1.As we recently discovered，there is a Stepmother’s Day，though it is not on any official holiday calendar.So，it would be safe to assume that there is a similar day for stepdads，too.Right? Well，it depends on what you read.A Google search brought up posts that say，for example，“It’s on father’s day--father’s day is for fathers，step—fathers and people who are like fathers to you-it’s a day for making father figures feel special.”Further searching found a Stepfather’s DayFacebook page that says，“The unofficial Stepfather’s Day is the fourth Sunday of June.”Unfortunately，as of the publishing of this article，only 30 people have “liked” the page.Considering that studies show 3.3 million men，or 11.1%of U.S.fathers，live with at least one stepchild，that’s only a drop in the ocean.It’s interesting to note that there is a National Grandparents’ Day.President Jimmy Carter signed it into law in 1978.Law! While grandparents are undoubtedly special people in our children’s lives，they are often seen as the most loving family members.But what about the stepparents? The stepparents are the ones who are often the outsiders，the ones who have to endure the hurtful “You’re not my dad!” or “You’re not my mom!” And yet they never give up.They do their best to overcome the inherent challenges of stepparents and be role models for their stepchildren.These unsung(未被颂扬的)family heroes deserve “official” days of honor.Perhaps if we are loud enough，President Obama，who had a stepfather himself，will sign into law NationalStepmother’s Day and National Stepfather’s Day.Are you with me? Follow me and get your voice heard.How cool it would be if we could make this happen!What is the reason for setting an official holiday for stepparents?

2.李华父亲的朋友陈伟是在美国居住多年的华裔。因陈伟的儿子陈小明明年要来大陆李华学校学汉语.陈小明来信询问学校情况.以下是小华回信的内容。(1)听说你明年来我校学习，我们很高兴。(2)我校是一所具有80年历史的老学校。(3)学校很美，有许多花草树木，两座教学大楼，一座宿舍楼。(4)学校设备优良，有体育馆、计算机室和大图书馆等。学生除正式课程外，还有许多选修课，如:油画、打字、烹调等。(5)最重要的是，学校有许多优秀教师，课程有趣，老师既有知识又和蔼，非常愿意帮助我们，我爱我们的学校，我真希望你也能喜欢我们的学校。参考词汇：选修课:elective体育馆:gym宿舍楼:dormitory building（本题20分）

3.I think Chinese is___than maths.

4.根据以下资料，回答78-81题。 　　The first true piece of sports equipment that man invented was the ball. 　　In ancient Egypt, as everywhere, pitching stones was a favorite children's game．But a badly thrown rock could hurt a child．Looking for something less dangerous to throw, the Egyptians made what were probably the first balls. 　　At first, balls were made of grass or leaves held together by vines．Later they were made of piece of animal skin sewed together and stuffed with feathers or hay. 　　Even though the Egyptians were warlike, they found time for peaceful games．Before long they had developed a number of ball games, each with its own set of rules．Perhaps they played ball more for instruction than for fun．Ball playing was thought of mainly as a way to teach young men the speed and skill they would need for war.79 This selection says that the Egyptians played __.

5.“If there is one thing I’m sure about, it is that in a hundred years from now we will still be reading newspapers．It is not that newspapers are a necessity．Even now some people get most of their news from television or radio．Many buy a paper only on Saturday or Sunday．But for most people reading a newspaper has become a habit passed down from generation to generation． The nature of what is news may change．What basically makes news is what affects our lives — the big political stories, the coverage of the wars, earthquakes and other disasters, will continue much the same．I think there will be more coverage of scientific research, though．It’s already happening in areas that may directly affect our lives, like genetic(基因) engineering．In the future, I think there will be more coverage of scientific explanations of why we feel as we do — as we develop a better understanding of how the brain operates and what our feelings really are． It’s quite possible that in the next century newspapers will be transmitted(传送) electronically from Fleet Street and printed out in our own home．In fact, I’m pretty sure that how it will happen in the future．You will probably be able to choose from a menu, making up your own newspaper by picking out the things you want to read — sports and international news, et C． I think people have got it wrong when they talk about competition between the different media(媒体)．They actually feed off each other．Some people once foresaw that television would kill off newspapers, but that hasn’t happene D．What is read on the printed page lasts longer than pictures on a screen or sound lost in the air．And as for the Internet, it’s never really pleasant to read something just on a screen．[单选题] The phrase “feed off” in the last paragraph means _______．

6.They will never succeed,___hard they try.

7.III. Cloze ( 30 points)根据以下内容，回答下列下题。The number of speakers of English in Shakespeare's time is estimated to have been about five million. Today it is estimated that some 260 million people speak it as a(an) 21 language, mainly in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In addition to the standard varieties of English found in these areas, 22 are a great many regional and social varieties of the language as well as 23 levels of usage that are employed both in its spoken and written forms.In fact, it is 24 to estimate the number of people in the world who have acquired an adequate working knowledge of English in addition to their own languages. The 25 for English learning and the situations in which such learning takes place are so varied that it is 26 to explain and still more difficult to judge 27 forms an adequate working knowledge for each situation.The main reason for the widespread 28 for English is its present day importance as a world language. Besides 29 the indefinite needs of its native speakers, English is a language in which some of important works in science, technology, and other 30 are being produced, and not always by native speakers. It is widely used for 31 purposes as meteorological(气象的) and airport communications, international conferences, and the 32 of information over the radio and television networks of many 33 It is a language of wider communication for a number of developing countries, specially former British colonies. Many of these countries have multi-lingual 34 and need a language for internal communication in such matters as government, commerce, industry, law and 35 as well as for international communication and for entrance to the scientific and technological developments in the West.28 （）A.require B.request C.supply D.demand

8.根据以下材料，回答40-43题 It is customary for adults to forget how hard and dull and long school is．The learning by memoryof all the basic things one must know is a most incredible and unending effort．Learning to read isprobably the most difficult and revolutionary thing that happens to the human brain and if you don’tbelieve that，watch an illiterate adult try to do it．School is not easy and it is not for the most partvery much fun，but then，if you are very lucky，you may find a real teacher．Three real teachers ina lifetime is the very best of my luck．My first was a science and math teacher in high school，mysecond，a professor of creative writing at Stanford，and my third was my friend and partner，EdRicketts． My three had these things in common：They all loved what they were doing．They did not tell；they catalyzed a burning desire to know．Under their influence，the horizons sprung wide and fearwent away and the unknown became knowable．But most important of all，the truth，that dangerousstuff，became beautiful and very precious． I shall speak only of my first teacher because in addition to the other things，she：brought discovery．She aroused us to shoutin9，book—waving discussions．She had the noisiest class in school andshe didn’t even seem to know it．We could．never stick to the subject．Our speculation ranged theworld．She breathed curiosity into us so that we brought in facts or truths shielded in our hands likecaptured fireflies． I Call tell my son who looks forward with horror to fifteen years of drudgery that somewhere inthedusty dark a magic may happen that will light up the years if he is very lucky．According to the author，what is the difficult thing to people in school?

9.--What does Lucy like better,singing or dancing?--Singing,of course,She's known to___it

10.

The Saturday Evening Post"became symbolic of the reading fare of middle-class America".In 1897 Curtis began to revive(重振）The Post on the proposition that a man's chiefinterest in life is the fight for livelihood-business,Fiction and articles about romantic business and successful businessmen filled its pages.and products backed by its advertisements directed at the needs and desires of the business world.The general interest weekly reached new audiences.Its conservative viewpoint and strong admiration for material success appealed to the tastes of the millions who settled in an easy chair with it each Thursday evening.As a more commercial,mass-circulation magazine than The New Yorker,the widely readable post set out to interpret America to itself.

As a national and international institution,The Saturday Evening Post made its markin the lives of massive numbers of men and women,and served society as a stabilizing influence,Its editorial matter addressed the problems and interests of the readers as neverbefore.Neither highbrow nor lowbrow,The Post set out to interpret average middle-classAmerica,for that was its audience,However,this magazine lost touch with the mood of the American people in the 1930s.The Post's editor Lorimer,opposed Roosevelt and the New Deal and changed his magazine from an organ of entertainment and enlightenment into a weapon of political warfare.He believed that in opposing the New Deal he had spoken forthe majority of voters,but the 1936 election proved him wrong.His conservatism extendedbeyond politics,it dominated the magazine's content and style causing a decline in reputation and authority.The Post met 'its greatest success when it went beyond the tastes of the masses,challenging its readers to acknowledge the genius of contributors such as F.ScottFitzgerald and William Faulkner.It was later reformed in an effort to fulfill its responsibility to awaken lethargic(昏昏欲睡的）America,however,The Saturday Evening Postseemed to play to conventions while The New Yorker took off to redefine the character of American Humor.4.What makes The Post so commercially successful?（）

11.I like black coffee so much, the stronger it is,__________ .

12.___on-going division between English-speaking Canadians and French-speakingis___major concern of the country.

13.根据以下资料，回答16-30题。 Every woman dreams of receiving a huge priceless diamond．Now space scientists __1__ that they have discovered the largest diamond in the universe．But it’s well 2_ the reach of the most loves truck men because it's 50 light years away, to be __3__． Measuring 2,500 miles across and weighing five million trillion pounds，the rock Was found on Valentine’ s Day __4__ in the core of a white dwarf star, and it has excited the _5__ world. “It’s the mother of all diamonds，”said Travis Metcalfe， __6__ led the team of researchers at the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre，“and you would need a jeweler’S loupe(专用放大镜)，the size of the Sun，to __7__ this diamond．” The largest diamond __8__ on earth was the 3，106-carat(克拉)Cullinan．It Was cut __9__ nine major stones，including the 530-carat Star of Africa，now a part of the Crown Jewels．Diamonds were __10__ discovered in India more than 2,800 years ago．The Ancient Romans __11__ that the stones were broken pieces of stars that had __12__ to earth．In Ancient Egypt，diamonds were used in funerals. In the Middle Ages，men __13__ them to symbolize their courage and strength．The __14__ of giving them as presents dates from 1477，__15__ Maximilian，the prince of Austria, gave a diamond ring to Mary of Burgundy．4A.buried,B.blocked,C.built,D.blended

14.根据以下资料，回答5-8题。 　　As one approaches some crossroads, one comes to a sign which says that drivers have to stop when they come to the main road ahead．At other crossroads, drivers have to go slow, but they do not actually have to stop (unless, of course, there is something coming along the main road); and at still others, they do not have either to stop or to go slow, because they are themselves on the main road. 　　Mr．Williams, who was always a very careful driver, was driving home from work one evening when he came to a crossroads．It had a "Slow" sign, so he slowed down when he came to the main road, looked both ways to see that nothing was coming, and then drove across without stopping completely. 　　At once he heard a police whistle, so he pulled in to the side of the road and stopped．A policeman walked over to him with a notebook and pencil in his hand and said, "You didn't stop at the crossing." 　　"But the sign there doesn't say 'Stop'," answered Mr Williams．"It just says ‘Slow’, and 1 did go slow." 　　The policeman looked around him, and a look of surprise came over his face．Then he put his notebook and pencil away, scratched his head and said, "Well, I'll be blowed! I am in the wrong street!"6 When Mr Williams heard the police whistle __.

15.根据以下材料，回答36-39题 The banana"tree"is actually not a real tree．This is because there is no wood in the stem(树干)rising above the ground．The stem is made up of leaves growing very close toge‘her，one msldethe other．The leaves spread out at the top of the stem and rise in the air· Banana plants need a lot of care and attention．They must be provided with water if the normal rainfall doesn’t supply enough．The area around the plants must be kept free of weeds(杂草)andgrass． About nine or ten months after planting，a flower appears on the banana plant.This flower is atthe end of a long stalk(茎)，which grows from the base up through the center of the stem and turns downward when it comes out from the top．Small bananas form on this flower stalk as it grows down。ward．Bananas really grow upside down．As the small bananas form on the stalk，they point downward．but as they grow they turn and point upward． Bananas are harvested while they are still green． Even when they are to be eaten where they are grown，they are not allowed to ripen on the plant．A banana that turols yellow on the plant losesits taste.The underlined word“it’’in the third paragraph refers to .

16.There Pictures from outer space now show us how much land has changed on earth．These images are taken by Landsat 7, a government satellite．The satellites have been used for 27 years．They reveal the clear-cutting of forests in the northwestern part of the United States．Pictures show the loss of rain forests in South America. 　　NASA's Darrel Williams speaks about the Landsat 7 Project．He said that an eruption caused trees to burn up in a large forest．Fifteen years later, pinkish images from space show that the trees and plant life are growing again．Williams says that clear-cut areas easily show up in the pictures．He wants Americans to look at how much land is being cleared of forests in our country. 　　Satellites have provided other information about changes on earth．In the past ten years, more than four miles have shrunk from glaciers in Alaska．Landsat 7 received these computer images of Glacier Bay in Alaska. 　　Hurricanes Floyd and Irene have damaged the coastline in North Carolina．Runoff from farms and silt have gone into the．ocean according to satellite images．Loss of trees and forests have caused hotter summers in southern cities such as Atlanta, Georgia. The Landsat 7 images are like pictures in a photo album．Instead of pictures of the family, the album shows changes around the globe in the past 25 years. 　　A new satellite, Terra, is going to be launched by NASA soon．It will be more advanced than Landsat 7 and will take important global pictures．Ocean temperatures and energy loss will be provided by Terra daily.NASA can tell that vegetation is growing back because of __.

17.

Nasredain was a poor man,so he tried to grow1he could in his own garden,sothat he would not have to buy so many in the market.

One evening he heard a noise in his garden and looked out of the window.A white oxhad got into the garden and2his vegetables.Nasreddin at once took his stick,ran outand chased the ox,but heas too old to catch it.When he got back to his garden,hefound that the ox had ruined most of his precious vegetables.

3,while he4in the street near his house,he saw a cart with two white oxenwhich looked very much like the one that5his vegetables.He was carrying his stickwith him,6he at once began to beat the two oxen with it.As neither of them lookedmore like the ox that had eaten his vegetables than the other,he beat both of them equallyhard.

The owner of the ox and cart was drinking coffee in a7coffee house.When hesaw8Nasreddin was doing9his animals,he ran out and shouted,"What are youdoing?What have those poor animals done to you for you to beat them like that?"＂You keep out this!"Nasreddin shouted back."This is a matter between me and oneof these two oxen.He knows very well10,I am beating him!”4.

18.＿＿a hotel,we looked for somewhere to have dinner.

19.Social customs and ways of behaving change．Things which were considered impolite many years ago are now acceptable．Just a few years ago, it was considered impolite behaviour for a man to smoke on the street．No man who thought of himself as being a gentleman would make a fool of himself by smoking when a lady was in a room. 　　Customs are also different from country to country．Does a man walk on the left or the right of a woman in your country? Or doesn't it matter? What about table manner? Should you use both hands when you are eating? 　　The Americans and the British not only speak the same language but also share a large number of social customs．For example, in both America and England people shake hands when they meet each other for the first time．Also, most Englishmen will open a door for a woman or offer their seat to a woman, and so will most Americans．Promptness is important both in England and in America．That is, if a dinner invitation is for 7 o'clock, the dinner guest either arrives close to that time or calls up to explain his delay. 　　The important thing to remember about social customs is not to do anything that might make other people feel uncomfortable -- especially if they are your guests．There is an old story about a man who gave a dinner party．When the food was served, one of the guests started to eat his peas with a knife．The other guests were amused or shocked, but the host calmly picked up his knife and began eating in the same way．It would have been bad manners to make his guest feel foolish or uncomfortable.[单选题] "Bad manners" in the last sentence means __.

20.Ⅲ. Cloze ( 30 points)Directions:For each blank in the following passage, there are four choices marked A, B0 Cand D. Choose the one that is most suitable and mark your answer by blackeningthe corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet.

What enables some people to get big creative breakthroughs while others only get small and non-creative breakdowns, blaming themselves and society? Are some people "gifted"? Are there other factors 21 work--factors that we have more control over than we think?While nobody can deny the 22 that some people seem to be blessed with particular creativity, research shows that anyone can 23 their chances of coming up with new and original ideas24 they would only engage themselves more in the process of 25 . It' s the old Thomas Edison thing about "discovery2699 percent perspiration (汗水) and 1 percent inspiration. "27 , the studies prove this:great creative breakthroughs usually happen only 28 intense periods of struggle. It is sustained effort towards a specific goal 29 eventually prepares for great creative insights.This kind of sustained effort does not always30 immediate results, a fact that not only separates the innovators (革新者) from non-innovators, but31 leads some people to conclude that it is just not . 32 for them. "Maybe I should have gone to medical school like my mother wanted," they wonder when the breakthrough is 33 to be found. Alas, one forgets during inevitable encounters34self-doubt,that the big surprise is never35 . Indeed,it can happen at any time and place.21.