongdoer. He severely   57 me and wanted me to pay for any broken eggs to   58  the loss. I protested my innocence and tried to explain, but it did   59 good. Even though I quickly forgot all about the incident,   60 the manager did not.

41. A. pleasant                        B. enjoyable                    C. simple                   D. difficult

42. A. arguing                        B. noting                       C. promising      D. admitting

43. A. boss                        B. cleaner                       C. cashier                    D. manager

44. A. if                            B. how                           C. why                       D. when

45. A. imagined                    B. remembered                    C. performed     D. related

46. A. at a time                    B. at the time                   C. at times                 D. at one time

47. A. usual                        B. lucky                       C. wonderful                D. particular

48. A. where                       B. after                           C. until                       D. though

49. A. display                      B. exhibition                   C. sale                       D. design

50. A piled                        B. decorated                     C. wrapped                 D. packed

51. A. inspect                       B. admire                        C. arrange                  D. destroy

52. A. knocked on       B. knocked over                   C. knocked off              D. knocked at

53. A. declared                   B. pretended                C. decided              D. regretted

54. A. fault                        B. task                         C. goal                          D. plan

55. A. scream                       B. alarm                          C. noise                          D. call

56. A. back                       B. knees                          C. stomach                      D. head

57. A. praised                       B. hit                          C. shouted                         D. scolded

58. A. set aside                   B. sort out                      C. make up for        D. pick up

59. A. nothing                     B. no                           C. any                          D. something

60.A. obviously                    B. frequently                   C. unfortunately                D. unnecessarily

A castle is a type of fortified（加固的）structure     61    (build) in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages. This is different from a palace      62     is not fortified, though there are a large number of     63     (similarity) among these types of construction. Since then usage of the term      64     (apply) to diverse structures.

The European castles         65    (origin) in the 9th and 10th centuries, resulting in its land divided among nobles, who built castles to control the area     66      (surround) them. The castles were also     67     (defense) structures. Although army uses are often emphasized in castle studies, the structures also served      68    centers of administration and symbols of power. Urban castles were    69   (usual) used to control the local people and important travel routes,    70   rural castles were often built near farmland.

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。

In our daily life, music plays a important part. It can give us energy and making us happy. There is many kinds of music, such as country music, R&B, rock music and so on. Different people have different ideas about music. My friend Betty enjoys listen to the music she can dance. John likes rock music and Jazz music so he thinks that they are interesting. Jane is fond of listening to some relaxed music. She likes country music a lot of, because it is easy to learn, and this kind of music can easy make people calm. What about you? What kind of music did you prefer?

假定你是李华，正在新西兰学习，你计划寒假期间在当地旅行，请写一封e-mail向旅行社询问相关的旅行信息。

内容应包括：

1．旅行信息（如景点、费用等）；

2．当地特色（如食品、风俗等）；

3．注意事项。

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 Sir or Madam,

I’m Li Hua, a Chinese student studying in New Zealand. I’m writing to             

Sincerely yours,

Li Hua