As a boy growing up in India, I had longed to travel abroad. I used to listen to the stories my father would tell me about his stay in Canada and tours to Europe in the 1970s, with great interest.
My big moment finally came in the summer of 1998 when I was able to accompany my parents to Europe, where my father was to attend a meeting. We planned to travel to Belgium, Netherlands and West Germany.
I have clear memories even today of going to Mumbai airport at night all excited about finally going abroad. I had heard several great things about Lufthansa till then but now I finally got to experience them first hand, during the flight to Frankfurt. We flew business class and even today I can remember the excellent service by the Lufthansa crew （工作人员）. The flight was really smooth and thoroughly enjoyable, even for someone like me, who is especially afraid of flying.
After spending almost two weeks in Europe, we took the Lufthansa airport express from Dusseldorf to Frankfurt airport, for our return flight. What a journey that was! All along the Rhine (莱茵河), it was simply an unforgettable experience. I had a sombre feeling on the flight back to Mumbai as it marked the end of a wonderful vacation, but the Lufthansa crew members were able to change it into a most enjoyable experience yet again, with the quality of their service.
Being the first airline to take me abroad, Lufthansa will always hold a special place in my heart. Even today，I continue to enjoy flights on Lufthansa and simply cannot dream of choosing any other airline. Flying, in general，for me，has always been a terrible and painful experience．Flying on Lufthansa，however, is something I always have and always will look forward to.
1.Which country does the author live in now?
A. India. B. Canada. C. Belgium. D. Germany.
2.What made the author so interested in traveling abroad?
A. Growing up in India.
B. Once staying in Canada.
C. Once traveling to Canada with his father.
D. His father's stories about his traveling experiences.
3.Which of the following is true about the author's trip to Europe in 1998?
A. The author traveled with one of his parents.
B. Both their going and return were by air.
C. They traveled in spring that year.
D. They stayed in Europe for nearly two months.
4.It can be inferred from the passage that Lufthansa is ________.
A. a city in India B. a city in Europe
C. an airline company D. a travel agency
5.The underlined word “somber” in the 4th paragraph probably means “________”.
A. happy B. sad C. angry D. enjoyable
The USA is a land of immigrants. Between 1815 and 1914, the world witnessed the greatest peaceful migration in its history: 35 million people, mostly Europeans, left their homelands to start new lives in America. Why did these people risk everything by leaving their homes and families?
First, what forced emigrants to make the decision to leave? One major cause for European farmers to leave was the rise in population which in turn led to land hunger. Another was politics. There was an increased taxation（税收） and the growth of armies, and many young men fled eastern Europe to avoid being forced to join the army.
Physical hunger provided another pressing reason. Following the collapse （衰退）of the economy of southern Italy in the 1860s, hundreds of thousands decided to start a new life in America. Religion also encouraged millions to leave the Old World.
In short, people chose to leave their homes for social, economic and religious reasons. As a result, by 1890 among a total population of 63 million, there were more than nine million foreign-born Americans.
But what were the attractions? First of all, there was the promise of land which was so scarce in Europe. Next, factories were calling for workers, and pay conditions were much better than back home. Men were needed to open up the West and build the long railroads, and new towns needed settlers to live in and to develop business. There was the space for religious people to practice their faith in peace.
This immigration meant that by around the 1850s Americans of non-English had started to be more than those of English. As we know, there were losers. To start with, there were those unwilling immigrants, the slaves who had been used as a source of cheap labour. Nor should we forget the equally unlucky American Indians. By 1860 there were 27 million free whites, four million slaves and a mere 488,000 free blacks.
Nowadays, the USA is still seen by millions as the Promised Land. As always, it remains an attractive place to those who think it will offer them a second chance.
1.What is not the cause for people to leave their homeland?
A. The search for religious freedom.
B. The search for adventure.
C. Unwillingness to join the army.
D. Economics.
2.Why was life of the 19th Century European farmers difficult?
A. There was no land.
B. There was no peace.
C. The population had gone down.
D. There were too many of them.
3. Which of the following was not an attraction of the USA?
A. Employment B. A healthy life
C. freedom of religion D. Business opportunities
4.What is the topic of this passage?
A. The USA is still seen by millions as the Promised Land.
B. The USA is a land of immigrants.
C. Religion encouraged millions to leave the Old World.
D. About one-eighth of non-native born Americans live in the USA in 1890.
5. The American Indians __________.
A. were as fortunate as the slaves
B. were more unfortunate than the slaves
C. were the most unfortunate
D. were as unfortunate as the slaves
Some scientists say that animals in the oceans are increasingly threatened by noise pollution caused by human beings.
The noise that affects sea creatures comes from a number of human activities. It is caused mainly by industrial underwater explosions, ocean drilling, and ship engines. Such noises are added to natural sounds. These sounds include the breaking of ice fields, underwater earthquakes, and sounds made by animals themselves.
Decibels (分贝) measured in water are different from those measured on land. A noise of one hundred and twenty decibels on land causes pain to human ears. In water, a decibel level of one hundred and ninety－five would have the same effect.
Some scientists have suggested setting a noise limit of one hundred and twenty decibels in the oceans. They have observed that noises at that level can frighten and confuse whales（鲸鱼）.
A team of American and Canadian scientists discovered that louder noises can seriously injure some animals.
The research team found that powerful underwater explosions were causing whales in the area to lose their hearing. This seriously affected the whales' ability to exchange information and find their way. Some of the whales even died. The explosions had caused their ears to bleed and become infected(被感染的).
Many researchers whose work depends on ocean sounds are against a limit of one hundred and twenty decibels. They say such a limit would mean an end to important industrial and scientific research.
Scientists do not know how much and what kinds of noises are harmful to ocean animals. However, many scientists don’t think that noise is a greater danger than they believed. They want to prevent noises from harming creatures in the ocean.
1.According to the passage, which of the following is increasingly dangerous to sea creatures?
A. The sound of cars.
B. The sound of voices.
C. Man-made noise pollution.
D. The sound of steps.
2.According to the passage, natural sounds include all of the following EXCEPT________.
A. sounds made by animals themselves B. ocean drilling
C. underwater earthquakes D. the breaking of ice fields
3.Which of the following is discussed in the third paragraph?
A. The same noise level produces a different effect on land and in the ocean.
B. Different places may have different types of noises.
C. The decibel is not a right unit (单位) for measuring underwater noise.
D. Different ocean animals may have different reactions to noises.
4. Which of the following is true of whales?
A. They won't be confused by noises.
B. They are deaf to noises.
C. Their ability to reproduce will be lowered by high-level noises.
D. Their hearing will be damaged by high-level noises.
5.According to the passage, what will scientists most probably do in the future?
A. They will work hard to reduce ocean noise pollution.
B. They will protect animals from harmful noises.
C. They will try to set a limit of 120 decibels.
D. They will study the effect of ocean noise pollution.
Once, a rich man was near death. He was very upset because he had worked so hard for his money 1. he hoped he could take it with him to heaven. So he prayed to God he might be able to take some money with him.
2. angel heard his pray and appeared. “Sorry, 3. you can’t take your wealth with you.” The man begged the angel to speak to God to see 4. he might break the rules. The angel reappeared and said that God could allow him to take one suitcase. Excitedly, the man gathered his suitcase and filled it 5. pure gold bars.
Afterward, he died and showed up in heaven to greet St. Peter. 6. (see) the suitcase, St. Peter said, “Hold on, you can’t bring that here!” The man explained that he had God’s 7. (permit). St. Peter checked it out, came back and said, “You are right. You are allowed one carry-on bag, but I’m supposed to check its contents (内容) 8. letting it through.”
St. Peter opened the suitcase to inspect the things 9. the man found too precious to leave behind and exclaimed (感叹), “You brought pavement? As you can see, the great street of the city of heaven 10. (make) of pure gold!”
The rain was coming down heavily and I was going to be late for an important conference. Dressing up quickly, I called for a taxi, that it would be faster than the subway.
It wasn't.
After a long wait, I finally got one, but the traffic was heavy. I looked at my from time to time. Just as the traffic started moving, the driver a man up ahead in a wheelchair.
“Wouldn't he be cold sitting right there!” the driver cried and began to .
I could see there would be another 20 minutes' — him into the cab, folding up his chair and putting it into the taxi's small , then dropping him off who knows where.
“What are you doing?” I shouted to the driver.
As the came out, I wanted to take them back. The wrongness of my to the driver shocked me. Why did I let out the shout?
The driver me and we continued the journey. Eventually I got out of the taxi and
to the office. As I ran, I understood that, though it wasn't my duty to take the time to help others, I shouldn't have the driver's stopping. I should have been able to see beyond my impatience to notice what was most inerrant (不会错的). Whenever I think of this incident, this is my : I am not a self-centered person, but I still feel
of being self-centered. Living a busy life in a fast-paced big city, do we still need to stop to help those who are in need of help?
1.A. reminding B. expecting C. realizing D. attempting
2.A. computer B. document C. message D. watch
3.A. witnessed B. picked C. spotted D. observed
4.A. pull over B. take off C. pass by D. run away
5.A. complaining B. suffering C. waiting D. struggling
6.A. indicating B. recommending C. lifting D. urging
7.A. trunk B. box C. window D. carriage
8.A. anxieties B. words C. results D. comments
9.A. reaction B. request C. comment D. suggestion
10.A. comforted B. prevented C. encouraged D. ignored
11.A. escaped B. fled C. settled D. flooded
12.A. excited at B. thought about C. made fun of D. complained about
13.A. feeling B. motto C. dream D. determination
14.A. skillfully B. strangely C. particularly D. hopefully
15.A. proud B. aware C. ashamed D. confident
阅读下面的短文，然后按照要求写一篇150词左右的英语短文。
The elephant and the fly
An elephant was standing and picking leaves from a tree. A small fly came，flying and buzzing (嗡嗡叫) near his ear. The elephant waved it away with his long ears. Then the fly came again, and the elephant waved it away once more.
This was repeated several times. Then the elephant asked the fly, “Why are you so restless and noisy? Why can’t you stay for a while in one place? ”
The fly answered, “I am attracted to whatever I see, hear or smell. My five senses pull me constantly in all directions and I cannot resist them．What is your secret? How can you stay so calm and still?”
The elephant stopped eating and said, “My five senses do not rule my attention. Whatever I do, I get involved in it. Now that I am eating, I am completely absorbed in eating. In this way I can enjoy my food and chew it better. I rule and control my attention, and not the other way around. So when you are in charge of your five senses and attention, your mind will become calm too.”
【写作内容】
1、以约30个词概括短文的内容；
2、然后以约120个词就“专注”这一主题发表你的看法，并包括以下要点：
（1）看完故事后的感受及启发；
（2）描述一段你或他人因受太多干扰而使学习、生活或工作受到影响的不愉快经历；
（3）你打算在高三这一年里如何保持专注、专心。
【写作要求】
1、在作文中可以使用自己亲身的经历或虚构的故事，也可以参照阅读材料的内容，但不得直接引用原文中的句子；
2、作文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称。
【评分标准】
概括准确，语言规范，内容合适，篇章连贯。
