Although many great people ever failed, they never_______ and managed to succeed.

A.set out B.stayed up C.kept on D.gave up

—Can I own a car, Mum?

—I am sorry, I don't agree. After all, the price of the oil continues to ______ these days.

A.rise B.raise C.reduce D.drop

—I heard Ted got hurt badly in the car accident yesterday.

—It's true. His careless driving was the ______ of the accident.

A.reason B.cause C.excuse D.answer

请认真阅读下面短文，并按照要求用英语写一篇150词左右的文章。

你校新来的外教想了解中国中学生与朋友联系时经常使用的通讯手段。你经过调查你班情况, 得到以下数据。请根据下表, 写一篇调查报告。

注意: 1. 正确描述数据所展示的信息;

2. 对数据进行分析;

3. 词数: 150 左右。

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

请认真阅读下面短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词。

注意：每个空格只填一个单词。

WARNING: Holding a cellphone against your ear or storing it in your pocket may be dangerous to your health.

This paraphrases (解释) a warning that cellphone manufacturers include in the small print that is often taken for granted when a new phone is purchased. Apple, for example, doesn’t want iPhones to come closer to you than 1.5 centimeters. Research In Motion, BlackBerry’s manufacturer, recommends 2.5 centimeters.

If health issues arise from cellphone use, the results are serious. Voice calls—Americans chat on cellphones 2.26 trillion minutes annually—bring in $109 billion for the wireless carriers.

Devra Davis, who has worked for the University of Pittsburgh, has published a book about cellphone radiation, “Disconnect.” The book surveys scientific research and concludes the question is not settled.

Brain cancer is a concern that Ms. Davis examines. Over all, there has not been an increase in its incidence since cellphones arrived. But the average covers an increase in brain cancer in the 20-to-29 age group and a drop for the older population.

“Most cancers have multiple causes,” she says, but she points to laboratory research that suggests low-energy radiation could damage cells that could possibly lead to cancer.

Children are more vulnerable (易受伤害的) to radiation than adults, Ms. Davis and other scientists point out. Radiation that enters the brain of an adult only five centimeters will reach much deeper into the brains of children because their skulls are thinner and their brains contain more absorptive fluid. No studies have yet been completed on cellphone radiation and children, she says.

Henry Lai, a research professor in the bioengineering department at the University of Washington, began laboratory radiation studies in 1980 and found that rats exposed to radiofrequency radiation had damaged DNA in their brains.

Ms. Davis recommends using wired headsets or the phone’s speaker. Children should send text message rather than call, she said, and pregnant women should keep phones away from the abdomen (腹部).

    Choose Your One-Day-Tours!

Tour A - Bath &Stonehenge including entrance fees to the ancient Roman bathrooms and Stonehenge -￡37 until 26 March and ￡39 thereafter. Visit the city with over 2,000 years of history and Bath Abbey, the Royal Crescent and the Costume Museum, Stonehenge is one of the world’s most famous prehistoric monuments dating back over 5,000 years.

Tour B - Oxford & Stratford including entrance fees to the University St Mary’s Church Tower and Anne Hathaway’s -￡32 until 12 March and ￡36 thereafter. Oxford: Includes a guided tour of England’s oldest university city and colleges. Look over the “city of dreaming spires(尖顶）” from St Mary‘s Church Tower. Stratford: Includes a guided tour exploring much of the Shakespeare wonder.

Tour C - Windsor Castle &Hampton Court: including entrance fees to Hampton Court Palace -￡34 until 11 March and ￡37 thereafter. Includes a guided tour of Windsor and Hampton Court, Henry VILL’s favorite palace. Free time to visit Windsor Castle(entrance fees not included).With 500 years of history, Hampton Court was once the home of four Kings and one Queen. Now this former royal palace is open to the public as a major tourist attraction. Visit the palace and its various historic gardens, which include the famous maze(迷宫) where it is easy to get lost!

Tour D –Cambridge including entrance fees to the Tower of Saint Mary the Great -￡33 until 18 March and ￡37 thereafter. Includes a guided tour of Cambridge, the famous university town, and the gardens of the 18th century.

1.Which tour will you choose if you want to see England’s oldest university city?

A.Tour A B.Tour B

C.Tour C D.Tour D

2.Which of the following tours charges the lowest fee on 17 March?

A.Windsor Castle & Hampton Court B.Oxford & Stratford

C.Bath & Stonehenge D.Cambridge

3.Why is Hampton Court a major tourist attraction?

A.It used to be the home of royal families B.It used to be a well-known maze

C.It is the oldest palace in Britain D.It is a world-famous castle

    Your house may have an effect on your figure. Experts say the way you design your home could play a role in whether you pack on the pounds or keep them off. You can make your environment work for you instead of against you. Here are some ways to turn your home into part of your diet plan.

Open the curtains and turn up the lights. Dark environments are more likely to encourage overeating, for people are often less self­conscious (难为情) when they’re in poorly lit places—and so more likely to eat lots of food. If your home doesn’t have enough window light, get more lamps and flood the place with brightness.

Mind the colors. Research suggests warm colors fuel our appetites. In one study, people who ate meals in a blue room consumed 33 percent less than those in a yellow or red room. Warm colors like yellow make food appear more appetizing, while cold colors make us feel less hungry. So when it’s time to repaint, go blue.

Don’t forget the clock—or the radio. People who eat slowly tend to consume about 70 fewer calories (卡路里) per meal than those who rush through their meals. Begin keeping track of the time, and try to make dinner last at least 30 minutes. And while you’re at it, actually sit down to eat. If you need some help slowing down, turn on relaxing music. It makes you less likely to rush through a meal.

Downsize the dishes. Big serving bowls and plates can easily make us fat. We eat about 22 percent more when using a 12­inch plate instead of a 10­inch plate. When we choose a large spoon over a smaller one, total intake (摄入) jumps by 14 percent. And we’ll pour about 30 percent more liquid into a short, wide glass than a tall, skinny glass.

1.The text is especially helpful for those who care about ____________.

A.their home comforts B.their body shape

C.house buying D.healthy diets

2.A home environment in blue can help people ______________.

A.digest food better B.reduce food intake

C.burn more calories D.regain their appetites

3.What are people advised to do at mealtimes?

A.Eat quickly. B.Play fast music.

C.Use smaller spoons. D.Turn down the lights.

4.What can be a suitable title for the text?

A.Is Your House Making You Fat? B.Ways of Serving Dinner

C.Effects of Self­Consciousness D.Is Your Home Environment Relaxing?

    My color television has given me nothing but a headache. I was able to buy it a little over a year ago because I had my relatives give me money for my birthday instead of a lot of clothes that wouldn’t fit. I let a salesclerk fool me into buying a discontinued model. I realized this a day later, when I saw newspaper advertisements for the set at seventy-five dollars less than I had paid. The set worked so beautifully when I first got it home that I would keep it on until stations signed off for the night. Fortunately, I didn’t got any channels showing all-night movies or I would never have gotten to bed.

Then I started developing a problem with the set that involved static (静电) noise. For some reason, when certain shows switched into a commercial, a loud noise would sound for a few seconds. Gradually, this noise began to appear during a show, and to get rid of it. I had to change to another channel and then change it back. Sometimes this technique would not work, and I had to pick up the set and shake it to remove the sound. I actually began to build up my arm muscles (肌肉) shaking my set.

When neither of these methods removed the static noise, I would sit helplessly and wait for the noise to go away. At last I ended up hitting the set with my fist, and it stopped working altogether. My trip to the repair shop cost me $62, and the set is working well now, but I keep expecting more trouble.

1.Why did the author say he was fooled into buying the TV set?

A.He got an older model than he had expected.

B.He couldn’t return it when it was broken.

C.He could have bought it at a lower price.

D.He failed to find any movie shows on it.

2.Which of the following can best replace the phrase “signed off” in Paragraph 1?

A.ended all their programs B.provided fewer channels

C.changed to commercials D.showed all-night movies

3.How did the author finally get his TV set working again?

A.By shaking and hitting it. B.By turning it on and off.

C.By switching channels. D.By having it repaired.

4.How does the author sound when telling the story?

A.Curious B.Anxious

C.Cautious D.Humorous

    More students than ever before are taking a gap year (间隔年) before going to university. It used to be called the “year off” between school and university. The gap-year phenomenon originated (起源) with the months left over to Oxbridge applicants between entrance exams in November and the start of the next academic year.

This year, 25,310 students who have accepted places in higher education institutions have put off their entry until next year, according to statistics on university entrance provided by the University and College Admissions Service (UCAS).

That is a record 14.7% increase in the number of students taking a gap year. Tony Higgins from UCAS said that the statistics are good news for everyone in higher education. “Students who take a well-planned year out are more likely to be satisfied with, and complete, their chosen course. Students who take a gap year are often more mature and responsible.” he said.

But not everyone is happy. Owain James, the president of the National Union of Students (NUS), argued that the increase is evidence of student hardship—young people are being forced into earning money before finishing their education. “New students are now aware that they are likely to leave university up to £ 15,000 in debt. It is not surprising that more and more students are taking a gap year to earn money to support their study for the degree. NUS statistics show that over 40% of students are forced to work during term time and the figure increases to 90% during vacation periods,” he said.

1.What do we learn about the gap year from the text?

A.It is flexible in length. B.It is a time for relaxation.

C.It is increasingly popular. D.It is required by universities.

2.According to Tony Higgins, students taking a gap year       .

A.are better prepared for college studies

B.know a lot more about their future jobs

C.are more likely to leave university in debt

D.have a better chance to enter top universities

3.How does Owain James feel about the gap-year phenomenon?

A.He’s puzzled. B.He’s worried.

C.He’s surprised. D.He’s annoyed.

4.What would most students do on their vacation according to NUS statistics?

A.Attend additional courses. B.Make plans for the new term.

C.Earn money for their education. D.Prepare for their graduate studies.

I used to believe in the American Dream, which meant a job, a mortgage (按揭), credit cards, success. I wanted it and worked toward it like everyone else, all of us____chasing the same thing.

One year, through a series of unhappy events, it all fell____I found myself homeless and alone. I had my truck and $ 56. I____the countryside for some place I could rent for the____possible amount. I came upon a shabby house four miles up a winding mountain road____the Potomac River in West Virginia. It was____, full of broken glass and rubbish. I found the owner, rented it, and_____________.

The locals knew nothing about me,____slowly, they started teaching me the____of being a neighbor. They dropped off blankets, candles, and tools, and began____around to chat. They started to teach me a belief in a____American Dream—not the one of individual achievement but of____

What I had believed in, all those things I thought were____for a civilized life, were nonexistent in this place.____on the mountain, my most valuable possessions were my____with my neighbors.

Four years later, I moved back into____I saw many people were having a really hard time,____their jobs and homes. I managed to rent a big enough house to_______________________________________________________________________________if we hadn’t banded together.

The American Dream I believe in now is a shared one. It’s not so much about what I can get for myself; it’s about____we can all get by together.

1.A.separately B.equally C.violently D.naturally

2.A.off B.apart C.over D.out

3.A.crossed B.left C.toured D.searched

4.A.fullest B.largest C.fairest D.cheapest

5.A.at B.through C.over D.round

6.A.occupied B.abandoned C.emptied D.robbed

7.A.turned B.approached C.cleared D.cut

8.A.but B.although C.otherwise D.for

9.A.benefit B.lesson C.nature D.art

10.A.sticking B.looking C.swinging D.turning

11.A.wild B.real C.different D.remote

12.A.neighborliness B.happiness C.friendliness D.kindness

13.A.unique B.expensive C.rare D.necessary

14.A.Up B.Down C.Deep D.Along

15.A.cooperation B.relationships C.satisfaction D.appointments

16.A.reality B.society C.town D.life

17.A.creating B.losing C.quitting D.offering

18.A.put in B.turn in C.take in D.get in

19.A.yards B.shelters C.camps D.cottages

20.A.when B.what C.whether D.how