—How long is it since you picked up your badminton training?

—It was not until my finance became better last December _______ I started the training.

A. whenB. beforeC. whereD. that

_______ the Internet is of great help, I don’t think it’s a good idea to spend too much time on it.

A. IfB. WhileC. BecauseD. As

With a lot of difficult problems _______, the manager felt worried all the time.

A. settledB. to be settled

C. settlingD. to settle

Public places are becoming more _______ to people with disabilities.

A. easyB. accessibleC. hardD. suitable

(2012·濟南高二檢測)—Mum, I can’t see any point in studying hard.

—Come on, dear. Years of hard study will surely _______ in your future career.

A. make sureB. pay off

C. bring backD. pay back

There was a long queue for coffee. Having waited for 10 minutes, we _______ gave up.

A. absolutelyB. actually

C. eventuallyD. occasionally

(2012·杭州高二檢測) Next door to ours _______, who has just returned from abroad.

A. where lives an old man

B. where does the old man live

C. lives an old man

D. does an old man live

A group of graduates have highly been established in their careers. One day they got together to their old university professor. Shortly they arrived, their conversation turned into complaints about in work and life. In order to his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned a large pot of coffee and a variety of cups made of porcelain(陶瓷的), plastic, glass or crystal. Some of

are plain looking, some expensive, and some are exquisite(做工精致的). The told them to help themselves to the coffee.

When the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said:

If you noticed, all the nice looking cups were taken up, behind the plain and cheap ones. it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the of your problems and stress.

all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, you consciously went for the best cups and were seeing each other’s .

Now consider this: is the coffee and the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are tools to hold and contain life, and do not change the of life. Sometimes, by concen- trating only on the cup, we to enjoy the coffee God has provided. So, don’t let the cups drive you. . . the coffee instead.

1. A. call atB. call onC. call forD. call up

2. A. afterB. beforeC. whenD. as

3. A. happinessB. joy

C. satisfactionD. stress

4. A. offerB. provideC. makeD. supply

5.A. forB. toC. withD. along

6. A. whomB. whichC. themD. it

7. A. studentsB. professor

C. sonD. wife

8. A. allB. some of

C. none ofD. both

9. A. cheapB. ordinary

C. glassD. expensive

10.A. leavingB. remaining

C. keepingD. staying

11. A. BecauseB. Since

C. WhileD. If

12. A. sourceB. resource

C. endD. solution

13. A. ThatB. What

C. AnythingD. Something

14. A. andB. soC. thusD. but

15. A. cupsB. coffeeC. eyesD. faces

16. A. WorkB. LifeC. CareerD. Study

17.A. more thanB. rather than

C. justD. not only

18. A. quantityB. quality

C. paceD. style

19. A. manageB. try

C. attemptD. fail

20. A. enjoyB. drinkC. haveD. share

When Gretchen Baxter gets home from work as a New York City book editor, she checks her Blackberry at the door. “I think we are attached to these devices in a way that is not always positive,” says Baxter, who’d rather focus at home on her husband and 12-year-old daughter. “It’s there and it beckons(召喚). That’s human nature (but)…we kind of get crazy sometimes and we don’t know where it should stop.”

Americans are connected at unprecedented(前所未有的) levels—93% now use cell phones or wireless devices; one third of those are “smart phones” that allow users to browse the web and check e-mails, among other things. The benefits are obvious: checking messages on the road, staying in touch with friends and family, efficiently using time once spent waiting around. The downside: often, we’re effectively disconnecting from those in the same room.

That’s why, despite all the technology that makes communicating easier than ever, 2010 was the year we stopped talking to one another. From texting at dinner to posting on Facebook from work or checking e-mails while on a date, the connectivity revolution is creating a lot of divided attention, not to mention social anxiety. Many analysts say it’s time to step back and reassess (再評價).

“What we’re going to see in the future is new opportunities for people to be plugged in and connected like never before,” says Scott Campbell. “It can be a good thing, but I also see new ways the traditional social construction is getting somewhat torn apart.”

Our days are filled with beeps and pings—many of which pull us away from tasks at hand or face-to-face conversations. We may feel that the distractions(干擾) are too much, but we can’t seem to stop posting, texting or surfing. “We’re going through a period of adjustment and rebalancing, ” says Sherry Turkle and she wants to remind people that technology can be turned off. “Our human purposes are to really have connections with people,” she says. “We have to reclaim it. It’s not going to take place by itself.”

1.According to Paragraph 1, Gretchen Baxter thinks _____.

A. the new technology always influences people’s life in a positive way

B. the new technology always influences people’s life in a negative way

C. the family isn’t that important compared to the new technology

D. people are too dependent on the new technology to let go

2. The underlined word “downside” in Paragraph 2 probably means _____.

A. advantage B. weakness

C. strengthD. effect

3. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. The wide use of mobile devices has nothing to do with the traditional social construction.

B. Mobile devices play a less important part in American life.

C. Mobile devices create a lot of divided attention and social anxiety.

D. Many analysts speak highly of the wide popularity of mobile devices.

4. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A. Something must be done to get connection with people in reality again.

B. Using mobile services can help people get con- nection with each other.

C. Mobile services have a strong impact on people’s life.

D. The connection with people can happen naturally.

I was an extremely verbal child, and growing up with my dad was an experiment in linguistics(語言學(xué)). My father was a man of few words. Whenever I wanted his permission for a certain activity, I planned a speech that included who would be there, where it would take place, how long it would last, and why it was an incredibly wonderful opportunity for me. He would listen and then say either “Yes” or “No.” There were never any qualifiers; not “Yes, but be home by dinner” or “No, unless you can convince me otherwise.” It was yes or no, plain and simple.

My father’s phone messages were also lessons in patience and long-suffering to a teenage girl. I was quite active in high school. Not only did I enjoy being involved in many areas, but I came into contact with many a great teenage guy. I can recall one busy day when I had met two great guys and had given each of them my phone number. The first words out of my mouth when I walked through the front door were, “Dad! Did anyone call?” His answer, of course, was simply “Yes”. I required for a more accurate description of the caller. His answer: “A boy.” Since I had met two guys that day, this did not help me. I ran to my room in tears.

Knowing my dad’s dislike of language in general and his fondness for briefness, it surprised me to hear that he was going to teach the eleven-year-old boys’ Sunday school class. He did so for not one, but many years. I always wondered if he actually said anything, or if they all just sat in their chairs and stared at each other. I was sure that if people were waiting on my father to break the ice with brilliant conversation or a springboard comment, they’d be badly disappointed. Still, September after September, my father hung his sign outside the Sunday school room: Mr. Ernst—Eleven-Year-Old Boys.

1. In order to get Dad to agree to the author’s outing, the author had to make up the following EXCEPT _____.

A. the friends I shall meet in the activity

B. the activity is a chance for anyone

C. the place where the activity is to be held

D. the time that I shall spend in the activity

2. When the author says “My father’s phone messages were also lessons in patience and long-suffering to a teenage girl.”, it means that when she was young _____.

A. her father once gave her a lesson about patience and long-lasting pain

B. her father’s brief phone messages angered her a lot but made her patient

C. she was trained to be patient and brave because of her father’s brief phone messages

D. she suffered and had to be patient because of her father’s brief phone messages

3. What’s the meaning of the underlined phrase “break the ice” in Paragraph 3?

A. Make the ice crack.B. Stop talking.

C. Start a talk.D. Interrupt a talk.

4. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. My father would answer me with “Yes, but be home by dinner” sometimes.

B. I came into contact with just a few great teenage guys because I was active in high school.

C. That my father would teach the eleven-year-old boys’ Weekday school class surprised me.

D. I always wanted to know how my father, who talked so little, taught the boys.