Many people believe that language belongs to human beings. However, cats have developed a language not for each other, but for the human beings who have them as pets.

When communicating with each other, cats "talk" with a system of signals. Their tails, rather than any kind of “speech", act as an important way to express themselves. They also touch each other to express their feelings. With other cats, they will use their voice only to express pain. Unbelievably, all of that changes when a human walks into the room. Cats use many different kinds of vocal （声音的）expressions when they communicate with a person. Since these vocal expressions are not used to communicate with other cats, it seems that cats have developed this "language" to communicate with their human owners.

This fact is shown more clearly when researchers are watching rooms that have only one cat and those with several cats. And when there is only one cat in the room, it is usually very vocal, since the only creature around with whom the cat can communicate is its owner. Cats with other cats, though, are much quieter. If they want to have a conversation, they only need go to other cats and communicate in their natural way.

Since cats have learned to meow（ 喵喵叫） for the only purpose of communicating with human owners, their owners should take the time to learn what their different meows mean. If an owner knows, to name just a few examples, which meow means the cat is hungry, which means the cat .wants to be petted, and which means the cat wants to have a little "conversation" , the relationship between cats and owners will be closer.

1.If a cat, together with other cats, finds its body hurts, it may express it with its _______.

A.tail B.eyes

C.head D.voice

2.When a human enters a room with some cats, what will they do?

A.Stop making any noise. B.Use their tails to show love.

C.Begin .to use vocal expressions. D.Stop communicating with each other.

3.What are cat owners advised to do?

A.Communicate more with cats. B.Learn to meow in different ways.

C.Encourage cats to talk with each other. D.Teach cats to understand human language.

4.What is the text mainly about? . .

A.The language of cats. B.Advice on keeping pets.

C.Pets* different expressions. D.Communication among cats.

    Like all big cities, Paris has a traffic problem: lots of cars, lots of traffic jams （阻塞）and lots of pollution from exhaust fumes （废气）.So the city began a scheme （计划）to improve the situation.

Under the Velib scheme （ “ Velib” comes from velo liberte, or “ bicycle freedom” ） people can take a bicycle, use it for as long as they want, and then leave it at the same or another bicycle station. The first half-hour on the bike is free, but if you do not return it after 30 minutes , you have to pay. it's only €1 a day or €29 a year! The bicycles are heavy（25 kg） , and they are all grey and have baskets. There are about 20,000 of them in the city, and around 1,450 bicycle stations. So there are a lot more Velib stations than the 298 subway stations!

Paris is not the first city to have a scheme like this. But not everybody thinks it is a great idea. One Parisian said, "These bicycles are only for short journeys. If people want to travel across the city, they wont use a bicycle - they'll still use their cars."

A city spokesman said, “The bicycle scheme will not settle all our traffic problems, of course. But it might help reduce air pollution. Traffic, together with factory fumes, is a big problem. There are not any simple answers to traffic problems and pollution in cities. But unless we do something now, there will be more traffic jams and temperatures will continue to rise, so the problems in our environment will get worse. The bikes might help people to lead a healthier life, too."

1.What can we learn about the Velib scheme?

A.It owns more stations than the subway.

B.It aims to make traveling easier.

C.Its bikes are light and colorful.

D.Its bikes have no baskets.

2.If you use a Velib for one hour, how much should you pay?

A.€30. B.€30.

C.€ 29. D.€1.

3.Why do some people disagree with the Velib scheme?

A.The cost is rather high. ,

B.It is hard to find a Velib station.

C.It is not suitable for a long journey.

D.The distance between two Velib stations is long.

4.What's the city spokesman's attitude towards the bicycle scheme?

A.Doubtful. B.Positive.

C.Uncaring. D.Worried.

    Arriving in Sydney on his own from India, my husband, Rashid, stayed in a hotel for a short time while looking for a house for me and our children.

During the first week of his stay, he went out one day to do some shopping. He came back in the late afternoon to discover that his suitcase was gone. He was extremely worried as the suitcase had all his important papers, including his passport.

He reported the case to the police and then sat there, lost and lonely in a strange city, thinking of the terrible troubles of getting all the paperwork organized again from a distant country while trying to settle down in a new one.

Late in the evening, the phone rang. It was a stranger. He was trying to pronounce my husband’s name and was asking him a lot of questions. Then he said they had found a pile of papers in their trash can(垃圾桶) that had been left out on the footpath.

My husband rushed to their home to find a kind family holding all his papers and documents. Their young daughter had gone to the trash can and found a pile of unfamiliar papers. Her parents had carefully sorted them out, although they had found mainly foreign addresses on most of the documents. At last they had seen a half-written letter in the pile in which my husband had given his new telephone number to a friend.

That family not only restored the important documents to us that day but also restored our faith and trust in people. We still remember their kindness and often send a warm wish their way.

1.What did Rashid plan to do after his arrival in Sydney?

A.Go shopping B.Find a house

C.Join his family D.Take a vacation

2.The girl’s parents got Rashid’s phone number from_________.

A.a friend of his family B.a Sydney policeman

C.a letter in his papers D.a stranger in Sydney

3.What does the underlined word “restored” in the last paragraph mean?

A.Showed B.Sent out

C.Delivered D.Gave back

4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A.From India to Australia. B.Living in a New Country

C.Turning Trash to Treasure. D.In Search of New Friends.

    You may probably meet most of the powerful graduation speakers here who are well-known people in their fields. I think the schools couldn't have picked better speakers than them, because they set good examples, deeply inspiring us in our daily life.

1） Steve Jobs, Stanford University：

"The best way I know is to avoid the trap（困境）of thinking that you have something to lose. There is no reason not to follow your heart. Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don't let the noise of others' opinions affect your own voice..."

2） Oprah Winfrey, Stanford University：

"I consider the world, this Earth, to be like a school... And the secret I've learned to get ahead is being open to the lessons from the great universe of all. Don't react against a bad situation. And the solution（解决办法）will come from the challenge. So don't give up easily, acting with responsibility...”

3） Bono, University of Pennsylvania：

"For four years you've been buying, trading, and selling everything you've got in this marketplace of ideas. Your pockets are full, even if your parents’ are empty , and now you've got to figure out what to spend it on... “ The world is waiting for you to shape it...”

4） Michael Dell, University of Texas at Austin：

"Now it's time for you to move on to what's next and get what you want. But you must not let anything prevent you from taking those first steps. Don't spend so much time trying to choose the perfect opportunity, or sometimes you'll miss the right opportunity. Recognize that there will be failures and obstacles （障碍）.But you will learn from your mistakes and the mistakes of others."

1.Who wants to express “listen to your own heart"?

A.Steve Jobs. B.Bono.

C.Michael Dell. D.Oprah Winfrey.

2.What does Michael Dell ask people to do?

A.Do their own work practically. B.Wait for their own dreams.

C.Create their own journey. D.Correct their own mistakes.

3.What can we be likely to get from these powerful graduation speeches?

A.Some well-known people. B.Some life lessons.

C.Some social skills. D.Some effective solutions.

书面表达

请认真观察下面的图片，并按照要求用英语写一篇150词左右的文章。

注意: 1.词数150左右;2.可适当增加细节, 以使行文通顺连贯;3.短文应包括图片中所有内容。

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。

The expression,“ everybody’s doing it,” is very much at the center of the concept of peer pressure. It is a strong influence of a group, especially of children, on members of that group to behave as everybody else does. It can be positive or negative. Most people experience it in some way during their lives.

People are social creatures by nature, and so it is hardly surprising that part of their self-respect comes from the approval of others. This instinct (天性) is why the approval of peers, or the fear of disapproval, is such a powerful force in many people’s lives. It is the same instinct that drives people to dress one way at home and another way at work, or to answer “fine” when a stranger asks“ how are you?” even if it is not necessarily true. There is a practical aspect to this: it helps society to function efficiently, and encourages a general level of self-discipline that simplifies day-to-day interaction.

For certain individuals, seeking social acceptance is so important that it becomes like an addiction; in order to satisfy the desire, they may go so far as to abandon their sense of right and wrong. Teens and young adults may feel forced to use drugs, or join gangs that encourage criminal behavior. Mature adults may sometimes feel pressured to cover up illegal activity at the company where they work, or end up in debt because they are unable to hold back the desire to buy a house or car that they can’t afford in an effort to“ keep up with the Joneses”.

However, peer pressure is not always negative. A student whose friends are good at academics may be urged to study harder and get good grades. Players on a sports team may feel driven to play harder in order to help the team win. This type of influence can also get a friend off drugs, or to help an adult take up a good habit or drop a bad one. Study groups and class projects are examples of positive peer groups that encourage people to better themselves.

Schools try to teach kids about the dangers of negative peer pressure. They teach kids to stand up and be themselves, and encourage them to politely decline to do things that they believe are wrong. Similarly, it can be helpful to encourage children to greet the beneficial influence of positive peer groups.

What is Peer Pressure

    Surviving treasures from the National Museum of Afghanistan

AFGHANISTAN

CROSSROADS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD

3 MARCH — 3 JULY 2013

At the heart of the silk road, Afghanistan linked the great trading routes of ancient Iran, Central Asia, Indian and China, and the more distant cultures of Greece and Rome.

Nearly lost during the years of civil war and later Taliban (塔利班) rule, precious objects that reveal this diverse past were bravely hidden in 1989 by officials from the National Museum of Afghanistan to save them from destruction.

The surviving treasures date from 2000 BC to the 1st century AD and included rich gold ornaments (装饰品) found at a burial site and limestone (石灰石) sculptures of a Greek city.

This is a unique opportunity to discover the story of Afghanistan’s ancient culture, its immense fragility, and the remarkable dedication (奉献) shown to its survival and protection.

DETAILED INFORMATION

1.If you arrive at the museum on April 20th, what can you enjoy?

A.Near Year celebration. B.Performance: The art of the Afghan rubab.

C.Easter holiday activities. D.The exhibition without any special events.

2.When seeing “The art of the Afgahan rubab”, a tourist can pay less by_____.

A.booking tickets online B.attending talks and discussion on Nowruz

C.calling at 020 7323 8181 D.becoming a member of the British Museum

3.Which of the following statements is true?

A.Of all the special events Performance costs least.

B.Museum officials saved these objects from destruction.

C.The Multimedia Guide is offered to visitors without any charge.

D.You can learn details about group visit either on website or by phone.

4.Where can you most probably find this passage?

A.In a high school text book. B.In a history magazine.

C.In a state-owned newspaper. D.In a traveler’s booklet.

My day began on a definitely sour note when I saw my six-year-old wrestling with a limb of my azalea（杜鹃花）bush. By the time I got outside, he’d broken it. “Can I take this to school today?” he asked. With a wave of my hand, I sent him off. I turned my back so he wouldn’t see the tears gathering in my eyes.

The washing machine had leaked on my brand-new linoleum. If only my husband had just taken the time to fix it the night before when I asked him instead of playing checkers with Jonathan.

It was days like this that made me want to quit. I just wanted to drive up to the mountains, hide in a cave, and never come out.

Somehow I spent most of the day washing and drying clothes and thinking how love had disappeared from my life. As I finished hanging up the last of my husband’s shirts, I looked at the clock. 2:30. I was late. Jonathan’s class let out at 2:15 and I hurriedly drove to the school.

I was out of breath by the time I knocked on the teacher’s door and peered through the glass. She rustled through the door and took me aside. “I want to talk to you about Jonathan,” she said.

I prepared myself for the worst. Nothing would have surprised me. “Did you know Jonathan brought flowers to school today?” she asked. I nodded, thinking about my favorite bush and trying to hide the hurt in my eyes. “Let me tell you about yesterday,” the teacher insisted. “See that little girl?” I watched the bright-eyed child laugh and point to a colorful picture taped to the wall. I nodded.

“Well, yesterday she was almost hysterical. Her mother and father are going through a nasty divorce. She told me she didn’t want to live, she wished she could die. I watched that little girl bury her face in her hands and say loud enough for the class to hear, ‘Nobody loves me.’ I did all I could to comfort her, but it only seemed to make matters worse.” “I thought you wanted to talk to me about Jonathan,” I said.

“I do,” she said, touching the sleeve of my blouse. “Today your son walked straight over to that child. I watched him hand her some pretty pink flowers and whisper, ‘I love you.’“

I felt my heart swell with pride for what my son had done. I smiled at the teacher. “Thank you,” I said, reaching for Jonathan’s hand, “you’ve made my day.”

Later that evening, I began pulling weeds from around my azalea bush. As my mind wandered back to the love Jonathan showed the little girl, a biblical verse came to me: “...these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” While my son had put love into practice, I had only felt anger.

I heard the familiar squeak of my husband’s brakes as he pulled into the drive. I snapped a small limb bristling with hot pink azaleas off the bush. I felt the seed of love that God planted in my family beginning to bloom once again in me. My husband’s eyes widened in surprise as I handed him the flowers. “I love you,” I said.

1.Why did the woman cry when seeing her son had broken the azalea bush?

A.Because she could not tolerate the harm to it.

B.Because it made her bad mood even worse.

C.Because her son did not ask her for permission.

D.Because she wanted to hand it to her husband.

2.The writer wanted to hide in the mountain cave probably for the reason of        .

A.feeling fed up with her endless daily housework

B.her husband’s failing to fix the machine in time

C.boring daily routine with a feeling of lack of love

D.her hoping to seek happiness in a brand new place

3.We can infer from the passage that the writer expressed love to her husband in that        .

A.she was inspired by her son that love was supposed to be felt and practiced

B.she felt guilty that she misunderstood her husband and wanted to apologize

C.she felt it necessary to have a complete family for the happiness of herself

D.she wanted to prove her love and expected the same words from her husband

    It doesn’t kill germs better than cooler water, but turning tap temperatures high, the US burns carbon equal to the emissions of Barbados.

People typically wash their hands seven times a day in the United States, but they do it at a far higher temperature than is necessary to kill germs, a new study says. The energy waste is equivalent to the fuel use of a small country.

It’s cold and flu season, when many people are concerned about avoiding germs. But forget what you think you know about hand washing, say researchers at Vanderbilt University. Chances are good that how you clean up is not helping you stay healthy; it is helping to make the planet sick.

Amanda R. Carrico, a research assistant professor at the Vanderbilt Institute for Energy and Environment in Tennessee, told National Geographic that hand washing is often “a case where people act in ways that they think are in their best interest, but they in fact have inaccurate beliefs or outdated perceptions.”

Carrico said, “It’s certainly true that heat kills bacteria, but if you were going to use hot water to kill them it would have to be way too hot for you to tolerate.”

She explained that boiling water, 212°F (99.98°C), is sometimes used to kill germs — for example, to clean drinking water that might be polluted with germs. But “hot” water for hand washing is generally within 104°F to 131°F (40°C to 55°C.) At the high end of that range, heat could kill some germs, but the sustained contact that would be required would scald the skin.

Carrico said that after a review of the scientific literature, her team found “no evidence that using hot water that a person could stand would have any benefit in killing bacteria.” Even water as cold as 40°F (4.4°C) appeared to reduce bacteria as well as hotter water, if hands were scrubbed, rinsed (冲洗) and dried properly.

In fact, she noted that hot water can often have an unfavorable effect on hygiene. “Warmer water can harm the skin and affect the protective layer on the outside, which can cause it to be less resistant to bacteria,” said Carrico.

Using hot water to wash hands is therefore unnecessary, as well as wasteful, Carrico said, particularly when it comes to the environment. According to her research, people use warm or hot water 64 percent of the time when they wash their hands. Using that number, Carrico’s team calculated a significant impact on the planet.  

“Although the choice of water temperature during a single hand wash may appear minor, when multiplied by the nearly 800 billion hand washes performed by Americans each year, this practice results in more than 6 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent emissions annually,” she said.

That’s roughly equal to the emissions of two coal-fired power plants, or 1,250, 000 passenger vehicles, over the course of a year. It’s higher than the greenhouse gas emissions of small countries like El Salvador or Armenia, and is about equivalent to the emissions of Barbados. If all US citizens washed their hands in cooler water, it would be like eliminating the energy-related carbon emissions of 299,700 US homes, or the total annual emissions from the US zinc or lead industries.

The researchers found that close to 70 percent of respondents said they believe that using hot water is more effective than warm, room temperature, or cold water, despite a lack of evidence backing that up, said Carrico. Her study noted research that showed a “strong cognitive（认知的） connection” between water temperature and hygiene in both the United States and Western Europe,compared to other countries, like Japan, where hot water is associated more with comfort than with health.

The researchers published their results in the July 2013 issue of International Journal of Consumer Studies. They recommended washing with water that is at a “comfortable” temperature, which they noted may be warmer in cold months and cooler in hot ones.

1.What does the writer mainly focus on when writing this passage?

A.Whether hot water helps kill germs effectively in hand washing.

B.How hot water contributes to the serious worsening of our planet.

C.Why the consumption of hot water is unnecessary and wasteful.

D.What the advantages and disadvantages of using hot water are.

2.The underlined word scald in paragraph six probably means.

A.burn B.improve C.soften D.wrinkle

3.According to the passage, all the following share roughly the same CO2 emissions yearly EXCEPT.

A.two coal-fired power plants

B.US zinc or lead industries

C.1,250, 000 passenger vehicles

D.El Salvador or Armenia

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

A.Boiling water at 212°F (99.98°C) works effectively in killing germs.

B.Warmer water can damage the protective layer of the outside skin.

C.There is much difference between cold water and hot water in reducing bacteria.

D.Americans have inaccurate beliefs or outdated perceptions in hand washing.

5.Which of the following is the standard of a comfortable water temperature for washing hands?

A.Warmer in winter and cooler in summer.

B.Between 104°F to 131°F (40°C to 55°C).

C.Below 104°F (40°C) or above 131°F (55°C).

D.Warm enough to kill germs and clean up.

6.If you want to read stories of this kind afterwards, which of the following magazines will you probably subscribe to?

A.Universal Science Fiction

B.Science & Discoveries

C.Environment & Protection

D.Exploration of America

    Never before had a Kitchen so much of a History

It tells of Freedom, Success, and of the Architecture of big American cities. Because that is where it started: in the second half of the 19th century!

Welcome to a new Era of Kitchen Interior Design

Back then, a Generation of successful American Entrepreneurs dreamt of a new style of Architecture to express their personal wealth. This dream was realized by young architects such as Daniel Burnham and Stanford White. They all had studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. And they created a new style for Architecture and Interior Design, named after the famous French Art Institute: Beaux-Arts.

SieMatic BeauxArts Breaks and Creates

In fact, it was not a new style at all, but a composition of styles from different periods and cultures. Many world-famous structures such as the Chicago Art Institute and the Statue of Liberty account for it. But what does that have to do with your kitchen? Just as much as you want it to. Because in the same way that the anti-conventional architects back then took the freedom to combine elements from different historical eras, today, you too can break the conventional rules of style and create something new: your own personal composition of your kitchen. For that, SieMatic BeauxArts offers unique opportunities: A broad range of seemingly conflicting features that you combine to a harmonious design of your own. You can choose from menu of various forms, appealing colors, and precious materials, to create an environment that is much more than just a kitchen: a reflection of your personality.

1.Why did the BeauxArts style attract American entrepreneurs?

A.It helped display their money status.

B.It was created by famous architects.

C.It was named after a famous institute.

D.It represented the 19th century urban culture.

2.What is unique of SieMatic BeauxArts?

A.Its designs are anti-conventional.

B.Its designs come from famous structures.

C.Its customers can enjoy their own composition.

D.Its customers can choose from various new styles.