I decided to go back to school in the fall of 2010 for not being happy with my current job and financial status. I got my Associate (大专毕业证书) in May 2002 in commercial art. After graduation, I had trouble getting a job in that field. For years, I was going from one job to another, and I was not satisfied with unstableness (不稳定).
I decided to go back to school to study either international business or psychology (心理学). I weighed the pros and cons of both professions and psychology won. I like helping my friends and family. When they are faced with hard situations in their life, I’d like to give them sound advice and be honest with them. Also, I was interested in the “mind”.
I searched for online schools because my work schedule would not allow me to study in a classroom. I was nervous about taking online classes because I had heard mixed 
stories from my friends who were taking online classes. I decided to do it anyway to experience something different. I wanted to find an online school that was affordable and believable. While I was doing the online search, I discovered Walden University, which is specially for working adults who want to have a bachelor’s degree or higher. The process of getting accepted was easy, i.e. writing an essay on why I wanted to attend their school, sending my previous credits (以前的成绩), etc.
I am currently enrolled in the bachelor’s program for psychology, and I am paying for college via financial-aid loans (贷款). This experience has been interesting and yet upsetting as sometimes it was difficult to balance work, school and home life. I have learned a lot about psychology and myself. For example, I like writing about current events, relationships and traveling. I thought my English composition was ordinary, but after taking a few classes at Walden University, I have improved my English composition and it has made me feel confident enough to start writing professionally. Now I am a freelancer (自由撰稿人) and I am only three classes away from getting my bachelor’s degree in psychology. It is one of the best decisions I have made in my life.
1.What did the author study in the first place when he was in college?
A. Psychology.
B. Commercial art.
C. International business.
D. English composition.
2. What does the underlined part “pros and cons” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
A. Education of a university.
B. Suggestions and conditions.
C. Advantages and disadvantages.
D. Difficulty that may appear.
3.Why was the author nervous about taking online classes?
A. Some of his friends didn’t think highly of the classes.
B. He felt that he had not enough time to study.
C. The college entrance exam is very difficult.
D. He was afraid that he could not afford the online classes.
4.We can know from the passage that the author _____.
A. was unable to find a full-time job
B. is most interested in psychology
C. prefers to make a living by writing
D. paid his schooling by working hard
There are four main areas when it comes to your dog’s body language — his ears and face, eyes, nose and tail. If you pay attention to those things, you’ll find you are able to easily understand how your dog is feeling.
Ears and face
The head of a dog is more expressive than you think. If you say a word that he recognizes, like his name or something you say often, his ears will get up. His mouth is another good instruction. A mouth that is wide open to pant (喘气) with some sound suggests that the dog is happy — some people even say when a dog is panting, he is laughing as he cools himself. A tongue sticking out suggests that the dog is in a good mood.
Eyes
To a dog, purple and blue are both seen as shades of blue. Red is seen as black or dark grey. Orange, yellow and green are seen as various shades of yellow. This means that, to a dog, bright orange toys are the same yellow shade. If you want your dog to clearly see his toys in the green grass you’d better give the dog blue toys; if you have orange, yellow or green toys, the dog will be able to find them with his nose.
Nose
A dog can both sniff and breathe through his nose. Breathing is for air, but when dogs sniff with short breaths they are actually following some scents (气味) with his keen (灵敏的) nose. When a dog is overheated, his sense of smell is reduced by as much as 40 percent and he uses the air to cool himself rather than for smelling. Puppies’ noses can help find their mother when their eyes and ears are closed. The function will disappear by the time they are adults.
Tail
Lastly, you need to pay attention to your dog’s tail, because it shows what he is thinking and feeling. A dog that is in a good mood will have a tail that seems to be going a mile a minute — wagging, and excited. However, an angry or frightened dog will have his tail between his legs.
1.The author’s purpose in writing the first paragraph is to _____.
A. advise you to look after your dog
B. introduce the topic of the passage
C. explain what is body language
D. call on anyone to protect dogs
2.When your dog feels happy, he will _____.
a. keep his mouth wide open soundlessly
b. bark all the time in front of you
c. open his mouth to breathe with some sound
d. keep his tongue sticking out
A. a, b B. c, d C. a, d D. b, c
3.Why does your dog use his nose when looking for orange, yellow or green toys in the grass?
A. Because he wants to show how keen his nose is.
B. Because his nose is keener than his eyes in the open air.
C. Because he can’t tell the difference between toys and grass.
D. Because these colors are all shades of yellow in his eyes.
4. Which of the following is TRUE according to the last two parts “Nose” and “Tail”?
A. Adult dogs can’t use their nose to find their mothers.
B. When a dog feels too hot, he will lose his sense of smell.
C. Dogs often sniff with short breaths when they feel sad.
D. A dog’s tail can’t show his feelings unless he is frightened.
Would it surprise you to learn that, like animals, trees communicate with each other and pass on their wealth to the next generation?
UBC Professor Simard explains how trees are much more complex than most of us ever imagined. Although Charles Darwin thought that trees are competing for survival of the fittest, Simard shows just how wrong he was. In fact, the opposite is true: trees survive through their co-operation and support, passing around necessary nutrition “depending on who needs it”.
Nitrogen（氮）and carbon are shared through miles of underground fungi（真菌） networks, making sure that all trees in the forest ecological system give and receive just the right amount to keep them all healthy. This hidden system works in a very similar way to the networks of neurons（神经元）in our brains, and when one tree is destroyed, it affects all.
Simard talks about “mother trees”, usually the largest and oldest plants on which all other trees depend. She explains how dying trees pass on the wealth to the next generation, transporting important minerals to young trees so they may continue to grow. When humans cut down “mother trees” with no awareness of these highly complex “tree societies” or the networks on which they feed, we are reducing the chances of survival for the entire forest.
“We didn't take any notice of it .” Simard says sadly. “Dying trees move nutrition into the young trees before dying, but we never give them chance.” If we could put across the message to the forestry industry, we could make a huge difference towards our environmental protection efforts for the future.
1.What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Old Trees Communicate Like Humans
B. Young Trees Are In Need Of Protection
C. Trees Contribute To Our Society
D. Trees Are More Complex Than You Think
2.In Simard's opinion, trees _______
A. compete for survival
B. protect their own wealth
C. depend on each other
D. provide support for dying trees
3.We can learn from the passage that____________.
A. “mother trees” are usually of no use to other trees.
B. Charles Darwin had the same thought as Simard.
C. if “mother trees” are cut down, the survival for the entire forest will be affected.
D. people know much about the complex “tree societies”.
4.The underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refers to_________.
A. how “tree societies” work
B. how trees grow old
C. how forestry industry develops
D. how young trees survive
Winnie-the-Pooh
By A. A. Milne
Winnie-the-Pooh has been introduced and reintroduced to generation after generation as a model of a child’s best friend. However, not everyone has found Pooh is lovely. This classic has been banned in a variety of countries at one point. So why would anyone ever want to keep children from the joy of Milne’s classic? In the case of Russia, Winnie-the-Pooh was banned in 2009 because of alleged Nazi (纳粹党的) ties.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
By Frank Baum
Originally published in the year 1900, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is one of the foundations of the fairytale genre. Who, then, would seek to ban a book that has become so important to the American experience?
America is that who. The Detroit Library banned The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1957 for having no value for children.
Charlotte’s Web
By E. B. White
White’s tale of the relationship between two unexpected creatures, a spider and a pig, has been drawing children in for over half a century. Published in 1952, this classic has been readily available on most library shelves for children to read. However, some people would like to make this book never see the light of day.
In one extreme case, a school in England banned Charlotte’s Web for fear that the pig Wilbur might be offensive (冒犯的) to Muslim students. Fortunately, the Muslim Council of Britain saw the foolishness of this ban, so the book was quickly restored to its right place on the shelves.
Where the Wild Things Are
By Maurice Sendak
Though its first copy was published fifty years ago, this book hasn’t always been readily available in libraries and in stores. After its release, Where the Wild Things Are was banned in libraries all across the U.S. for its dark tone and unruly leading characters. Nowadays, you’ll find far fewer libraries that still hold this ban.
1.The books which were once banned in the same country are ______.
A. Charlotte’s Web and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
B. Where the Wild Things Are and Winnie-the-Pooh
C. Where the Wild Things Are and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
D. Winnie-the-Pooh and Charlotte’s Web
2.Wilbur is the character of the book _______.
A. Charlotte’s Web.
B. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
C. Winnie-the-Pooh.
D. Where the Wild Things Are.
3.Who are the intended readers of the four books mentioned in the passage?
A. Parents. B. Children. C. Teachers. D. Critics.
My sister Grace Halloran spent most of her teen years in and out of the juvenile institutions(少管所) for minor offenses but, at 18 she was sent to prison for stealing a car. After three years behind the bars, she was released. Only a few years later, she was given a sentence. Far worse—she had an incurable and progressive disorder and would be totally blind. Meanwhile, Grace was also happily pregnant but terrified she would never see her child’s face. She believed she would succeed as a mother, although “success” had never been in her vocabulary before. She managed well despite fading vision.
For years she kept consulting specialists about her eye problems, only to be told that her son would also be blind by the time he was a teenager. She swore to find something, anything, to prevent him from facing her fate. When conventional medicine offered no hope, Grace began a personal quest. She entered a local college. The office for disabled students had her reading assignments put on cassette tapes so that she could listen and learn. She began studying anatomy, physiology and other health sciences. Everyone knowing her was astonished at her persistence to educate herself, restore her vision and keep focused on raising a son who would have perfect eyesight.
Eventually Grace’s own way worked and she earned the Ph.D. in Holistic Health for her successful work in improving serious eye disorder. Her eyesight slowly improved so much that she was able to qualify for a driving license. Even better, her son had perfect vision and was accepted into the Air Force.
1.From the passage we can know that Grace used to be _______.
A. aggressive B. troublesome
C. ignorant D. competitive
2.How did Grace regain her eyesight?
A. By following the treatment from specialists.
B. By just trying what was taught in the local college.
C. By practicing the principles sought by herself.
D. By adopting the experience from other patients.
3.What is the power of Grace’s recovery?
A. Her love for her son.
B. Her patience as a mother.
C. Her desire to cure the blind.
D. Her determination to earn the Ph. D.
4.The underlined word “quest” in Paragraph 2 probably means “___________”.
A. adventure B. profession C. harvest D. search
书面表达
假如你是李华，最近你发现你的好友李明因为一次英语考试的不及格而有了厌学的情绪。你很担心他。请根据以下的要点给李明写一封英语邮件，鼓励他战胜困难、努力学习。
1.分析李明的学习情况。他上课不注意听讲等；
2.高中生应该如何面对考试中的失败和挫折；
3.对他今后的学习提供帮助。
注意：1．短文必须包括所有要点，可以适当增加情节，使内容连贯。
2. 词数100左右。
3. 开头和结尾已经给出，不计入总词数。
4. 参考词汇：frustration 挫折
发件人：LiHua@yahoo.com.cn
收件人：LiMing@163.com.cn
日期：Thur,6 Nov 2014 11:30
主题：Cheer up! Everything will be fine.
Hi, Li Ming,
To be honest, I’m really concerned about you as I find you are tired of studying English after taking the exam. I’m writing to_________________________________
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Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
