Helen Thomas, the pioneering White House reporter known for putting presidents on the hot seat, died at 92．
To those who regularly watch presidential press conferences, Helen Thomas is a familiar figure．Usually dressed in red and always seated in the front row, she is always the first or second reporter the president calls upon．It is an honor she has earned．Besides, it affords her the perfect opportunity to do what she does best ---- challenge the president and other public officials to tell the plain truth．She said, "We reporters' priority（首要事情） is the people's right to know ---- without fear or favor．We are the people's servants．"
Helen Thomas was born in Kentucky in 1920．All the nine Thomas children were brought up to value education, and all were expected to make something of themselves through working hard．She made up her mind while still in high school to become a reporter after writing for the student newspaper．After receiving her bachelor's degree in 1942, Thomas headed straight for Washington, D．C．in search of a newspaper job．Before long, she landed one at Washington Daily News．Her duty included fetching coffee and doughnuts for the paper's reporters and editors．The eager young woman found the atmosphere exciting and was convinced she had made the right career choice．
Her big break came when she was sent to Florida to report on the vacation of President-elect John F．Kennedy and his family．Once President Kennedy took office, Thomas changed her focus from the president's family to his policies．She began attending the daily press briefings at the White House as well as presidential press conferences．Thomas has covered every president since Kennedy．Over the years, Thomas found her job "thrilling and inspiring," but never boring．And she took very seriously her duty to "keep an eye on the president" and keep American people informed．
1.What can we learn about Helen Thomas from the passage?
A. Her career took off after covering the Kennedys.
B. Her first job was to deliver doughnuts to a news agency.
C. She was born to a large family in Kentucky in 1942.
D. She decided to be a reporter while in college.
2.Paragraph 3 is written to show Helen Thomas
A. is a good decision maker for her career
B. appreciates education and hard work
C. wants to be famous by writing reports
D. has great support from her family
3.What does Helen Thomas think other work?
A. Unbearable. B. Exciting.
C. Challenging. D.Unforgettable.
4.What can be the best title for the text?
A.A reporter sticking to the facts.
B.A reporter challenging President Kennedy.
C.A reporter from an ordinary family.
D.A reporter for Washington Daily News.
If you see a group of people dancing and singing on the street or in the railway station, you don't need to feel surprised．They are a flash mob （快闪族）, which is a group of people who come together suddenly in a public place, do something unusual for a brief period of time, and then quickly break up．They are usually organized with the help of the Internet or other digital communication network．At a predetermined time, they gather and perform some distractions（消遣） such as waving their hands and exchanging books, Then, they quickly break up before the police can arrive．Using mobile phones, the flash mob can change its location if the first one has been replaced for any reason．
Bill Lasik, senior editor of Harper’s Magazine, organized the first flash mob in Manhattan in May 2003 and the first successful flash mob came together on June 3, 2003 - after the first attempt was foiled at Macy's department store．Lasik claimed that the activity was designed to make fun of hipsters （起时髦的人）, and call attention to the cultural atmosphere．
Flash mob gatherings can sometimes shock people．Such an activity might seem amusing and untrue, but it also might frighten people who are not aware of what is taking place．Undoubtedly, flash mobs can serve as good political tools in any direction．They also have great economic potential, such as using flash mobs to advertise a product．
The flash mob is now becoming more and more popular．People use it to do many things．For example, in 2009, Michael Jackson's fans took part in a flash mob to remember him．Hundreds of his fans gathered singing and dancing Michael's famous song "Beat It" together．Flash mobs give people from all walks of life an opportunity to come together to create a memory．
1.The undefined word "foiled" in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by .
A. forgotten B. prevented
C. announced D. confirmed
2.What can you learn about the flash mob from the passage?
A. The flash mob usually breaks up quickly for lacking enough time.
B. Once the place for the activity is determined, it can't be changed.
C. The flash mob can be made use of in many fields just for fun.
D. It gives people the chance to come together to do something unusual.
3.The main purpose of the passage is ______
A. to entertain B. to encourage
C. to inform D. to persuade
4.The writer's attitude towards the flash mob is
A. negative B. favorable
C. objective D. doubtful
Recently a study, led by Pedro Hallal of the Federal University, suggests that nearly a third of adults, 31%, are not getting enough exercise. That rates of exercise have declined is hardly a new discovery. Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, technology and economic growth have helped to create a world in which taking exercise is more and more an option rather than a necessity. But only recently have enough good data been collected from enough places to carry out the sort of analysis Dr Hallal and his colleagues have engaged in.
There are common themes in different places. Unsurprisingly, people in rich countries are less active than those in poor ones, and old people are less active than young ones. Less obviously, women tend to exercise less than men—34% are inactive, compared with 28% of men. But there are exceptions. The women of Croatia, Finland, Iraq and Luxembourg, for example, move more than their male countrymen.
Malta wins the race for most slothful country, with 72% of adults getting too little exercise, and Swaziland and Saudi Arabia are in close behind, with 69%. In Bangladesh, just 5% of adults fail to exercise enough. Surprisingly, six Americans in ten are active enough according to Dr Hallal’s study, compared with fewer than four in ten British.
These high rates of inactivity are worrying. Human beings seem to have evolved(进化) to benefit from exercise while deliberately avoiding it whenever they can. In a state of nature it would be impossible to live a life that did not provide enough of it. But that is no longer the case. Actually lack of enough activity these days has nearly the same effect on life span(寿命) as smoking.
1.We may learn from Paragraph 1 that_________.
A. the decline of exercise rates is newly discovered
B. the study suggests 31% of female adults get too little exercise
C. the good enough data has been collected from only one country
D. the industrial revolution has changed the way people live to some degree
2. According to the study, women of Luxembourg_________.
A. have little time to exercise
B. hate to get regular exercise
C. take more exercise to lose weight
D. exercise more than men in their country
3.The underlined word “slothful” in Paragraph 3 most probably means_________.
A. powerful B. rich C. lazy D. unpopular
4. What can be the best title for the text?
A. Worldwide Lack of Enough Exercise
B. New Health Discovery
C. Evolvement of Human Beings
D. Benefits of Taking Exercise
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
A
Welcome to Arundel Castle which is situated in West Sussex, England. The castle has a history of nearly 1000 years and has welcomed visitors traveling from all over the world. Arundel Castle also plays a starring role in many films.
The Gardens
The White Garden is planted with soft white Iceberg Roses, and Snow White Lilies.
The Rose Garden is newly planted with lovely old-fashioned English roses that are at their very best in June and July.
The Organic Kitchen Garden produces a wide range of seasonal fruit and vegetables, pears, cherries and apples.
The Castle Shop
In the Castle Shop, you will discover a wide and interesting range of gift ideas for everyone. It offers gifts and souvenirs designed to appeal to all tastes and pockets. Foods, china, books, and stationery (文具)are all available. Many are sold in this Castle Shop only.
At Arundel Castle we pride ourselves on supporting local suppliers and actively encourage environmentally friendly products.
The Arundel Festival 2014
Saturday 16th to Monday 25th August
The annual Arundel Festival gets bigger and better every year. It is one of the most amazing, diverse and easily accessible arts festivals in the UK, offering a mix of visual arts, music, theatre and street entertainment.
Parking
Coaches and mini-buses can drop off at the main Castle entrance in Mill Road and park in the main town car park that is opposite the Castle entrance. Please inform us when making your booking of how many parking permits are required.
1.When visiting the castle, you can____________.
A. get old-fashioned English roses as gifts
B. buy eco-friendly products in the Castle Shop
C. get seasonal fruit and vegetables for free
D. see how the local gifts are being made
2. How long does the Arundel Festival last this year?
A. 10 days B. One week C. 16 days D. One month
3. Where can you park the coach?
A. In Mill Road
B. Inside the Castle
C. In the main town car park
D. At the main Castle entrance
请观察所给的图画并根据你对该图画的理解写一篇英语短文，内容包括：
（1）简要描述图片，并说明该图片所揭露的现象；
（2）分析造成该现象的原因（至少两点）；
（3）提出自己的看法。
要求：1. 词数120左右。开头已经给出，不计入词数。
2. 文章中不得提及考生所在学校及本人姓名。
The Internet has long been regarded as a wonderful tool that allows students to gain insight to useful resources and information. However, this is not always the case.
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏词符号（^），并在此符号下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1．每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2．只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
The first time I decide to leave home was when I was upon graduation from high school．I was having trouble get along with my parents．I had about fifty dollar in my pockets, and I thought about leaving home．It was only two weeks since I started to feel homesick．Living on my own is a total different experience for three main reasons: being more responsible, more decisive and more creative．Because of I'm on my own, I get to deal with my duties without being told to．I have to be more careful because my parents are here to give me their advices．In the other hand,I can make my own future plan．I have made rules for me to follow．
