★LOUDOUN COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL

Grades: Preschool-Grade 8

LCDS.org • 703-777-3841

Award-winning school features a low student-teacher ratio (比率). Courses include art, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), computer programming, languages, athletics, instruments. BYOT (Bring Your Own Technology), one-to-one program in fourth through eighth grades. It’s famous for its unique field trips.

★NYSMITH SCHOOL

Grades: 3 years-Grade 8

Nysmith.com • 703-552-2912

Top 10 in the world, fun, award-winning program, up to 4 grade levels of diversification (多样化) in reading and math classes, daily science, computers, logic, foreign languages, much more. 1:9 ratio. Minimal (最少的) homework. Hands-on experimental learning, a great attraction for students across the country. 2014 Tommy Award from TJ for the special achievement of Nysmith Alumni.

★FUSION ACADEMY TYSONS

Grades: 6-12

FusionTysonsCorner.com • 866-461-8039

Fusion Academy is a private middle and high school where all classes are one-to-one: one student and one teacher per classroom. Here, positive relationships unlock students’ potential. Scheduling is personalized, and no homework goes home. Come soon to Tysons, Virginia, and achieve school & life balance.

★RANDOLPH-MACON ACADEMY

Grades: 6-12, Postgraduate

rma.edu • 540-636-5484

R-MA is a college-prep boarding school with Air Force JROTC, devoted to developing students of academic achievement, leadership, and responsible citizenship. With smaller classes — on average, 14-17 students per class — students at R-MA find themselves building their confidence because our teachers care about each student. Graduating classes have a 100% college acceptance rate and average over $56.6 million in college scholarships offers each year.

1.How does LOUDOUN COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL differ from the others?

A.It offers field trips. B.It has a variety of courses.

C.It provides one-to-one classes. D.It has award-winning programs.

2.Why does NYSMITH SCHOOL attract students?

A.It has no homework. B.It is the world’s best school.

C.It is a frequent winner of the Tommy Award. D.It gives them a chance to learn from experience.

3.Which school specializes in personalized education?

A.NYSMITH SCHOOL. B.FUSION ACADEMY TYSONS.

C.RANDOLPH-MACON ACADEMY. D.LOUDOUN COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL.

阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。续写的词数应为150左右。

I like all kinds of chocolate.Mother had bought a bar of it,and somehow I couldn't stop thinking about it.I was helping Father in the yard when I got the idea that I could cut off the end of that bar of chocolate.Mother would be sure to miss it,but before she had any idea who had done it,I could admit that I'd taken it to escape a spanking(挨揍）。I waited until Mother was out feeding the chickens.Then I told Father I thought I'd go in for a drink of water.I got the bar down,but I heard Mother coming just when I had the knife ready to cut.So I slipped the chocolate into the front of my shirt and left quickly.Before I went back to help Father,I went to the barn(谷仓）and hid the chocolate there.

All the rest of afternoon,I didn't like to look at Father.Every time he spoke it made me jump.My hands began shaking so much that he asked me what was the matter.I told him it was just that my hands were cold.I knew he didn't believe me,and every time he looked my way my heart started pounding.I didn't want the chocolate anymore.I wanted a chance to put it back without being caught.

I was nearly out to where the cows were when I remembered what Father had said once-some of the family money was mine because I had helped to earn it.Why wouldn't it be all right to figure the bar of chocolate had been bought with my own money? That seemed to fix everything.But by the time I had the cows headed home,I had begun to worry again.I decided to leave the whole matter to the Lord.I picked up a dried stick and decided I would throw it up into the air and take my orders from the way it landed.If it pointed west.I'd take the whole bar back.If it pointed south.I'd take half an inch off the end.If it pointed east,I'd bought the bar with my own money and it wouldn't be stealing to keep it.I swung the stick as high as I could.When it came down,it pointed mostly west-but a little south.That night I couldn't sleep.I  kept trying to remember how much that stick had really been pointing to the south.

Paragraph 1:

At last I got up,slipped out into the yard and took the ax(斧头）from the chopping block.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Paragraph 2.

Then he stood me on my feet and asked if I thought I had deserved the spanking._

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

假如你是李华，世界自然基金会(WWF)是世界上最大的从事自然和野生动物保护的国际组织。请你给他们的负责人发一封邮件, 指出野生动物面临的危机并提出建议。内容如下：

1. 野生动物被猎杀的现状；

2. 猎杀野生动物的后果； 

3. 自己的建议。

注意：

1.词数80左右；

2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；

3.信的开头语已为你写好。

Dear Sir or Madam,

____________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

根据所给的中文或者首字母，每空只填1个单词，请将答案写在答题纸上相应题号的横线上。

1.The main drawbacks of the Internet I will address today are that it has much information that has not been evaluated ______________ (精确).

2.But how can you do this when the employer has the upper hand and hundreds of ______________(合格) candidates?

3.Thousands are _____________(拼命) leaving their battled homes and villages.

4.Pride and _____________ (偏见) has both great fame and a large number of readers in China.

5.Van Gogh died poor in 1890,___________(报酬) little for his efforts.

6.Sometimes the slow ferries are not very p____________ and there may be long delays.

7.The number of road accidents and the deaths a____________ from those accidents has increased over the past year.

8.The biggest concern is how to improve plants to make them more r_________ to disease.

9.We were not able to meet the d___________ because of manufacturing delays.

10.The hotel was booked full; instead, we found a_____________ in a dormitory.

    A Colorado pair brings new meaning to the word “determination”. When one couldn’t walk and the other couldn’t see, they___ up to share their love of the great outdoors.

Melanie Knecht has to use a wheelchair to get around due to born spina bifida (脊柱裂). Trevor Hahn only recently became blind after he____ an eye disease five years ago. Both living in Fort Collins,  Colorado, the two met  at an adaptive  boxing  class  — and they  soon_____ each  other again at  an adaptive rock-climbing class.

They immediately____ over Knecht’s lifelong hobby of camping and Hahn’s passion for outdoor  sports. When she told him about her recent trip to Easter Island,  where she got the __________  to be carried  on another person’s back, an unusual idea___ to her.

______his  lost sight, he’d been able to scale a Himalayan peak, using poles and _______  directions from his companions.

They started small, but next month—with her vision and his____—they will trek to the top of a 14,000-foot mountain.

“It just seemed like common sense. He’s the legs, I’m the eyes!____, we’re the dream team.” said Knecht.

At the start of  each hike, a friend lifts Knecht ________  a carrier on  Hahn’s back. From that point on, she gives him oral directions to___ the way.

Hahn said, “It made me so happy to help someone experience what I’ve been able to experience my whole life. The___ part is being able to make her smile—that gives me_____.”

In addition to this sense of purpose, the two share an understanding of how___ it can be asking able-bodied or sighted people for assistance in everyday life. They get immeasurable______ from being able to do this on their own.

While the two accept that others___ what they’ve been able to do, they’re not looking for___ —they just want others to encourage inclusive and adaptive___ for their friends with disabilities. Don’t___ them because you think they won’t be able to do something.

1.A.rose B.made C.teamed D.ended

2.A.contracted B.cured C.spread D.diagnosed

3.A.learned from B.ran into C.corresponded with D.separated from

4.A.handed B.argued C.got D.bonded

5.A.opportunity B.competence C.permission D.honour

6.A.happened B.stuck C.took D.occurred

7.A.On account of B.In spite of C.On top of D.In view of

8.A.spoken B.opposite C.confusing D.gesturing

9.A.optimism B.strength C.guidance D.wisdom

10.A.Hopefully B.Instead C.Together D.Similarly

11.A.over B.up C.off D.into

12.A.get B.make C.lead D.smooth

13.A.best B.mere C.initial D.last

14.A.relief B.courage C.reward D.purpose

15.A.convenient B.difficult C.ridiculous D.essential

16.A.suffering B.wealth C.satisfaction D.improvement

17.A.appreciate B.oppose C.dismiss D.advocate

18.A.criticism B.attention C.praise D.curiosity

19.A.adventures B.assessments C.behaviors D.solutions

20.A.convince B.exclude C.desert D.approach

    You don’t need to be a world-class mountaineer to stand out in a job interview. Here’s my advice on how to nail the most common interview question.

Most people are so eager to show off what they’ve been involved in. Don’t worry, and there will be time for that. The interviewer has reviewed your resume and will ask you plenty about your expertise. “Tell me about yourself” is a question you’re certain to be asked at any job interview.1.However, sharing something that shows who you really are beyond a piece of paper is a good idea. It will allow the interviewer to know something about your life outside of work.

Everyone has something interesting to share about themselves. I’ve heard people talk about everything from being a world-class sushi chef to an ice carver.2. Such as you participate  in  competitive sports, you're an accomplished (技艺高超的) pianist and you’re writing your first detective novel. If the information showcases a unique aspect of yourself, and especially if you can link it to what you can bring to your next job, then go for it.

Another way to think about the question is: “What gets you up every morning?” The person also wants to know what your sense of passion and purpose is. That volunteer work on a farm cooperative in South America, for example, shows you have a global perspective. 3. It doesn’t matter how big or small the accomplishment is, as long as it shows you’re struggling to improve yourself. When people are motivated by contributing to something bigger than themselves, they get more satisfaction.

4. Relax, be yourself and tell the truth. Don't approach the interview like you’re trying out for Broadway. It’s more than obvious when someone is trying to memorize their lines and “play the part”. Also, if you overstate what you've done or fully invent a story about yourself, you'll be exposed.5.

A.Take a risk to get personal.

B.Showing honesty is one of the most important things.

C.Running your first 10 kilometers shows you like a challenge.

D.And then everything you say about yourself will be questioned.

E.It's also important to tell it in a way that makes you memorable.

F.Too many people respond to it by giving a recital of their resume.

G."Tell me about yourself" is an invitation for you to share brief information.

    There are certain areas on Mars where we don’t dare tread. NASA forbids spacecraft from visiting spots that possibly host liquid water, and so where life might be able to thrive, for fear of contaminating (感染) Mars with Earth microbes. But an analysis of the salty liquids on Mars suggests we needn’t worry, because life as we know it should be unable to exist anywhere on the planet’s surface.

Edgard Rivera-Valentin at the Lunar and Planetary Institutein Texas and his colleagues used readings of the temperature and relative humidity across Mars to map the presence of salty water. Any water on the surface is likely to be salty, simply because the surface is. This boosts the chances of water being liquid because salt lowers its freezing point.

It is like when you throw salt on an icy sidewalk, says Danielle Nuding at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. “It’s the same chemistry happening.”

Unfortunately, the saltier the water, the less likely anything can survive in it. The team found that even though there could be briny (盐分多的) water on the surface of Mars up to 18 per cent of the year, depending on the season, no microbe we have ever seen on Earth would be able to reproduce there.

Life as we know it is not going to find these brines and survive because it’s either going to be way too cold or way too salty,” says Rivera-Valentin, who presented the results at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Texas.

That doesn’t mean we can’t contaminate Mars: brines with different types of salts mixed together might be friendlier to life and temperatures just below the surface are much less extreme. Nevertheless, as long as we don’t dig down, it might be highly unlikely or even impossible for rovers (飞行器) such as Curiosity to contaminate Mars.

“The level of sterilization (杀菌) that we’ve done with Curiosity should be good enough to ignore the ban on visiting what we’ve been calling special regions until now, says Jennifer Hanley at Lowell Observatory in Arizona. I think that we’re OK to go. Visiting these regions would be particularly helpful because, while they are in theory the most vulnerable areas on Mars, they are also the most interesting.

For example, arguments have been raging for over a decade about whether dark streaks on Martian slopes called recurring slope lineae are flowing water or just dust. A quick visit by Curiosity, which is near an area where the flows often form, could solve it once and for all.

Even if areas with water are inhospitable to Earth life, they could still be home to native Martian life forms.

“If you had life that originated on Mars when it was more habitable, it could be that as Mars changed, life could have gradually adapted to the new, more extreme conditions,” says Rivera-Valentin.

1.NASA forbids spacecraft from visiting the special regions on Mars because            .

A.life is unable to thrive there, thus there’s no point of visiting them

B.Martian life probably exists there and might threaten human beings

C.they worry Earth microbes might survive there, thus contaminating Mars

D.human beings know nothing about these areas and they are dangerous to us

2.Which of the following statements is true?

A.Mars surface being salty provides evidence that Mars hosts liquid water.

B.Earth life is unlikely to contaminate Mars because the surface of the planet is either too cold or too salty.

C.The fear of contaminating Mars is unnecessary because human beings won’t contaminate Mars under any circumstances.

D.Jennifer Hanley thinks human beings should explore the special regions on Mars in order to confirm the existence of Martian life.

3.What is the point of visiting the special regions on Mars?

A.Martian life might be found.

B.Liquid water might be found.

C.Many puzzles about Mars could soon be solved.

D.No humans have ever visited those regions before.

4.In the passage, you can find the answers to all the questions except            .

A.whether the surface of Mars is salty or not

B.whether any native Martian life forms exist

C.whether Earth life is able to survive on Mars or not

D.whether the rover Curiosity will contaminate Mars

    The great recession may be over,but this era of high joblessness is probably beginning.Before it ends,it will likely change the life course and character of a generation of young adults.And eventually,it is likely to reshape our politics,our culture,and the character of our society for years.

No one tries harder than the jobless to find silver linings in this national economic disaster. Many said that unemployment, while extremely painful, had improved them in some ways: they had become less materialistic and more financially prudent(节俭的); they were more aware of the struggles of others. In limited respects, perhaps the recession will leave society better off. At the very least, it has awoken us from our national fever dream of easy riches and bigger houses, and put a necessary end to an era of reckless(鲁莽的) personal spending.

But for the most part,these benefits seem thin,uncertain,and far off.In The Moral Consequences of Economic Growth,the economic historian Benjamin Friedman argues that both inside and outside the U.S.,lengthy periods of economic stagnation or decline have almost always left society more mean-spirited and less inclusive,and have usually stopped or reversed the advance of rights and freedoms.Anti-immigrant sentiment typically increases,as does conflict between races and classes.

Income inequality usually falls during a recession, but it has not shrunk in this one. Indeed,this period of economic weakness may reinforce class divides, and decrease opportunities to cross them-especially for young people. The research of Till Von Wachter, the economic at Columbia University, suggests that not all people graduating into a recession see their life chances dimmed: those with degrees from elite(精英) universities catch up fairly quickly to where they otherwise would have been if they had graduated in better times;it is the masses beneath them that are left behind.

In the Internet age, it is particularly easy to see the resentment that has always been hidden within American society. More difficult, in the moment, is discerning precisely how these lean times are affecting society's character. In many respects, the U.S. was more socially tolerant entering this recession than at any time in its history, and a variety of national polls on social conflict since then have shown mixed results. We will have to wait and see exactly how these hard times will reshape our social fabric(组织). But they certainly will reshape it,and all the more so the longer they extend.

1.By saying "to find silver linings" (Para.2) the author suggests that the jobless try to_____.

A.seek help from the government

B.explore reasons for the unemployment

C.make profits from the troubled economy

D.look on the bright side of the recession

2.Benjamin Friedman believes that economic recessions may_

A.impose a heavy burden on immigrants

B.bring out more evils of human nature

C.promote the advance of rights and freedoms

D.ease conflicts between races and classes

3.The research of Till Von Wachter suggests that in the recession graduates from elite universities tend to ____

A.lag behind the others due to decreased opportunities

B.catch up quickly with experienced employees

C.see their life chances as dimmed as the others

D.recover more quickly than the others

4.The author thinks that the influence of hard times on society is____

A.certain B.positive

C.unimportant D.destructive

    Recent data released from the Department of Labor in the US show that for the first time in 10 years, women make up more than half (50.04%)of the workforce. Many have celebrated this milestone as proof that women are inching toward equality in the workplace. After all, a symbol of women's equality in America has always been increased via labor force participation.

For women in today's economy, however, increased employment also carries an increased burden. Women earn less, have less flexibility in terms of their work schedules to meet caretaking demands, and are more likely to experience discrimination based on gender or sexual harassment than their male counterparts in the workforce.

Women earn less than men in nearly every occupation for which there is available data. If we do nothing, women will not reach economic equality with men until 2059.For women of color, it will take more than a century:2130 for black women and 2224 for Hispanic women(those from Latin America).This means women will have to work longer or hold multiple jobs to make ends meet and to care for their families.

Increased employment among women has not translated into less work at home. Many women in the workforce are still primarily responsible for the lion's share of housework and caretaking responsibilities compared with men.

A new study by Oxfam America-Institute for Women's Policy Research finds that women in the United States spend 37%more time on household and care work than their male counterparts, limiting career choices and economic mobility, and affecting their overall health and well-being. Black and Hispanic women spend nearly twice as much time on unpaid housework and caretaking demands as their male counterparts.

Much has been made about our strong economy as measured by how well the stock market performs and low unemployment. There's no doubt the increase in workforce participation among women will help boost this narrative. However, it does not mean that women are more economically secure.

In today's economy, working and middle-class families continue to struggle with rising housing and health care costs, stagnant wages and a shift to a technology-driven economy fueled by automation and the loss of manufacturing jobs. These trends have an extreme impact on women.

1.Why have people celebrated women's taking up more than half of the workforce?

A.Because women are likely to replace men in some fields.

B.Because that is the symbol of labor force participation.

C.Because it indicates more equality for women at workplace.

D.Because the data was released from the Department of Labor.

2.The numbers in Para.3 are used to emphasize that      

A.women's inequality is a hard nut to crack. B.women have to bear an increased burden.

C.women earn less than men in every occupation. D.women of color see no hope to reach equality.

3.Why doesn't women's employment mean women are more economically secure?

A.Manufacturing jobs are increased by high-tech automation.

B.The trends in today's economy are unfavourable to women.

C.Economy is measured by the performance of the stock market.

D.Women are responsible for rising housing and health care costs.

4.Which would be the best title for this passage?

A.Women's Participation and Economic growth.

B.Over Half of Women Have Entered the Workforce.

C.Women Spend More Time on Household Than Men.

D.Women's Increased Employment Carries Increased Burden.

    We’ve certainly seen a dog nursing a wound, or a deer calling out in pain. But many animals suffer in silence. The most silent sufferers in the animal world may be fish.

Do fish feel pain? A new study from the University of Liverpool has found that fish feel pain in a way that’s “strikingly similar” to humans. For the study, Lynne Sneddon, from the university’s Institute of Integrative Biology, reviewed the existing body of research-98 studies in all-and concluded that they feel pain just as sharply as we do.

“When subject to a potentially painful event, fish show changes in behavior such as stopping feeding and reduced activity, which are prevented when a pain-relieving drug is provided. In fact, like us, they breathe heavily and stop eating when they’re hurting. They will even rub the part of their body that aches.” Sneddon notes in a university release.

To understand pain in other species, scientists look at nociceptors, which send signals to the brain when the body is being damaged. Humans have them throughout their skin, bones and muscles. Nociceptors have also been found in many other species, including even those tiny fruit flies. Fish have the same means to detect pain signals and the equipment to receive them.

Besides, the fishermen’s opinion that fish feel no pain just doesn’t add up from an evolutionary view. Pain is an efficient messenger that tells us that we’ve got a problem. An animal that can’t feel it won’t get that memo(备忘录), even if it hurts itself.

“If we accept fish experience pain, then this has great significance for how we treat them,” Sneddon says. “Care should be taken when handling fish to avoid damaging their sensitive skin and they should be humanely caught and killed.”

1.What will a fish do when its lips get hurt?

A.It might rub its lips. B.It will keep its mouth open.

C.It will swim around like crazy. D.It will keep eating to forget pain.

2.What is the significance of the study according to Sneddon?

A.People will treat fish in a kinder way.

B.People can understand evolution better.

C.People can develop more drugs to save fish.

D.People will think of more ways to catch fish.

3.What does the underlined part “add up” probably mean?

A.disappear B.put forward C.make sense D.happen