Passage TwoFrom good reading we can acquire pleasure, companionship, experience, and instruction. A good book may absorb our attention so completely that for the time being we forget our surroundings and even our identity. Reading good books is one of the greatest pleasures in life. It increases our contentment when we are cheerful, and ease our troubles when we are sad. Whatever may be our main purpose in reading, our contact with good books should never fail to give us enjoyment and satisfaction.With a good book in our hands we would never be lonely. Whether the characters described are taken from real life or are purely imaginary, they may become our companions and friends. The people we meet in books may delight us either because they are like human friends who we hold dear or because they present unfamiliar types whom we are glad to welcome as new friends. Our human friends sometimes may bore us, but the friends we make in books need never make us tire with their company. By turning the page we can dismiss them without any fear of hurting their feelings. When human friends desert us, good books are always ready to give us friendship, sympathy, and encouragement.One of the most valuable gifts given by books is experience. Few of us can travel far from home or have a wide range of experiences, but all of us can lead various kinds of lives through the pages of books. Whether we wish to escape from the seemingly dull realities of everyday life or whether we long to visit some far-off places, a book will help us when nothing else can. Through books the whole world is ours for the asking. The possibilities of our literary experiences are almost unlimited. The beauties of nature, the enjoyment of music, the treasures of art, the triumphs of architecture (建筑), the wonders of engineering, are all open to those who read books.(1) (单选题)What is the main idea of the first paragraph?A.We should learn how to choose good books to read.B.We should forget everything when reading good books.C.Reading good books is very important in one’s education.D.Reading good books can give us enjoyment and satisfaction.(2) (单选题)When we read good books we never feel lonely because ________.A.the characters excite our imaginationB.the characters are more friendly to usC.the characters become our companionsD.the characters teach us how to make friends(3) (单选题)People like their new friends in books because ________.A.they never leave us or give us upB.they are the type of friend we likeC.they never fear hurting our feelingsD.they are exactly like real-life friends(4) (单选题)Which of the following statements is NOT true?A.Good books can provide us with encouragement.B.Good books can help us escape from the dull reality.C.Good books can give us everything we need for a happy life.D.Good books can bring us literary knowledge and experiences.(5) (单选题)The sentence “Through books the whole world is ours for the asking” in the last paragraph implies that ________.A.the world in books becomes our worldB.the world in books is easy for us to enterC.books make the reader ask many questionsD.books can answer questions we have asked

The traffic rule says young children under the age of four and __ less than 40 pounds must be in a child safety seat．（ ）A. being weighedB. to weighC. weighedD. weighing

Questions are based on the following passage. 【小题1】 A．Fill in an application form. B．Send in an application letter. C．Make an appointment for an interview. D．Make a brief self-introduction on the phone. 【小题2】 A．Someone having a college degree in advertising. B．Someone experienced in business management. C．Someone ready to take on more responsibilities. D．Someone willing to work beyond regular hours. 【小题3】 A．Travel opportunities. B．Decent pay. C．Prospects for promotion. D．Flexible working hours. 【小题4】 A．It is to be negotiated. B．It is about 500 pounds a week. C．It depends on the working hours. D．It will be set by the Human Resources.

Reading comprehension-1It is hard to watch you depart. Remember above all things, we will miss you.3 College will be the most important time of your life. It is here that you will truly discover what learning is about. You often ask, “Why do I need to know this?” I encourage you to stay inquisitive, but remember this: “Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school.” What you learn is not as important as the fact that you learn. This is the heart of scholarship: moving from teacher-taught to master-inspired, on over to the point where you become a self-learner. So, take each subject seriously, and if something doesn't immediately engage you, don't despair. Embrace it as a challenge. Find a way to make it your own.4 Of course, you must still take care to sign up for courses which stimulate your passion, if you intencled in a particular field, don't hesitate!5 Now you understand the statement “Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school” (Para.3)?

History is a record of mankind; different historians, _ , interpret it differently.A. thereforeB. on the contraryC. howeverD. consequently

Many children first learn the value of money by receiving an allowance. The purpose is to let children learn from experience at an age when financial mistakes are not very costly. The amount of money that parents give to their children to spend as they wish differs from family to family. Timing is another consideration. Some children get a weekly allowance. Others get a monthly allowance. In any case, parents should make clear what, if anything, the child is expected to pay for with the money. At first, young children may spend all of their allowance soon after they receive it. If they do this, they will learn the hard way that spending must be done within a budget. Parents are usually advised not to offer more money until the next allowance. The object is to show young people that a budget demands choices between spending and saving. Older children may be responsible enough to save money for larger costs, like clothing or electronics. Many people think it is not a good idea to pay your child for work around the home. These jobs are a normal part of family life. Paying children to do extra work around the house, however, can be useful. It can even provide an understanding of how a business works. Allowances give children a chance to experience the three things they can do with money. They can share it in the form of gifts or giving to a good cause. They can spend it by buying things they want. Or they can save it. Saving helps children understand that costly goals require sacrifice: you have to cut costs and plan for the future. Requiring children to save part of their allowance can also open the door to future saving. A saving account is an excellent way to learn about the power of compound interest. Compounding works by paying interest on interest. So, for example, one dollar invested at two percent interest for two years will earn two cents in the first year. The second year, the money will earn two percent of one dollar and two cents, and so on. That may not seem like a lot. But over time it adds up. 14. Many parents give children an allowance regularly to ______. A. meet children’s basic need for life B. give control over their children C. see whether they have financial mistakes D. help children learn how to manage money 15. For Children who receive allowances, they’d better not ________. A. waste money to buy gifts for their parents or friends B. buy their favorite clothing or electronics for themselves C. save money like their parents or other adults D. ask for the next allowance before the decided date. 16. If children are required to save their allowance, they ______. A. can experience the three things related to money B. can understand the relation between goals and sacrifice C. will do more work around the house D. help themselves found the basis for their future life 17. What does the underlined phrase “compound interest” mean? A. The interest based on the original money and unpaid interest. B. A way of helping children earn two percent interest. C. The interest intended for children to earn money. D. A saving account opened for children’s allowance. 18. What would be the best title for the text? A. How to Give Children an Allowance B. Spend Your Allowance within a Budget C. Allowance Helps Children Learn about Money D. Doing Housework Earns Children Allowance

Isabel has turned down two job offers in the past year. In 2006, she started her own consulting practice, but by 2008, most of her larger clients had to drop her because of the economy. In 2011, she was undertaking irregular assignments and knew she needed a steady job. The first job she considered was Director of HR for a company in Utah. After the initial interviews, she felt the job fit her except for the location. Still, she flew west to meet the hiring manager. The hiring manager explained that Isabel was the top candidate for the job but that, before she continued with the process, she should better understand the firm's culture. She directed Isabel to several videos of the company's CEO, who regularly appeared in front of the company in costume as part of morale building exercises and expected his senior leaders to do the same. "Even though I was desperate for a job, I knew I couldn't do that," Isabel says. She called the recruiter to turn down the job and explained that she didn't feel there was a cultural fit.　　A few months later, she interviewed for another job: a director of employee relations at a local university. After several interviews, the hiring manager told her the job was hers if she wanted it. The job had many positives: it was a low-stress environment, it offered great benefits, and the university was an employee-friendly place. But the job was relatively junior despite the title and Isabel worried it wouldn't be challenging enough. Finally, she turned it down. "It would be great to have a paycheck and great benefits but I would definitely have trouble sleeping at night," she says.　　In both cases, she was frank with the hiring managers about why she wasn't taking the jobs." In the past, it felt like dating, I was worried about hurting people's feelings," she says. However, they appreciated her frankness and thanked her for her honesty. She says it was hard to turn down the jobs and it was a risk for her financially but she felt she had to.(1) (单选题)1. In 2011, Isabel _______.A.. did consulting now and then B.. found a job close to her homeC.. refused several job interviews D.. ran a successful consulting firm(2) (单选题)2. Isabel turned down the first job offer mainly because of its_______A.CEO B.culture C. location D.recruiter(3) (单选题)3. Isabel was dissatisfied with the second job due to its_______A.junior rifle B.low benefits C. Environment D.lack of challenge(4) (单选题)4. Isabel believed that her rejection of the jobs was______A.harmful B.surprisingC. justifiable D.troublesome(5) (单选题)5. According to Isabel, it is important to______A.look for jobs with little stress B.look for jobs with great benefitsC.be truthful in declining job offersD.be cautious in declining job offers

Watch the video clip “Water Changes Everything.” Complete the following statements with what you've heard.The water crisis:Nearly 1 billion people live without clean 1) _______ water.They don’t have a faucet. Instead the women and children go off to 2) ______ water.Some women spend more time collecting water than any other activity they do in the day, and the walk isn't just hard; it's 3) ______________. Many get hurt; sometimes they're even 4) ___________ .Their water is contaminated with germs that cause diarrhea, dehydration, even death, but what 5) ______ do they have?The solutions:Some solutions are brand-new and innovative, like water filtration 6) _________; some are age-old, like drilled or hand dug 7) _________.Significance of the solutions:These solutions bring clean water much closer to the people who need it.Africa alone could save 40 billion hours each year.That's less money spent on 8) ___________, which means more money for books and school 9) ____________.A water project built near a school can 10) ____________ attendance, especially among young girls.

听录音，回答下列各题。(1) A.Make an appointment for an interview.B.Send in an application letter.C.Fill in an application form.D.Make a brief self-introduction on the phone.(2) A.Someone having a college degree in advertising.B.Someone experienced in business management.C.Someone ready to take on more responsibilities.D.Someone willing to work beyond regular hours.(3) A.Travel opportunities.B.Handsome pay.C.Prospects for promotion.D.Flexible working hours.(4) A.It depends on the working hours.B.It is about 500 pounds a week.C.It will be set by the Human Resources.D.It is to be negotiated..

Heating and cooling equipment is the biggest user of energy in our homes. And homes can be responsible for up to 25 percent of a nation’s total energy use. But there are surprisingly simple ways to greatly reduce energy use, its cost, and its effect on the environment.A solution to this problem is called passive home (or passive house). An expert says the design of a passive house aims to reduce energy demand to its lowest possible level. Passive houses use no solar, geothermal (地热) or wind energy equipment, but they are really energy-efficient.Building a passive house needs some particular products. They also need to have special air treatment systems. Supporters say they cost about 5-8 percent more than traditional homes, but they use only 10 percent of the energy for heating and cooling. Even greater savings can be reached with additions like solar water heating systems.With continuous efforts and progress, an advanced passive home that can cut heating and cooling costs by about 90 percent now can look just like any other home despite using specialized materials. The expert says, “That is the beauty of the passive house approach. You don’t have to build in a particular way or style.”It is said that you can find passive homes all over the world. The first passive design was an apartment building in Darmstadt, Germany. Two physicists helped develop it about 30 years ago. A passive house was built in Arlington, Virginia, seals its windows against leaks so that they are airtight and each window has three layers of glass. On a cold winter day, the temperature inside the unfinished home is a comfortable 12 degrees. While in the area with high temperatures, North Africa, for example, there is a passive house community designed for very hot, dry climates. And that’s a whole other area of exploration for passive houses.1.According to the passage, what is the most important feature of passive houses?A. They use solar, geothermal and wind energy.B. They are built with advanced materials.C. They reduce energy use to a great extent.