Passage 1
Up，Up，and Away！
An adventurer who became the first person to fly across the English Channel on a cluster of balloons has launched a house into the sky just like in the hit movie Up-in reparation for a more ambitious journey and a new record．
Fearless Trappe，from North Carolina，stepped into the cartoon themed home before flying above the Leon International Balloon Festival in Mexico more than a week ago．
The 38-year-old Trappe was using the event as a warm-up for his planned trans-Atlantic flight scheduled for next summer．He aims to complete the 2，500-mile journey in a seven-foot lifeboat carried by 365 huge helium balloons．
The brave man is learning to sail a lifeboat，in case he needs to ditch into the ocean during the danger-filled adventure．
He still fly at between 18，000 feet and 25，000 feet，beating his previous world altitude record of 21，600 feet，and must fly uninterrupted a distance ten times longer than his previous world record of 230 miles in order to succeed．
The adventurer Trappe，who holds records for crossing the Alps，flying the most cluster balloons，and the longest distance，has spent his entire career，building up to this ambitious plan．
“I didn’t wake up one day and think：‘I’ going to fly across the Atlantic，’”he said．“Every attempt before this was prepared for this fight，I’ve been training for a long time”．
1．The adventurer flew across the English Channel to__________．
A．test the balloons
B．launch a house
C．shoot a hit movie
D．prepare for breaking a record
2．To finish the journey，he will fly a distance of__________．
A．2500 miles
B．18，000 feet
C．25，000 feet
D．230 miles
3．About the ambitious journey，which is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A．When he will fly
B．How high he sill fly
C．How far he will fly
D．How long it will take him
4．How many world records does Jonathan hold?
A．Two
B．Three
C．Four
D．Five
5．What does he last paragraph imply?
A．Trappe can’t sleep worrying about the adventure
B．Trappe was born to set world records
C．Trappe always keeps his ambition in mind
D．Trappe never thought of crossing the Atlantic before
Passage 2
Every day we go to school and listen to the teacher，and the teacher will ask us some questions．Sometimes，the classmates will ask your opinions of the work of the class．When you are telling others in the class what you have found out about these topics，remember that they must be able to hear what you are saying．You are not taking part in a family conversation or having a chat with friends---you are in a slightly unnatural situation where a large group of people will remain silent，waiting to hear what you have to say．You must speak so that they can hear you---loudly enough and clearly enough but without trying to shout or appearing to force yourself．
Remember，too，that it is the same if you are called to an interview whether it is with a professor of your school or a government official who might meet you．The person you are seeing will try to put you at your ease but the situation is somewhat different from that of a ordinary conversation．You must take special care that you can be heard．
1．When you speak to the class，you should speak ______．
A．as slowly as possible
B．in a low voice
C．loudly
D．forcefully
2．Usually，when you speak to the class，the class is _______．
A．noisy
B．quiet
C．having a rest
D．serious
3 The situation in the class is ______ that in your house．
A．not very different from
B．sometimes the same as
C．sometimes not the same as
D．not the same as
4．If you are having a conversation with an official，the most important thing for you is ______．
A．to show your ability
B．to be very gentle
C．to make sure that you can be heard
D．to put the official at ease
5．The main idea of this passage is ______．
A．that we should talk in different ways in different situations
B．that we must speak loudly
C．that we must keep silent at any time
D．that we must talk with the class
Passage 3
About 21，000 young people in 17 American states do not attend classes in school buildings．
Instead，they receive their elementary and high school education by working at home on computers．The Center for Education Reform says the United States has 67 public “cyberschools．” and that is about twice as many as two years ago．
The money for students to attend a cyberschool comes from the governments of the states where they live．Some educators say cyberschools receive money that should support traditional public schools．They also say it is difficult to know if students are learning well．
Other educators praise this new form of education for letting students work at their own speed．These people say cyberschools help students who were unhappy or unsuccessful in traditional schools．They say learning at home by computer ends long bus rides for children who live far from school．
Whatever the judgement of cyberschools，they are getting more and more popular．For example，a new cyberschool called Commonwealth Connections Academy will take in students this fall．It will serve children in the state of Pennsylvania from ages five through thirteen．
Children get free equipment for their online education．This includes a computer，a printer，books and technical services．Parents and students talk with teachers by telephone or by sending emails through their computers when necessary．
Students at cyberschools usually do not know one another．But 56 such students who finished studies at Western Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School recently met for the first time．They were guests of honor at their graduation．
1．What do we know from the text about students of a cyberschool？
A．They have to take long bus rides to school．
B．They study at home rather than in classrooms．
C．They receive money from traditional public schools．
D．They do well in traditional school programs．
2．What is a problem with cyberschools？
A．Their equipment costs a lot of money．
B．They get little support from the state government．
C．It is hard to know students' progress in learning．
D．The students find it hard to make friends．
3．Cyberschools are getting popular became _______．
A．they are less expensive for students
B．their students can work at their own speed
C．their graduates are more successful in society
D．they serve students in a wider age range
4．We can infer that the author of the text is _______．
A．unprejudiced in his description of cyberschools
B．excited about the future of cyberschools
C．doubtful about the quality of cyberschoois
D．disappointed at the development of cyberschools
Passage 4
South Africa hosted the fifth BRICS Summit in March 2017，which completed the first cycle of BRICS summits，BRICS is an acronym for the powerful grouping of the world's leading up-and-coming economies，namely Brazil，Russia，India，China and South Africa．The BRICS aims to achieve peace，security，development and cooperation．It also seeks to contribute to the development of humanity and build a more stable and fairer world．
The industry leaders from the business communities of the five countries agreed that the BRICS countries will actively support industrialization on the African continent in order to contribute significantly to its development and to expand trade links between Africa and
BRICS．The global economic situation，though improving，continues to remain uncertain with the Euro-crisis a major concern．The task ahead is to build on these developments and BRICS countries remain committed to the cause of promoting sustainable growth．Greater economic cooperation among BRICS countries can be significantly important，which will prove beneficial for global economic growth．
According to Dr．Rob Davies，South African Minister of Trade and Industry，the African continent is recognized as the second fastest growing continent after Asia．There are four drivers of the economic growth in African continent．These are the boom in mineral products in the African continent，the development of the service industries，the benefit of not having the financial crisis，and infrastructure(基础设施）development．Davies also adds that other BRICS countries have advantage of large populations providing big home markets for their products．The South African population is small compared to other BRICS countries，but if you add up numbers on continent then you have a critical mass that can support the new industrial wave in Africa：That is why the South African needs to create large trading blocks across large parts of African continent．
1．“BRICS” refers to______．
A． the most active economy group in today’s world
B． the most powerful economies in western world
C． leading countries with fast development of humanity
D． the most stable and secure countries in the world
2．From the text we know that industrialization in Africa will______．
A．give financial supports to all African countries
B create trade opportunities for both Africa and BRICS
C make significant development in the powerful groups
D．expand sustainable economic cooperation in different continents
3．The author believes greater cooperation among BRICS will______，
A．promote global economic growth
B．bring more challenges
C．narrow the gap of development
D．solve Europe’s economic crisis
4．Which of the following is the driver of the economic growth in Africa？______．
A． The development of business industry
B． Protective exploration in mineral products
C． The recovery of the infrastructure
D． The benefits of having no financial crisis
Passage 5
What makes a person a scientist？Does he have ways or tools of learning that are different from those of others？The answer is “no”．It isn't the tools a scientist uses but how he uses these tools which makes him a scientist．You will probably agree that knowing how to use a power is important to a carpenter．You will probably agree，too，that knowing how to investigate，how to discover information，is important to everyone．The scientist，however，goes one step further；he must be sure that he has a reasonable answer to his questions and that his answer he gets to many questions is into a large set of ideas about how the world works．
The scientist's knowledge must be exact．There's no room for half right or right just half the time．He must be as nearly right as the conditions permit．What works under one set of conditions at one time must work under the same conditions at other times．If the conditions are different，any changes the scientist observes in a demonstration must be explained by the changes in the conditions．
This is one reason why investigations are important in science．Albert Einstein，who developed the Theory of Relativity，arrived at this theory through mathematics．The accuracy of his mathematics was later tested through investigation．Einstein's ideas were proved to be correct．A scientist uses many tools for measurements．Then the measurements are used to make mathematical calculations that may test his investigations．
1．What makes a scientist according to the passage？
A．The tools he uses．
B．His ways of learning．
C．The way he uses his tools．
D．The various tools he uses．
2．“…knowing how to investigate，how to discover information，is important to everyone．”The writer says this to show_______．
A．the importance of information
B．the difference between scientists and ordinary people
C．the importance of thinking
D．the difference between carpenters and ordinary people
3．A sound scientific theory should be one that_______．
A．works under one set of conditions at one time and also works under the same conditions at other times
B．leaves no room for improvement
C．doesn't allow any change even under different conditions
D．can be used for many purposes
4．What is the main idea of the passage？
A．Scientists are different from ordinary people．
B．The Theory of Relativity．
C．Exactness is the core of science．
D．Exactness and way of using tools are the keys to making of a scientist．
Passage 6
A lot of us lose life’s tough battles by starting a frontal attack—when a touch of humor might well enable us to win．Consider the case of a young friend of mine，who hit a traffic jam on his way to work shortly after receiving an ultimatum about being late on the job．Although there was a good reason for Sam’s a being late—serious illness at home—he decided that this by-now-familiar excuse wouldn’t work any longer．His supervisor was probably already pacing up and down preparing a dismissal speech．
Yes，the boss was．Sam entered the office at 9：35．The place was as quiet as a locker room；everyone was hard at work．Sam’s supervisor came up to him．Suddenly，Sam forced a grin and stretched out his hand．“How do you do！” he said．“I’m Sam Maynard．I’m applying for a job，which，I understand，became available just 35 minutes ago．Does the early bird get the worm？”
The room exploded in laughter．The supervisor clamped off a smile and walked back to his office．Sam Maynard had saved his job—with the only tool that could win，a laugh．
Humor is a most effective，yet frequently neglected，means of handling the difficult situations in our lives．It can be used for patching up differences，apologizing，saying “no”，criticizing，getting the other fellow to do what you want without his losing face．For some jobs，it’s the only tool that can succeed．It is a way to discuss subjects so sensitive that serious dialog may start a quarrel．For example，many believe that comedians on television are doing more today for racial and religious tolerance than people in any other forum．
1．Why was Sam late for his job？
A．Because he was ill．
B．Because he got up late．
C．Because he was caught in a traffic jam．
D．He was busy applying for a new job．
2．The main idea of this passage is ________．
A．Sam Maynard saved his job with humor
B．humor is important in our lives
C．early bird gets the worm
D．humor can solve racial discriminations
3．The phrase “clamped off” in Paragraph 3 means ________．
A．tried to hold back
B．tried to set
C．charged
D．gave out
4．Which of the following statements can we infer from the passage？
A．Many lose life’s battles for they are lacking in a sense of humor．
B．It wasn’t the first time that Sam came late for his work．
C．Sam was supposed to come to his office at 8：30．
D．Humor is the most effective way of solving problems．
Passage 7
BEIJING，March 9—The central government will require an additional three years of use for official vehicles for ministers and governors to reduce the costs of purchasing new cars，media have reported．
The new rule has been applied among all Party and government departments nationwide，the Beijing News reported on Tuesday．The new rule has not yet been made public，said Li，a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference National Committee．
Under the old rules，the cars used by minister-level officials could be replaced as often as every five years，Li said．These officials will also keep the same cars when they assume new posts，he added．
The new rule also reiterated that officials ranking below minister-or-governor-levels should not be allocated cars．The cars possessed by their departments should be used on demand．
“It violates the rules for lower-ranking—even county-level-officials to be allocated cars，” Li said．
Purchases of vehicles for official use have been heavily investigated，as they account for a large expenditure of public funds every year．
A survey on the Web news www．ifeng．com found 64 percent of respondents believed the new rule will be difficult to carry out because it is related to officials’ interests．
“Local government departments had halted approvals for requests for such vehicles and had started to work on new quotas under the new rules，” Li said．“The future reform of official vehicle use will introduce market mechanisms and monetization．”
Premier Wen Jiabao said in the annual government work report on Saturday that expenditures on such vehicles will not increase in 2011 compared with a year ago．
Beijing’s standing deputy mayor Ji Lin last week said the municipal government will release the number of vehicles for official use in the capital as early as at the end of this month．
Earlier this month，the Minister of Finance had published a rule regulating the budgets for such vehicles．
1. What is the purpose of the new rule allocating vehicles among officials？
A. To promote a low-carbon lifestyle．
B．To cut down the present huge expenditures of purchasing cars．
C．To make good use of budgets for official cars．
D．To solve the problem of severe traffic jam．
2．How often could the cars used by minister-level officials be replaced according to the new rule？
A．Every 3 years．
B．Every 5 years．
C．Every 8 years．
D．Every 10 years．
3．What about the officials ranking below minister-or-governor levels in terms of official vehicles？
A．They can still possess special cars．
B．They can use their own private cars．
C．They can use cars whenever officially necessary．
D．They can be allocated second-hand cars．
4．What is the public’s attitude toward the new rule’s fulfillment？
A．Uncertain．
B．Optimistic．
C．Indifferent．
D．Passive
5．From the passage，we can infer that_________．
A．the government is determined to carry out the new rule
B．the new rule has not yet been made public
C．the new rule will benefit official’s interest
D．the new rule is applied to minister-level officials
Passage 8
Grandma Moses is among the most famous twentieth-century painters of the United States，yet she did not start painting until she was in her late seventies．As she once said to herself：" I would never sit back in a rocking chair，waiting for someone to help me．" No one could have had a more productive old age．
She was born Anna Mary Robertson on a farm in New York State，one of five boys and five girls．At twelve she left home and was in domestic service until，at twenty-seven，she married Thomas Moses，the hired hand of one of her employers．They farmed most of their lives，first in Virginia and then in New York State，at Eagle Bridge．She had ten children，of whom five survived；her husband died in 1927．
Grandma Moses painted a little as a child and made embroidery pictures as a hobby，but only changed to oils in old age because her hands had become too stiff to sew and she wanted to keep busy and pass the time．Her pictures were first sold at the local drugstore and at a market and were soon noticed by a businessman who bought everything she painted．Three of the pictures exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art，and in 1940 she had her first exhibition in New York．Between the 1930's and her death，she produced some 2，000 pictures：detailed and lively portrayals of the country life she had known for so long，with a wonderful sense of color and form．"I think really hard till I think of something really pretty，and then I paint it" she said．
1．According to the passage，Grandma Moses began to paint because she wanted to________．
A．make herself beautiful
B．keep active
C．earn more money
D．become famous
2．Grandma Moses spent most of her life________．
A．nursing
B．painting
C．embroidering
D．farming
3．The underlined word “portrayals ”means________．
A．descriptions
B．expressions
C．explanations
D．impressions
4．From Grandma Moses' description of herself in the first paragraph，it can be inferred that she was________．
A．independent
B．pretty
C．rich
D．nervous
5．Which of the following would be the best title for the passage？
A．Grandma Moses：Her Life and Pictures．
B．The Children of Grandma Moses．
C．Grandma Moses：Her Best Exhibition．
D．Grandma Moses and Other Older Artists．
Passage 9
Scientists say they now have proof to support the oldfashioned advice that it’s best to sleep on a problem．They say sleep strengthens the memory and helps the brain organize the masses of information we receive each day．
The lead researcher Bob Stickgold at Harvard Medical School said，“Sleep helps us draw rules from our experiences．It’s like knowing the difference between dogs and cats even if it’s hard to explain．”
The US research team studied how well students remembered connections between words and symbols，reports New Scientist．They compared how the students performed if they had had a sleep between seeing the words and having the test，and if they had not slept．They found that people were better able to remember lists of related words after a night’s sleep than after the same time spent awake during the day．They also found it easier to remember themes that the words had in common．But they forgot around one in four more themes if they had been awake．
Prof．John Groeger，University of Surrey’s Sleep Research Centre，said，“People have been trying for years to find out what the purpose of sleep is，as we know that only certain parts of it have a restorative value．”
“We form and store huge numbers of experiences in the head every day，and sleep seems to be the way the brain deals with them all．”
1．The phrase “to sleep on a problem” in Paragraph 1 most likely means “________”．
A．to pay full attention to a problem
B．to wait until the next day for a decision
C．to sleep to forget a problem
D．to have difficulty in sleeping
2．In the study by the US research team，students were asked to________．
A．put together words of similar meanings
B．remember words and their meanings
C．show their knowledge of words
D．make up lists of related words
3．Which of the following may be easier to remember？
A．Themes learned right before the test．
B．Rules from personal experiences．
C．Words learned before a good sleep．
D．Ideas stored together in the brain．
4．What may be the importance of the research？
A．It shows that sleep may help us manage information．
B．It helps find out the common themes of words．
C．It tells us that more sleep can improve health．
D．It proves the value of oldfashioned advice．
Passage 10
It’s 5：00 in the morning when the alarm rings in my ears．I roll out of bed and walk blindly through the dark into the bathroom．I turn on the light and put on my glasses．The house is still as I walk downstairs while my husband and three kids sleep peacefully．Usually I go for a long run，but today I choose my favorite exercise DVD insanity．Sweat pours down my face and into my eyes．My heart races as I face my body to finish each movement．As I near the end of the exercise，I feel extremely tired，but a smile is of my face．It’s a smile because the DVD is over，but a smile of success from pushing my body to its extreme limit．
Some people enjoy shopping，smoking，food，work，or even chocolate．But I need exercise to get through each day．Some shake heads when they see me run through the town．Others get hurt when I refuse to try just one bite of their grandmother’s chocolate cake．They raise their eyebrows，surprised by my “no thank you，” or by my choice to have a salad．Over the years，I have learned it’s okay to just say “no．” I shouldn’t feel sorry for refusing food that I don’t want to eat．
So what drives me to roll out of bed at 5：00 a．m．？What gives me the reason to just say to ice cream？Commitment．A commitment to change my life with a way that reduces daily anxiety，increases self–confidence and energy，extends life and above all improves my body shape．This is the point where a smile appears on my face as I look at myself in the mirror or try on my favorite pair of jeans that now fit just right．It’s through commitment and sweat that I can make a difference within myself inside and out．
1．Why is there a smile on the author’s face in the morning？
A．Because she sees her family sleeping peacefully．
B．Because she finishes her favorite exercise
C．Because she enjoys the interesting DVD
D．Because she feels a sense of achievement
2．Which of the following is true according to Paragraph 2？
A．She doesn’t like others r politely
B．She likes to make others surprised
C．Others don’t understand what she does．
D．Others try to help her by offering her food
3．What does the underlined word “commitment” in the last paragraph mean？
A．Good health
B．Firm belief
C．A strong power
D．A regular half
4．What can we learn about the author from the text？
A．She acts in a strange way
B．She wants to look different from others
C．She aims to develop a good body shape
D．She has difficult getting along with others
Passage 1
1. D
节理解题。根据第一段中的for a more ambitious journey and a new record可知，此次飞行时为一次新的计划做准备。
2. A
细节理解题。根据第四段第二句中的the 2，500-mile journey可知，他要完成2500英里的旅程。
3. D
推理判断题。文中提到了飞行的时间、距离及其高度，只有飞行要花费的时间没有提及，所以选D。
4. C
推理判断题。根据第二段和倒数第二的可知选C。
5. C
推理判断题。通过最后一段中冒险家的话可知，他不是在梦想，而是在为此实实在在地做准备。也就是说，他一直在筹划他的冒险计划。
【解析】
Passage 3
1．B
细节理解题。根据第二段的第一句话的by working at home on computers可知B项正确。
2. C
细节理解题。第三段的最后一句话it is difficult to know if students are learning well提到了网络课程的缺点，C项正确。
3. B
细节理解题。根据第四段的第一句话说的是网络课程的优点，即学生们可以按自己的水平选择课程，这也是它之所以受欢迎的原因，选B。
4. A
主旨大意题。作者并无表明自己对网络学校的态度，仅是对网络学校作了客观的描述，
因此选A。
Passage 4
1. A
细节理解题。第一段介绍了BRICS的内容，它涉及到五个主要的迅速发展的经济体，
即A项正确。第二段up-and-coming“积极进取的，日见重要的”与A选项中active意义相同。
2.B
细节理解题。由第二段第一句可知，金砖五国的领导人都支持非洲的工业化，因为它能
促进非洲的发展并增强非洲同这五个国家之间的贸易关系，只有B项的说法是正确的。
3. A
细节理解题。根据第二段末的which will prove beneficial for global economic growth，可
知BRICS各国之间的经济合作将促进全球经济的增长。A项是对这句话的同义转述。
4．D
推理判断题。最后一段第二句提出了促进非洲经济增长的四个动因：矿物质的繁荣、服务业的发展、免受金融危机的冲击、基础设施的发展。其中D项与原文中的the benefit of not having the financial crisis相符。
Passage 5
1. C
细节理解题。由第一段It isn't the tools a scientist uses but how he uses these tools which makes him a scientist可知，答案选C项。
2. C
推理判断题。第一段第六句强调知道怎样去调查，去获取信息，即一种思考的过程，暗示思维的重要性。
3. A
细节理解题。由第二段第四句可知一个正确的科学理论应该是经得起推敲的。
4. D
主旨大意题。文章第一段主要讲述合理利用工具的重要性，第二段主要说明准确的重要性。故选D项。
Passage 6
1. C
细节理解题。根据who hit a traffic jam on his way to work可知，交通堵塞才是他迟到的真正原因。
2. B
主旨大意题。第一句即是文章的主题句，全篇都在讲幽默的重要性。
3. A
词义猜测题。老板连辞退他的话都想好了，但Sam开的这个玩笑使人们哄堂大笑。而老板为了树立他的威严，仍然强忍住笑。故答案为A。
4. B
推断题。根据 …shortly after receiving an ultimatum(最后通牒) about being late on the job 我们可以了解到，Sam不止一次上班迟到了。
Passage 7
1. B
细节理解题。根据第一段中的to reduce the costs of purchasing new cars，media have reported可知选B。
2. C
细节理解题。第三段指出，省部级官员配车，使用年限从5年一换变为8年一换。
3. D
细节理解题。第四段提出，部级以下官员不再配车，他们可根据工作所需用车，选D。
4. A
推理判断题。根据第七段可知，一项网络调查发现，64%的调查对象认为由于牵涉到交通部门的利益，新法很难推行。所以公众的态度应该是uncertain“不确定的”。
5. A
推理判断题。最后一段说明政府要继续推行新法，A项与之相符。
Passage 8
1.B
推理判断题。由第一段可知摩西奶奶七十多岁才开始作画，她作画的初衷had a more productive old age，所以选B。
2. D
细节理解题。由第二段They farmed most of their lives，可知摩西奶奶与其丈夫一生中的大部分时间都是务农的。
3. A
词义猜测题。Portrayals是对pictures的解释，即这两千幅画都是对乡村生活生动具体的“描述”，选A。
4. A
推理判断题。根据摩西奶奶的话I would never sit back in a rocking chair，waiting for someone to help me．可知她是一个独立的人。
5. A
主旨大意题。全文就是介绍了画家摩西奶奶以及她的有关作品，A项能概括文章主题。
【解析】
Passage 10
1. D
细节理解题。根据第一段最后一句话可知作者脸上的微笑不是因为DVD的结束，而是因为一种成功的微笑，因为自己锻炼挑战了身体的极限。
2. C
细节理解题。shake heads和raise their eyebrows可知别人并不理解作者锻炼身体的行为。
3. B
词义猜测题。作者每天很早起床锻炼，抵御住美味的诱惑，需要坚定的信念和意志力。
4. C
细节理解题。根据最后一段中的“…above all improves my body shape．”可知答案选C。