One of our biggest fears nowadays is that our kids might some day get lost in a “sea of technology” rather than experiencing the natural world. Fear-producing TV and computer games are leading to a serious disconnection between kids and the great outdoors, which will change the wild places of the world, its creatures and human health for the worse, unless adults get working on child’s play.
Each of us has a place in nature we go sometimes, even if it was torn down. We cannot be the last generation to have that place. At this rate, kids who miss the sense of wonder outdoors will not grow up to be protectors of natural landscapes. “If the decline in parks use continues across North America, who will defend parks against encroachment（蚕食）?” asks Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods.
Without having a nature experience, kids, can turn out just fine, but they are missing out a huge enrichment of their lives. That applies to everything from their physical health and mental health, to stress levels, creativity and cognitive（认知的）skills. Experts predict modern kids will have poorer health than their parents — and they say a lack of outside play is surely part of it; research suggests that kids do better academically in schools with a nature component and that play in nature fosters（培养）leadership by the smartest, not by the toughest. Even a tiny outdoor experience can create wonder in a child. The three-year-old turning over his first rock realizes he is not alone in the world. A clump of trees on the roadside can be the whole universe in his eyes. We really need to value that more.
Kids are not to blame. They are over-protected and frightened. It is dangerous out there from time to time, but repetitive stress from computers is replacing breaking an arm as a childhood rite of passage（通过仪式）.
Everyone, from developers, to schools and outdoorsy citizens, should help regain for our kids some of the freedom and joy of exploring, taking friendship in fields and woods that strengthen love, respect and need for landscape. As parents, we should devote some of our energies to taking our kids into nature. This could yet be our greatest cause.
1.According to the passage, children without experiencing nature will _________.
A. be less healthy both physically and mentally B. keep a high sense of wonder
C. be over-protected by their parents D. change wild places and creatures for the better
2.According to the author, children’s breaking an arm is _________.
A. the fault on the part of their parents B. the result of their own carelessness in play
C. the natural experience in their growing up D. the effect of their repetitive stress from computers
3.In writing this passage, the author mainly intends to _________.
A. blame children for getting lost in computer games
B. show his concern about children’s lack of experience in nature
C. encourage children to protect parks from encroachment
D. inspire children to keep the sense of wonder about things around
Today, we complete our story about the influential English writer William Shakespeare. He wrote plays and poems during the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, which remain very popular today.
During earlier times, people would probably have learned several ancient Roman and Greek plays. It was not unusual for writers to produce more current versions of these works. For example, in Shakespeare’s play “The Comedy of Errors”, Shakespeare borrowed certain details from the ancient Roman writer Plautus. For his play “Macbeth”, Shakespeare most likely used a work on Scottish history by Raphael Holinshed for information. Shakespeare might have borrowed from other writers, but the intensity（强度）of his imagination and language made the plays his own. While many plays by other writers of his time have been forgotten, Shakespeare and his art live on.
Shakespeare was also influenced by the world around him. He described the sights and sounds of London in his plays. His works include observations about political struggles, the fear of diseases, and the popular language of the city’s tradesmen. Shakespeare’s knowledge of the English countryside is also clear. His works include descriptions of deep forests, local flowers, and the ancient popular traditions of rural people.
It would be impossible to list all of the ways in which Shakespeare’s works have influenced the world culture. But the first and greatest example would be his great influence on the English language. During his time, the English language was changing. Many new words from other languages were being added. Shakespeare used his sharp mind and poetic inventiveness to create hundreds of new words and rework old ones. For example, he created the noun forms of “critic”, “mountaineer” and “eyeball”. Many common expressions in English come from his plays, including “pomp and circumstance（装腔作势）” from “Othello”, “full circle（绕圈子地）” from “King Lear”, etc. The list of cultural creations influenced by Shakespeare is almost endless. From paintings to television to music and dance, Shakespeare was well represented. Shakespeare’s plays have been translated into every major language in the world.
Shakespeare became a wellknown writer during a golden age of theater. His years of hard work paid off.
1. From the passage, we can see that ________.
A. Shakespeare was hardworking when he was a student
B. many of Shakespeare’s works were influenced by earlier writings
C. the experience of living in London had no effect on Shakespeare’s works
D. Shakespeare became rich later because of the popularity of his works
2. Why could Shakespeare’s works survive his time?
A. Because there were so few people writing plays in his time.
B. Because he produced too many works that nobody else could do.
C. Because his works were rich in imagination and language.
D. Because he was a rich and influential person of his time.
3.Shakespeare’s greatest influence should be on .
A. paintings B. television
C. the English language D. music and dance
4.The passage is mainly about .
A. an introduction to Shakespeare’s life and his works
B. the main features and styles of Shakespeare’s plays
C. Shakespeare’s greatest influence on the world culture.
D. how culture influenced Shakespeare and he influenced culture.
Last night was the last game for my eight-year-old son’s soccer team. It was the final quarter. The score was two to one, my son’s team in the lead. Parents surrounded the playground, offering encouragement.
With less than ten seconds remaining, the ball suddenly rolled in front of my son’s teammate, Mickey O’ Donnel. With shouts of “Kick it!” echoing across the playground, Mickey turned around and gave it everything he had. All around me the crowd erupted. O’Donnel had scored!
Then there was silence. Mickey had scored all right, but in the wrong goal, ending the game in a tie. For a moment there was a total hush. You see, Mickey has Down syndrome（唐氏综合症）and for him there is no such thing as a wrong goal. All goals were celebrated by a joyous hug from Mickey. He had even been known to hug the opposing players when they scored.
The silence was finally broken when Mickey, his face filled with joy, hugged my son tightly and shouted, “I scored! I scored! Everybody won! Everybody won!” For a moment I held my breath, not sure how my son would react. I need not have worried. I watched, through tears, as my son threw up his hand in the classic high-five（致礼）salute and started chanting, “Way to go Mickey! Way to go Mickey!” Within moments both teams surrounded Mickey, joining in the chant and congratulating him on his goal.
Later that night, when my daughter asked who had won, I smiled as I replied, “It was a tie. Everybody won.”
1.Which is the most correct description of the author’s son? He was _________.
A. brave B. sympathetic C. honest D. proud
2.The underlined word “hush” in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to “_________”.
A. cheer B. laughter C. silence D. cry
3.Why did the author hold his breath when Mickey scored and hugged his son?
A. Because his son might get angry with Mike B. Because Mickey cheated everyone
C. Because his son would accept the fact D. Because the score was out of his expectation
4.We can infer from the passage that Mickey .
A. was hated by his own team
B. was excited when he realized the fault
C. was warm-hearted and played soccer for both teams
D. was cared about by his teammates
There’s no shortage of web sites offering deals-everything from daily deals to members-only private sales. But when it comes to real jaw-dropping deals, there’s one company that seems to have figured out a way to really deliver.
The company is called Quibids and they auction（拍卖）the hottest, in-demand electronics like Apple ipads and ipods, as well as other items like gift cards from the top retailers（零售商）. Unlike other sites, the prices people pay are nowhere near retail. How low are the prices?
$ 33.84 for a new Apple ipad 32 GB（retail $ 600）
$ 22.10 for a new Nikon D90 Digital SLR Camera（retail $ 1070）
Our first reaction on seeing these prices was disbelief. After all, how could Quibids possibly afford to sell these items for so little ---- surely they must be losing a lot of money.
That’s where its unique business model comes into play. You see, for every bid a buyer places for an item on Quibids, the company collects a small fee from the bidder. The fee to bid is only about 60 cents, but based on the volume of sales and bids, the company is able to collect enough to make up for the ridiculous prices the items sell for.
But best of all, participating in the Quibids auction is incredibly fun. Because each bid costs a little to place, shoppers can strategize when to place their bids. Each auction has a strict time limit. When you place your bid, the system adds a little time to the auction to see if any other bids come in. If you have the winning bid when the clock runs out ---- you win the item for that price.
But the best part of Quibids may be the “Buy-It-Now” feature. This allows bidders who did not win an auction to still buy the product they want and apply the cost of the bids they placed as a discount on the regular product price. So you still get the item and the bids you placed previously in the auction don’t cost you anything!
1.According to the passage, the success of Quibids mainly lies in .
A. how its buying and selling is conducted B. the change in people’s shopping model
C. the quality of the goods and service D. their willingness to risk losing money
2.It can be inferred from the passage that .
A. other retailers will be out of business B. winning a bid is not just a matter of luck
C. Quibids only sell popular electronics D. the prices on Quibids are the lowest
3. A buyer who bid twice for a $ 20 MP4 can get one from “Buy-It-Now” for .
A. $ 21.2 B. $ 20 C. $ 19.4 D. $ 18.8
4.Which might be the most suitable title for the passage?
A. Buy Products for Next to Nothing B. How to Buy New Must–have Electronics
C. The Most Successful Shopping Website D. Tips on Shopping Online
阅读下面短文，然后按要求写一篇150词左右的英语短文。
SHANGHAI --- Police in Shanghai have asked a district procurator（检察官）to approve the arrest of a postgraduate student who admitted having killed his roommate by poisoning him.
The suspect, a man surnamed Lin, who is attending medical school at Fudan University, held a jealousy against his 28-year-old roommate Huang Yang over a trivial thing and planned the poisoning, an initial police investigation showed.
Lin took a deadly chemical compound from a university lab and used it to contaminate the water dispenser in their dormitory at noon on March 31, the investigation showed.
Huang, a third-year medical postgraduate student at Fudan University, showed poisoned symptoms after drinking water from the dispenser on April 1 and was pronounced dead due to multiple organ failure on April 16.
【写作内容】
1. 以约30词概括短文的大意;
2. 然后以约120词就“同学之间该如何相处?”为主题发表看法，并包括如下要点：
（1）同学之间因成长环境、家庭教育和性格等的不同存在很大差异；
（2）在相处时发生冲突（conflict)的原因：如遇事不够冷静、为小事争吵等;
（3）同学之间应该如何相处。
【写作要求】
1. 可以使用实例或其它论述方法支持你的论点，也可以参照阅读材料的内容，但不得直接抄袭原文中的句子；
2. 作文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称。
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近日你的外国朋友Mike写信向你咨询H7N9禽流感的事情并询问该如何预防禽流感，请你根据以下信息写信告诉他:
H7N9禽流感是一种禽类传染疾病，症状是高热、咳嗽和呼吸困难, 但可防可治：
1. 勤洗手;
2. 每天打开门窗通风一到两次；
3. 不要接触病的或病死的家禽和畜类,肉类一定要煮熟后吃；
4. 经常锻炼身体，增强个人体质；
5. 有症状时及时就医。
【写作要求】
只能使用5个句子表达全部内容。回信的开头与结尾已给出，不计入5个句数内。
【参考词汇】
传染infect 禽类 poultry 畜类cattle 咳嗽 cough
Dear Mike,
I am glad to hear from you again. In your last letter, you asked me about H7N9 avian influenza and how to prevent ourselves falling into such a disease. Now let me tell you something about it. ___________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Best wishes to you!
Yours,
Li Hua
