When I lived in Spain, some Spanish friends of mine decided to visit England by car. Before they left, they asked me for advice about how to find accommodation. I suggested that they should stay at “bed and breakfast” houses, because this kind of accommodation gives a foreign visitor a good chance to speak English with the family. My friends listened to my advice, but they came back with some funny stories.

“We didn’t stay at bed and breakfast houses,” they said, “because we found that most families were on holiday.” I thought this was strange. Finally I understood what had happened. My friends spoke little English, and they thought “VACANCIES” meant “holidays”, because the Spanish word for “holidays” is said “vacaciones”. So they did not go to house where the sign outside said “VACANCIES”, which in English means there are free rooms. Then my friends went to houses where the sign said “NO VACANCIES”, because they thought this meant people who owned the house were not away on holiday. But they found that these houses were all full. As a result, they stayed at hotels.

We laughed about this and about mistakes my friends made in reading other signs. In Spanish, the word “DIVERSION” means “fun”. In English, it means that workmen are repairing the road, and that you must take a different road. When my friends saw the word “DIVERSION” on a road sign, they thought they were going to have fun. Instead, the road ended in a large hole.

English people have problems too when they learn foreign languages. Once in Paris when someone offered me some more coffee, I said “Thank you” in French, I meant that I would like some more, however to my surprise the coffee pot was taken away! Later I found out that “Thank you” in French means “No, Thank you”.

1.The author’s Spanish friends wanted advice about _______.

A. some funny English stories

B. finding places to stay in England

C. driving their car on English roads

D. going to England by car

2.The author suggested that they stay at “bed and breakfast” because _______.

A. it would be convenient for them to have dinners and live

B. it would be much cheaper than staying in hotels

C. they would be able to practice their English in the house

D. there would be no problem about finding accommodation there

3.“NO VACANCIES” in English means _______.

A. no free rooms B. free rooms

C. not away on holiday D. they don’t live

4.If you see road sign that says “Diversion” in England, you will _______.

A. take the road and you will be excited

B. have a lot of fun and enjoy yourself

C. find that the road is blocked by crowds of people

D. have to take a different road

根據(jù)短文內(nèi)容，從短文后的選項(xiàng)中選出能填入空白處的最佳選項(xiàng)。選項(xiàng)中有兩項(xiàng)為多余選項(xiàng)。

Four Ways to Be a Great Roommate

Having a roommate can be one of the best experiences in college or, easily, one of the worst.

1. Follow these tips to avoid the common mistakes that turn good roommate relationships sour.

◇Talk things out.

Communication is key. If something happens, sit down with your roommate and have a face-to-face conversation. I've seen roommate relationships fall apart because something happens and, instead of talking to each other, the two start complaining about their roommates behind their backs. 2.

◇Don't expect to be best friends.

Some roommates become the best of friends, and some don't. Don't put pressure on yourself or your roommate, especially when you first meet. 3. And if your roommate doesn't end up being your best friend, don't worry.

◇Ask before you take.

This applies to food, clothes and anything else. If you want to keep a relationship going, show your roommate that you have respect for what is his or hers by asking first. 4.

◇Clean up after yourself.

This should do without saying. Don't be lazy. Or, at least, don't bury your roommate in your clothes and garbage. Most people I've come across in college are messy. 5. But being considerate with where you put your stuff will help you avoid conflict.

A. So you need to think twice before you help your roommates out.

B. This creates nothing but awkward situations and unhappiness.

C. Even if you both agree to share everything, you should still ask.

D. You don't have all the time to clean your room and keep it organized.

E. It all starts with you to have a good relationship with your roommate.

F. Sometime you get stuck with someone who has tons of negative energy.

G. Remember, you're trying to make a new friend, not to scare your roommate away.

完形填空

閱讀下面短文，從短文后各題所給的四個(gè)選項(xiàng)（A、B、C、D）中，選出可以填入空白處的最佳選項(xiàng)。

I don't know your name, and I'm guessing that you are about high school age. I ________ you in action yesterday as you saved a little boy from ________ at Lake Elmo beach.

I was sitting on a bench with my friends, ________ their children played in the water. I remember ________ you taking off your shorts, grabbing your ________ device（設(shè)備）and heading into the water. My friends and I noticed at that moment the little boy's ________ moving up and down. He couldn't have been more than two years old and ________ to be alone in the water.

You got to him, put your floatation device around him, and ________ him back to shore. We could see the boy was ________ as you carried him out of the water and laid him on the ________ . You started doing compressions（按壓）on his chest, that is when we knew it was a bad ________ . We reached you and knew you needed ________ . I picked up my phone and dialed 911.

Soon, the ambulance ________ and several doctors were there to assist you. You appeared ________ as you walked away, as anyone would be. I ________ if this is your first rescue — it doesn’t matter. What you did was heroic, and I ________ you.

Had you been a few seconds later, this ________ could have ended quite differently. You were alert （警覺(jué)的）and ________ what was going on in the water, responsible for watching over a hundred kids at that time. ________ your fear, you took action. Because of you, the little boy and his family are________ together today.

1.A. accompanied B. witnessed C. expected D. ignored

2.A. drowning B. missing C. bleeding D. falling

3.A. although B. unless C. if D. while

4.A. imagining B. minding C. stopping D. noticing

5.A. digital B. convenient C. rescue D. nuclear

6.A. feet B. head C. legs D. arms

7.A. pretended B. determined C. appeared D. prepared

8.A. allowed B. lifted C. swam D. dropped

9.A. frozen B. weak C. excited D. calm

10.A. beach B. stone C. board D. bench

11.A. meaning B. process C. presentation D. situation

12.A. food B. money C. help D. time

13.A. pulled in B. set out C. passed by D. ran away

14.A. proud B. confident C. independent D. frightened

15.A. know B. predict C. wonder D. believe

16.A. applaud B. protect C. doubt D. greet

17.A. idea B. performance C. game D. story

18.A. curious about B. aware of C. afraid of D. confused about

19.A. But for B. Regardless ofC. Except for D. Thanks to

20.A. pitifully B. strictly C. happily D. sincerely

The restaurant is busy on Sunday, so I’ll phone today and _____ a table.

A. deserve B. reserve C. preserve D. observe

--What do you think of cloning?

--No doubt it’s a great invention. But ________, it may have some side effects.

A．if not properly handling B．if properly not handled

C．if not properly handled D．if properly not handling

— Hey! What's the rush?

— The plane _____ at 4:00 and I need to see my uncle off.

A. will take off B. takes off

C. has taken off D. took off

One rainy evening I went to fill up at the gas station. A pre-teen boy approached my car and asked me for money to help him and his mother stay in their hotel for an additional week. He stated that if they did not come up with $25 they would be evicted that same evening. Having worked in social services before and having doubt about this, I asked why his mother hadn’t applied for social services for assistance. The boy said that they needed to remain in their hotel for one more week until his grandmother, who lived out of town, could take them in. I gave the boy what I had — $5. He thanked me and continued to wander the parking lot asking for help. I got my gas and drove away.

Some weeks ago, a boy asked me for money and I told him I didn’t have any though I did. Yet, I thought about it for a while and went looking for the boy to give him a dollar. But it seemed that he had disappeared into thin air. “This time,” I thought, “I’ll do it differently.” I went to my bank and got an additional $20, then I returned to the gas station. The boy was still there. I observed him shyly approaching strangers who walked past him without notice. I pulled up and waved at the boy to come over. I handed him the $20 bill. He reached through my car window and gave me a huge hug. His hug told me all I needed to know — that finally this kid could get out of the rain, the cold and the darkening skies and go inside where it was warm.

1.The whole story is about _____.

A. dirty tricks by poor teenage boys

B. a car accident in a gas station

C. warm help in a cold rainy evening

D. loving gifts from a rich stranger

2. The underlined word “evicted” in Paragraph 1 can be replaced by _____?

A. starved to death B. driven out of the hotel

C. thrown into prison D. separated from each other

3.From the story we know that the author _____.

A. once worked in social services

B. had came across the boy before

C. borrowed money to help others

D. gave the boy $20 in total

4.When the boy received the $20 bill, he was _____.

A. thankful B. astonished C. doubtful D. ashamed

Should we say goodbye to chivalry (騎士精神) in the age of sex equality?

Chivalry began as a response to the violence of the Middle Ages. PierMassimo Forni, the founder of the Civility Institute, says chivalry “as a form of treatment inspired by the sense that there was something special about women and that they deserve added respect.”

Today “chivalry” is often used as a term for “gentlemanly” behavior, related to “fair sex”, honor, courage and loyalty.

But we can hardly see chivalry nowadays with many women demanding to be treated equally in the workplace.

According to a 2013 survey carried out by the British Daily Mail, only one in seven men will offer their seat to a woman on a bus or train; over three-quarters of men don’t offer to help carry a heavy bag or suitcase for women.

In many cases, it’s not because these men are being insensitive, but on the contrary, they say they are unwilling to help women because they are worried about making them embarrassed.

These men may worry too much. According to the same survey, only seven percent of women view acts like holding open doors as unpleasant.

“Men seem confused by the modern ‘sex equality’ message”, psychologist and relationship expert Donna Dawson told the Daily Mail.

“This message was meant for the workplace and was never meant to replace good manners. Men will always be the stronger sex physically, so it is natural for them to show consideration for women.”

So, should the acts of chivalry be brought back? US writer Emily Smith says chivalry is what we should all long for. Many people are predicting the death of chivalry, but chivalry is not dead yet. Slowly but surely, chivalry is making a come-back.

1. The question at the very beginning of the passage is used to _____.

A. express the author’s curiosity

B. cause a heated discussion

C. introduce a controversial topic

D. solve a serious social problem

2.Which is NOT part of “chivalry”?

A. Violence. B. Loyalty. C. Courage. D. Honor.

3.Some men are not willing to help women because _____.

A. they are not sensitive enough

B. they misunderstood “sex equality”

C. they are afraid of women

D. they had no good manners

4.Emily Smith holds the view that _____.

A. some massages can make men confused

B. men should show consideration for women

C. “sex equality” will never replace good manners

D. chivalry is quite good and sure to come back

單句填空

閱讀下面句子并根據(jù)句意或結(jié)構(gòu)完成每個(gè)句子，并將答案寫(xiě)在答題紙上。

1.You should be ___________ (感到羞恥) of your bad manners.

2.If you really need something to believe in, then believe in your own ___________ (潛能)

3.Don’t be too ___________ (樂(lè)觀) about your success. More hard work is needed.

4.Tom was ___________ (任命) to be manager of the department for he was fit for the job.

5.We waited with ___________ (焦慮) for the news of her safe arrival.

6.What is his first i___________ on you? Is he the right person for the position?

7.From the survey they c___________ that too much exercise does harm to health.

8.The parents treated the boy very well though he was their a___________ son.

9.Who could p___________ exactly what would happen in the future? There is too much uncertainty.

10.You will solve the problem if you c___________ your attention on it.

When I am feeling down, I listen to uplifting music to lift my spirits. When I want to calm down, I listen to Indian classical instrumental music. Many times, I look at contemporary Indian art － either in real art galleries or in virtual art galleries on the Web to improve my mood. I particularly like the paintings with vibrant（鮮明的）colors or ones which present a calm landscape using gentle colors.

Art therapy （治療） uses the creation or viewing of art to help people discover and express their feelings. Unlike art for art’s sake, which focuses on the finished piece, art therapy focuses on the process of creation itself. Art therapists believe that the act of making a piece of art triggers internal activity that contributes to physical, emotional and spiritual healing. For people who are not able or ready to create art, going to an art museum or looking through art books or virtual art galleries can also be helpful. Simply viewing art refreshes the spirit and promotes relaxation.

Art therapy is helpful in healing in various ways. The aesthetic（審美的）quality of the work produced can lift a person’s mood, boost self-awareness, improve self-esteem and increase self-confidence. Also, research shows that physiological functions, such as heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration（呼吸）, become slow when people are deeply involved in an activity they enjoy.

Because art therapy uses a language other than words, it is often employed in treating patients with physical or emotional illnesses who have difficulty talking about their fears or hopes, or about their anger and other strong emotions. The creation of art helps people get in touch with thoughts and feelings that are often hidden from the conscious mind.

Stress reduction is also a significant benefit. Studies have shown that repressing strong feelings can lead to a buildup of stress, and that stress can intensify pain and the symptoms of various diseases. Because art therapy helps people access their unconscious mind and release pent-up（被抑制的） emotions, it has been found to be very useful in treating those suffering from stress and stress-related illnesses.

1.How does the author start the passage ?

A. By describing his own experiences.

C. By explaining a certain term.

B. By presenting a certain fact.

D. By giving figures.

2.The underlined word “triggers” in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by “___________ ”.

A. ignoresB. causesC. decreasesD. prevents

3.All of the following are helpful in healing EXCEPT _____________.

A. going to an art museum

C. surfing on the Internet

B. going to the virtual art galleries

D. reading art books

4.Why is art therapy useful to patients with physical or emotional illnesses?

A. It lets them forget about their fears.

C. It helps improve their social skills.

B. It helps them release their hidden feelings.

D. It helps them hide their feelings.