I had a very special teacher in high school many years ago whose husband unexpectedly died suddenly of a heart attack．About a week after his death, she shared some of her insight with a classroom of students．
As the late afternoon sunlight came streaming in through the classroom windows and the class was nearly over, she moved a few things aside on the edge of her desk and sat down there．With a gentle look of reflection on her face, she paused and said, "Before class is over, I would like to share with all of you a thought that is unrelated to class, but which I feel is very important．Each of us is put here on earth to learn, share, love, appreciate and give of ourselves．None of us knows when this fantastic experience will end．It can be taken away at any moment．
Perhaps this is God's way of telling us that we must make the most out of every single day．" Her eyes beginning to water, she went on, "So I would like you all to make me a promise．From now on, on your way to school, or on your way home, find something beautiful to notice．It doesn't have to be something you see - it could be a scent-perhaps of freshly baked bread wafting out of someone's house, or it could be the sound of the breeze slightly rustling the leaves in the trees, or the way the morning light catches one autumn leaf as it falls gently to the ground．Please look for these things, and cherish them．For, although it may sound trite to some, these things are "the stuff" of life．The little things we are put here on earth to enjoy．The things we often take for granted．We must make it important to notice them, for at any time．．．it can all be taken away．" The class was completely quiet．We all picked up our books and filed out of the room silently．That afternoon, noticed more things on my way home from school than I had that whole semester．Every once in a while, I think of that teacher and remember what an impression she made on all of us, and I try to appreciate all of those things that sometimes we all overlook．So I hope you take notice of something special you see on your lunch hour today．Go barefoot．Or walk on the beach at sunset．Stop off on the way home tonight to get a double-dip ice cream cone．For as we get older, it is not the things we did that we often regret, but the things we didn't do．Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away．
1.What is the purpose of the author’s writing the passage?
A．To show his respect to his teacher
B．To ask us to appreciate every moment of our life
C．To ask us never to give in when facing difficulty
D．to show the influence a teacher can have on her students
2.Why did the teacher talk about something unrelated to class?
A．Because she had finished the class task
B．Because she could hardly control her feelings
C．Because she thought the class were not careful enough
D．Because she wanted to share some of her views with the class
3.Why did the students leave the classroom silently?
A．Because they were greatly moved
B．Because they felt sorry for the teacher
C．because they were thinking about their own life
D．Because they were not allowed to make any noise
4.The author intends to _________in the last paragraph
A．give an explanation B．make a suggestion
C．give a warning D．draw a conclusion
Choosing a mountain bike that's right for you is easier than learning how to ride it．Keep these tips in mind when shopping for a mountain bike and you won't fall off．
Decide how you are going to use your new mountain bike．
Are you a novice rider who simply wants to cruise the great outdoors on the weekends, weather permitting? Do you intend to test yourself on the rough roads, every day, rain or shine? Or are you going to use your new mountain bike to ride to and from school or work? For every type of riding, there is a mountain bike made to do it．Be honest about your intentions, and you're more than half way toward choosing the right mountain bike for you．
Visit your local bike shops．
Any good bike shop will stock a wide range of quality mountain bikes in all price points and sizes．Your local bike shops will carry more than one brand of bicycle．And these shops are staffed by people from your community who know and love bicycles．Not only will they sell you a mountain bike that suits your needs and fits your body, but they will service what they sell．Visit at least a few shops．You'll get a feel for the ones suit you right away．
Don't be shy．
Tell your salesperson how you intend to use your new mountain bike, and how much you are willing to spend．Your salesperson will show you a selection of models and brands accordingly．He or she will also help you determine the right size of mountain bike for you．Mountain bikes come in a dizzying array of brands, sizes and styles, and your salesperson will cut through the tangle for you．He or she will also help you determine the right size for you．You may ask more for salesperson without any sense of shyness
Take a test ride．
All good bike shops let customers take test rides．There's a good reason for this beyond "try-before-you-buy" salesmanship．Since you already know your price range, and since your salesperson has already helped you find the right size, you now have to determine which brand rides the best to you．They want you to be happy with your purchase．They want you to ride your new mountain bike．So ride them．From more than one bike shop．One brand will feel too upright to you．Another will feel too long．Another too short．And finally, after only a few test rides （or many）, the right mountain bike will choose you
1.What would be the best title for the text?
A．How To Choose a Mountain Bike B．How To Ride a Mountain Bike
C．where To Ride Your Local Bike D．what To Take a Test Ride
2.The main purpose for visiting bike shops is_________
A．to share happiness with salesperson B．to seek a wide range of quality
C．to get one that satisfies you D．to service your new mountain bike
3.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A．Choosing a nice mountain bike is rather difficult than riding a bicycle
B．You’ll get one mountain bike without visiting any local bike shop
C．you may not ask more for salesperson if you have a sense of shyness
D．all good bike shops allow customers to take a few test rides
4.Which of the following is probably the author’s attitude towards “try-before-you-buy”
A．Honorable B．Favorable C．Negative D．Suspicious
After the violent earthquake that shook Los Angeles in 1994, earthquake scientists had good news to report: The damage and death toll （死亡人数） could have been much worse．More than 60 people died in this earthquake．By comparison, an earthquake of similar intensity that shook America in 1988 claimed 25,000 victims．
Injuries and deaths were relatively less in Los Angeles because the quake occurred at 4:31 a．m．on a holiday, when traffic was light on the city's highways．In addition, changes made to the construction codes in Los Angeles during the last 20 years have strengthened the city's buildings and highways, making them more resistant to quakes．
Despite the good news, civil engineers aren't resting on their successes．Pinned to their drawing boards are blueprints （蓝图） for improved quake-resistant buildings．The new designs should offer even greater security to cities where earthquakes often take place．
In the past, making structures quake-resistant meant firm yet flexible materials, such as steel and wood that bend without breaking．Later, people tried to lift a building off its foundation, and insert rubber and steel between the building and its foundation to reduce the impact of ground vibrations．The most recent designs give buildings brains as well as concrete and steel supports．Called smart buildings, the structures respond like living organisms to an earthquake's vibrations．When the ground shakes and the building tips forward, the computer would force the building to shift in the opposite direction．
The new smart structures could be very expensive to build．However, they would save many lives and would be less likely to be damaged during earthquakes．
1.One reason why the loss of lives in the Los Angeles earthquake was comparatively low is that __________．
A．new computers had been installed in the buildings
B．it occurred in the residential areas rather．than on the highways
C．large numbers of Los Angeles residents had gone for a holiday
D．improvements had been made in the construction of buildings and highways
2.The smart buildings discussed in the passage __________．
A．would cause serious financial problems
B．would be worthwhile though costly
C．would increase the complexity of architectural design
D．can reduce the ground vibrations caused by earthquakes
3.It can be inferred from the passage that in minimizing the damage caused by earthquakes attention should be focused on __________．
A．the increasing use of robber and steel in capital construction
B．the development of flexible building materials
C．the reduction of the impact of ground vibrations
D．early forecasts of earthquakes
4.The author's main purpose in writing the passage is to __________．
A．compare the consequences of the earthquakes that occurred in the U．S．
B．encourage civil engineers to make more extensive use of computers
C．outline the history of the development of quake-resistant building materials
D．report new developments in constructing quake- resistant buildings
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意。然后从各题所给的选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
In the year 1893, James Hilton wrote a novel “ Lost Horizon”．In the novel, a group of English people were flying home．Their plane broke down and ___1______ down into a mountain in a Tibetan region．Some lucky survivors were 2________ to Shangri-La where they found lots of 3______ things in such a state 4______ nearly 200 years ago, 5______the local people lived peacefully and 6_______ with the other people, animals and everything here．The place was called “ Shangri-La” by the local 7_______ ．
James Hilton 8_______ “ Shangri-La” in a mysterious valley which was 9_______ by snowcapped mountains, near where there were blue lakes and 10________ grasslands．The human beings and nature were in 11_______ harmony; several religions and varieties of nationalities 12______at the same time; the temples looked splendid in green and golden; though people 13________ the outer world by caravan（商队） for a long time, many foreign experts and scholars had come here to 14________ ．
Obviously, that is not only beautiful 15__________ , but also a kind of artistic concept．
With the novel and the film 16________out, Shangri-La became very famous in western countries．Later, a Chinese used the name of this place and 17________ “ Shangri-La” Hotel Group which has become one of the most successful hotel groups in the world．
At the same time, people didn’t give up looking for the 18________ Shangri-La．Up to the end of this century, they 19______________ have found it．
After inspecting and proving on many aspects, people found that Diqing Prefecture（辖区）, the only Tibetan region in Yunnan, China, has striking similarity with what’s described in the tale 20_____________either natural scenery or people’s way of living．Therefore, the name of “ Diqing Shangri-La” spreads worldwide．
1.A．put B．broke C．dropped D．fell
2.A．taken B．caught C．represented D．devoted
3.A．thorough B．fantastic C．flexible D．strange
4.A．found B．processed C．founded D．existed
5.A．from which B．there C．so D．in which
6.A．in sympathy B．in terms C．in harmony D．in turn
7.A．survivors B．folks C．imagination D．tradition
8.A．located B．dreamed C．demand D．played
9.A．surrounded B．spotted C．recognized D．covered
10.A．mysterious B．solid C．broad D．valuable
11.A．exact B．fair C．reasonable D．entire
12.A．created B．existed C．wandered D．kept
13.A．contacted B．called C．imagined D．set
14.A．evaluate B．investigate C．display D．charge
15.A．valley B．scene C．novel D．scenery
16.A．breaking B．standing C．coming D．putting
17.A．set up B．put on C．took on D．focused on
18.A．typical B．legendary C．particular D．average
19.A．actually B．urgently C．adequately D．eventually
20.A．judging B．making C．concerning D．depending
When he learned that his brother had returned from abroad, he set off to his home _____．Which of the following is not OK?
A．immediately B．right away
C．right then D．right now
The hunter insisted that he _____ a tiger and that a searching team ______ to hunt for it．
A．has seen; be set up B．had seen; be set up
C．saw; would be set up D．should see; should be set up
