Consider the tomato: easy to grow, healthy to eat, tasty in just about any dish and pleasant to look at. And come late summer, in steady supply. Though you can find it during the coldest winter months,

August is the tomato's season to shine. Farmers' markets and stores are bursting with less known but tastier varieties, including purple cherries and big heirlooms.

"Heirlooms ripened on the vine(藤) are the tastiest of all tomatoes," says Amy Goldman Fowler, author of The Heirloom Tomato. "I think their beauty is more than skin-deep." Heirloom seeds have been around for at least 50 years, often passed down from generation to generation. You may hear cherry or heirloom used to describe a tomato at hand, but there are many different kinds of tomatoes, and growers have fun giving fancy names to varieties: Mortgage Lifters, Beefsteaks, Oxhearts, Early Girls.

And all of them come with health benefits. Tomatoes are a good source of the antioxidant lycopene (抗氧化番茄红素), which is thought to help lower a person's risk for heart problems and cancer. Tomatoes also contain healthy vitamins A and C. For the best fruit, choose tomatoes with shiny, firm skin and a little give, and store them at room temperature away from direct sunlight. Keep them out of the fridge, since cold temperatures can affect the original taste.

"They satisfy something more than just taste," says Fowler. "Tomatoes feed your soul."

1.In which season do tomatoes sell best?

A. Spring. B. Summer.

C. Autumn. D. Winter.

2.What can you learn from the passage?

A. Tomatoes are the tastiest vegetables.

B. Direct sunlight helps to store tomatoes.

C. Tomatoes go bad more quickly in the fridge.

D. Heirlooms are tastier than the other tomatoes.

3.Why do tomatoes benefit people?

A. They can produce most antioxidant lycopene. B. They may prevent some diseases.

C. They can be used as medicine. D. They may make people's skin shiny.

4.What does Amy Goldman Fowler think of tomatoes?

A. They will survive in cold winter months. B. They are less known than other foods.

C. They taste best but look ugly. D. They also make us pleasant.

    One cold morning in winter, I went alone to a hillside to do some hunting. I sat there waiting for about an hour. Suddenly, a big beautiful deer appeared less than 20 feet away from me. There was no cover near him. Surely I could shoot him.

To my surprise, he came toward me! He was curious, I suppose, or maybe he was stupid. For this was not a young deer, but a fully grown-up one. He must have known about men and their guns. But this deer came closer, and I still waited. His big eyes never moved away from my face. His wonderful head with a set of antlers (鹿角) was clearly in sight.

I was getting a bit nervous as he walked closer. A big deer can do a lot of damage. Well, he walked right up to where I was sitting. Then he stopped and looked at me.

What happened next was hard to believe. But it all seemed quite natural. I held out my hands and touched his head right between the antlers. And he liked it. The big, wild, beautiful deer bent his head.

I touched his head and body. His nose touched my shoulder. I fed him with my last sandwich.

Well, he finally went his way, down the hill. Shoot him? Not me. You wouldn’t, either. Not after that. I just watched him go, a strong deer carrying a proud head.

I picked up my gun, and started walking back. Suddenly, I heard two shots, one after another. If you have hunted much, you will know what two shots mean. They mean a kill. I had forgotten that there were other hunters around.

You will now understand why I gave up hunting from that day on.

1.How the deer behaved toward the writer shows that___________.

A. it pretended to be friendly to the writer

B. it wanted to attack the writer

C. it was quite friendly to the writer

D. it was too frightened to run away

2.You can infer from the passage that ____________.

A. a grown-up deer usually will not get close to men with guns

B. the writer was a little nervous at first as he had been attacked by a big deer before

C. the writer decided not to kill the deer the moment the deer walked up to him

D. the writer had waited for about an hour before the deer appeared

3.After reading the whole passage, we can know that the passage is written in a(n) ______feelings.

A. worried B. excited

C. sad D. happy

4.According to the passage, the reason why the writer gave up hunting is that__________ .

A. he lost heart as he missed a good chance

B. he felt guilty and was sorry for the lovely deer

C. he wanted to do something for wildlife protection

D. he realized hunting is too dangerous

    Red leaves are a symbol of autumn. Enjoying red leaves in the clear, refreshing autumn weather is indeed a good choice.

Now let's have a look at the best red leaves around China and the beauty of autumn.

Destination 1

With different red colors, the Red Leaf Valley extends (延伸) more than 50 kilometers from Jiefang village in Qingling town to Yanjiang village in Songjiang town, Jilin province, Northeast China. Leaves are like different red pigments (颜料), including Chinese red, orange red, ruby red and bright red.

Best time: October

Destination 2

Tachuan or Tashang village is in Huangshan city, Anhui province, East China. The beautiful autumn scenery there is known as one of the four best in China. The red leaves and clear spring add beauty to traditional houses, offering material for photography lovers.

Best time: early to late November

Destination 3

As a result of low temperatures, maple leaves in areas south of the Yangtze River are like shy girls, gradually showing their beauty, turning from green to gold, gold to orange and finally to red. And as it changes slowly, different colors can be seen on the same trees called "colorful maple trees". Viewing at the mountainside is the best choice.

Best time: October to November

Destination 4

For Guangdong province in South China, autumn always comes a little late and lasts longer. Through the end of January, you can see the red leaves any time you want. If you feel pity at saying good-bye to red leaves in North China, you can head to South China to view the beautiful scenery again.

Best time: end of November to end of January

1.If a family from Russia want to enjoy red leaves in China, which of the tourist spots above is the nearest?​

A. Destination 1. B. Destination 2.

C. Destination 3 D. Destination 4.

2.According to the text, which of the following statements is True?

A. Tachuan has the best red leaves in China.

B. Tourists can enjoy the most colourful leaves in Jilin province.

C. In Guangdong province, red leaves can be seen at any time throughout the year.

D. Maple leaves in areas south of the Yangtze take on more colors because of weather.

3.What is the purpose of writing this text?

A. To attract photography lovers.

B. To introduce different places of interest.

C. To give advice on how to spend autumn.

D. To suggest some red leaves viewing places.

假设你是星光中学的李华，将参加主题为“Let’s ride bicycles”的英语演讲比赛获得。请撰写一份演讲稿。

主要内容：1.目前汽车带来的空气污染和交通堵塞问题。

2. 骑自行车的益处，如节能环保，有利健康等。

Good morning, everyone!

I’m Li Hua from Xing Guang Middle School . The topic of my speech is “Let’s ride bicycles.”

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you!

假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，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：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除：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 Duanwu Festival fell on June 18 this year. The Festival, established in the memory of Qu Yuan, was also called the Dragon Boat Festival. Qu Yuan, who died in the Miluo River, was considering a good man. Shortly after she died, the local people threw food into the water to keep the fish eating Qu Yuan's body. They also sat on long and narrow paddle boats, knowing as dragon boats, making sound to scaring away the fish.

Gradually, people celebrate the festival in different way. Traditionally celebrations of the Dragon Boat Festival include eating zongzi, drinking wine, or racing dragon boats.

单词拼写

1.What have I done to ________(值得，应受) this?

2.Has everyone ________(证实，确认) that they are coming？

3.Most crimes are ________(犯) by young men.

4.You have to be highly ________(好强的，好竞争的) to do well in sport these days.

5.There is room for one more piece of l________(行李).

6.A r________(奖赏，赏金) of ＄20000 has been offered.

7.Few people die of ________(挨饿，饿死) in that area.

8.He has decided to q________(离开，辞去) as manager of the team.

9.He f________(系牢，缚紧) up his coat and hurried out.

10.The phone rang, but she ________(忽视，不理，不管) it.

语法填空

I got the chance to receive $ 100 from a company to complete an act of 1. (kind) to help others. I thought it 2. (be) cool to make little gift baskets for people at the shelter. I thought of this idea as I remembered how 3. (joy) gift baskets are, and how those at a shelter would probably love them. When I entered the contest, I never thought I could win it. When they sent an email informing me 4. my opportunity, I was 5. (shock); I thought it was a mistake. I knew after that email that I had a lot 6. (do) in a little time. The planning part for the baskets was perhaps the 7. (hard) thing to do. I had to figure out when and where I should hold the assembling (聚集) of the gift baskets and 8. I would call them. I had to decide what to buy with the $ 100 and how to tell people about the event. I ended up 9. (decide) to call my project “Smile Baskets”, because 10. (hope) each basket would make a person smile. The women’s baskets were filled with beauty products and food treats. I filled the kids’ baskets with toys.

    One day when I was about nine years old, I ran into my mother’s bedroom and opened the dresser（化妆台）. Then in the top drawer was a small________jewelry box. I was fascinated by its treasures. Then I saw there was something________under a piece of cloth.________the cloth, I found a little white chip of china(瓷器). Why did my mother keep such a________thing? Shining slightly in the light, it________no answers.

Some months later, I was setting the dinner table when my neighbor Marge knocked at the door. Coming in and________the table, Marge said, “Oh, you are expecting company. I'll________another time."

“No, come on in,” Mum replied. “We are not________anyone."

“But isn’t that your good china?” Marge asked. “I’d________trust kids to handle my good dishes!”

Mum laughed. “Tonight’s my family’s favorite meal. If you set your best table for a(n)________meal with guests, why not for your own________? A few broken plates are a small________to pay for the joy we get. ” Then she added, “________，every chip and crack has a story to tell.”

Mum went to the cupboard and took down a plate. She said, “Seeing this________on the edge(边缘) here? It happened when I was 17.”

Her voice________. “One day my brother invited a young man to dinner and sat him next to me. I was so________that when I took the plate, it________and knocked against the fork. As the young man was leaving, he________a piece of broken china in my hand without saying a word.”

I couldn’t forget about that plate with the________chip. I went up to take out the little wooden jewelry box again. I examined the chip________. The chip which my mother had saved with care belonged to the plate she broke on the day she met my father.

1.A. silver B. gold C. china D. wooden

2.A. hidden B. unpaid C. removed D. fixed

3.A. Covering B. Tearing C. Seeking D. Lifting

4.A. broken B. genuine C. beautiful D. valuable

5.A. found B. invented C. offered D. selected

6.A. glaring at B. glancing at C. looking on D. spying on

7.A. go by B. pass by C. stop by D. stand by

8.A. inviting B. expecting C. consulting D. celebrating

9.A. always B. sometimes C. never D. regularly

10.A. common B. strange C. unbelievable D. special

11.A. family B. relative C. neighbor D. ancestor

12.A. value B. fault C. bet D. price

13.A. However B. Though C. Besides D. Otherwise

14.A. break B. scene C. spot D. design

15.A. hardened B. softened C. sharpened D. weakened

16.A. nervous B. anxious C. surprised D. pleased

17.A. jumped B. escaped C. slipped D. left

18.A. threw B. laid C. examined D. picked

19.A. replaced B. penniless C. remaining D. missing

20.A. secretly B. carefully C. gratefully D. proudly

How to improve reading efficiency

1. Make sure of your purpose of reading.

Before you start reading, ask yourself why you are reading this book. Most people read for two main reasons: pleasure or knowledge. Being specific and clear about your reading purpose not only helps you to avoid books that you don’t need to read, it also reminds you the book is important to you.1.

2. Read only what you are attracted to.

Whether you are reading fiction or nonfiction, it's important to enjoy what you read. Your friends may recommend books that they love, but those books might not necessarily be the ones you enjoy. 2.

3. Give up books that you don't enjoy.

You may have selected books that match your purpose. You may have selected books that you are attracted to. But you are reading them, there may still be some books that you won't enjoy reading. 3. Remember reading shouldn't make you feel annoyed.

4. 4.

Having a reading goal helps you figure out how much reading you need to do in a week or even a day.

5. Give yourself a deadline to finish each book.

Before you read each book, ask yourself when you need to finish this book. What I find interesting is that I tend to read books that I borrow from libraries faster than the books I bought. 5. I don't need to return those books. When you don't set a deadline to finish you book, there isn't a sense of urgency. And when something isn't urgent, you tend to slow down.

A．Set a reading goal.

B．Understand each word of the sentence.

C．Read books which you are interested in.

D．Reading is the most important way to get knowledge.

E. The reason is that the books I bought don't have a due date.

F. This encourages you to keep reading and complete the book faster.

G. Whenever you realize that you aren't enjoying the book you are reading, give it up.

    As any person suffering from lack of sleep knows, dark circles under the eyes usually stand out after a bad night's sleep．

But why do people get these dark eye bags？The answer is both genetic （that is， relating to your DNA） and environmental （a result of your everyday living， such as rubbing your eyes or getting too little sleep），said Dr. Carol Clinton，a skin-care researcher in Dublin，Ohio．

But "the biggest reason is genes." Clinton told Live Science．Eye bags are generally more noticeable in people who，because of genes，have thin or pale skin．When people are tired or very nervous，blood circulation in the eye area becomes slow，allowing blood to pool there．Clinton said．Capillaries （毛细血管） stand out，leading to dark eye circles, she said．Besides，eye bags result from eyes' fat moving forward. An age-connected increase in fat beneath the eyeballs leads to eye bags．"Anyway，when your eyes' fat is moving forward，you may think about having an operation in that area，" Clinton said，"A person can get 9 hours of sleep a night，but still have eye bags because of a genetic development."

In other cases，environmental problems cause eye bags．For example, allergies （过敏）－especially seasonal allergies－can cause capillaries to stand out．Getting too much sun can also damage and thin the skin，making dark circles under the eyes easy to see．Besides，eating salty foods can cause the body to hold more water, which makes eye bags worse，according to the Mayo Clinic．

1.In Clinton's opinion, what is the main cause of the formation of dark eye bags？

A. Genes． B. Habits．

C. Age． D. The environment．

2.What can rid you of your eye bags according to the text？

A. Getting much sun．

B. Drinking plenty of water．

C. Having an operation on the fat in the eye area．

D. Slowing your blood circulation in the eye area．

3.What can we learn from the text？

A. It's possible to change genes．

B. Rubbing your eyes might cause dark eye bags．

C. Young people don't get dark eye bags．

D. You can't get dark eye bags if you get enough sleep．

4.What's the best title for the text？

A. What Can You Do to Protect Your Eyes？

B. The Importance of Sleep to People's Health

C. Several Measures to Remove Your Eye Bags

D. Why Do People Get "Bags" Under Their Eyes

    New Zealand is an island country in the southwest of Pacific Ocean. The country geographically comprises two main lands—the North Island, or Te Ika-a-Maui, and the South Island, or Te Waipounamu, and numerous smaller islands. New Zealand is situated some 1,500 kilometers east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and roughly 1,000 kilometers south of the Pacific island areas of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. Because of its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans. The country’s varied topography（地形）and its sharp mountain peaks, such as the Southern Alps, owe much to volcanic eruptions. New Zealand’s capital city is Wellington, while the city that has the largest population is Auckland.

Polynesians settled in the islands that were to become New Zealand somewhere between 1250 and 1300 AD, and developed a unique Maori culture. In 1642, Abel Tasman, a Dutch explorer became the first European to sight New Zealand In 1840. Representatives of the British Crown（王室） and Maori Chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi, making New Zealand a British colony. Today, the majority of New Zealand’s population of 4.5 million is of European descent(血统), and the indigenous(土著的) Maori are the largest minority, followed by Asians and Pacific Islanders. Reflecting this, New Zealand’s culture is mainly originated from Maori and early British settlers, with recent broadening arising from increased immigration. The official languages are English, Maori and New Zealand Sign Language, with English predominant(主要的).

New Zealand is a developed country with a market economy that mainly consists of the exports of dairy products, meat and wine, along with tourism. New Zealand is a high-income economy and ranks highly in international comparisons of national performance, such as health, education, economic freedom and quality of life.

1.What does the underlined word “comprises” in Paragraph 1 mean?

A. Loses B. Conquers.

C. Explores. D. Includes.

2.What can be inferred from the text?

A. New Zealand was the last land to be settled by humans.

B. The indigenous Maori takes up the largest population in New Zealand.

C. The formation of the Southern Alps has something to do with volcanic eruptions.

D. New Zealand’s culture is mainly originated from Maori and early Dutch settlers.

3.Who made great contributions to Maori culture according to the text?

A. Polynesians. B. Dutch.

C. British Crown. D. Tonga.

4.What does the last paragraph mainly talk about?

A. The developing aims of New Zealand.

B. The economic situation of New Zealand.

C. The high ranks that New Zealand government has got.

D. The achievements that New Zealand government has got.

    A crew of six teenage girls completed a nine-day sailing trip in the US recently, after braving seasickness and strong winds.

For the past three years，the Sea Cadet teenagers who set sail were all male. Roger Noakes, who captained the boat，said this was the first time he’d taken out an all-female crew.

The girls asked for an a11-girls trip in August this year.The crew set sail along with three adults, Noakes and two Sea Cadet representatives.The original plan was for the girls to sail 24 hours a day in rotating shifts(轮流换班)along the coast and then return.Things turned out differently，however. “The first night was rough because the wind was really hard.The waves were going up and down，”said Abby Fairchild，16. “Everybody got seasick.” Noakes gave the girls the option of just sailing in the bay and not going into open water. “But they decided they were going.”

The teenagers then sailed a long way overnight and slept in shifts. “We’ve learned everything from steering(掌舵) the boat itself to putting up the sails to cooking while we have rough seas，”said 15-year-old Olivia Wilcox.

The teenagers stopped on land in Massachusetts. They didn’t make it to their original destination in Maine，where they were supposed to have a celebratory dinner，due to the weather and winds. They said they weren’t disappointed，however，as they’d learned a lot. “They learned about boating，and above all，they built confidence and character，” said Noakes.

1.What was special about the US Sea Cadet trip this year?

A. It was the longest sailing trip ever.

B. It was the first all-female-crew sailing trip.

C. It was the most dangerous sailing trip ever.

D. It was the first sailing trip for teenagers.

2.What happened on the crew’s first day of the trip?

A. They all got seasick. B. They regretted taking the trip.

C. They decided to stay in the bay. D. Some of them were injured.

3.Which of the following best describes these young sailors?

A. Determined and cooperative. B. Hard-working and talented.

C. Understanding and creative. D. Adventurous and skillful.

4.According to Noakes，what was the sailors’greatest benefit from the trip?

A. They acquired excellent sailing skills.

B. They learned to work in teams.

C. They built confidence and character.

D. They knew the sea better.

1.At _______, students are having a painting lesson.

A. 11:35 a. m. B. 4:30 p. m.

C. 10:30 a. m. D. 2:15 p. m.

2.Students should prepare a new part of _______ ahead of time as their homework.

A. Technology B. Painting

C. Sports D. Drama

3.The information in the table is mainly for students to _______.

A. choose teachers B. do their homework

C. take classes D. organize hobby groups

______ I saw it, I knew I had seen it before.

A. At the moment B. Immediately

C. For the first time D. The minutes

I’m not going to put myself _____ the bank.

A. at the mercy of B. apart from

C. all the time D. in the history of

The book _____ this week.

A. comes up B. comes about

C. comes out D. comes across

The school has decided to adopt a new _____ to discipline.

A. approach B. way

C. method D. means

Considerable resources have been devoted to _____ him a liar.

A. prove B. proven

C. proving D. proved

_____, we should reconsider the plan carefully. Which one is wrong?

A. In my view B. As far as I’m concerned

C. In my opinion D. As long as

Blue _____ you. You should wear it more.

A. fits B. suits

C. matches D. goes with

_____ a true story, the movie is very moving.

A. Be based on B. Basing on

C. Base on D. Based on

The boy is _____ to win the match to be held next week.

A. possible B. likely

C. probable D. possibly

You should apologize ____ him _____ your rude words.

A. to, since B. for, to

C. to，for D. towards, in

假定你是李华。近日收到美国朋友Nancy的邮件，说她下周六晚上7点在市图书馆报告厅作题为“美国风俗与文化”的讲座，邀请你来观摩。请给她写封回信，要点如下：

1．婉拒邀请；

2．陈述理由；

3．表达感谢。

注意：1.词数100左右；

2．可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

Dear Nancy，

I'm so glad to receive your invitation

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours，

Li Hua

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处语言错误，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：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。

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. 每处错误仅限1词；

2. 只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。

I've learnt from the notice that you're looking for an English editor for us school paper. I'm written this letter to apply for the position.

I'm Li Hua,Senior Three student in our school. In my view, I met your requirements. For one thing，I'm willing to devote some of my spare time to serve others. For another，I'm good at both English or Fine Arts. I'm either skilled in using computers. I would be glad if you could offer to me an opportunity for an interview.

I'm looking forward to your kindly reply at your convenient.

语法填空

Sammy  Armstrong  was  driving  to  his office  when  he 1.(notice)  a car was stuck on railroad tracks. Then he heard a train whistle. Sammy  threw down his sunglasses and keys and ran toward the car.2.elderly man, Jean Papich，eighty­four，sat in the driver's seat，3. (turn) the key and hitting the gas. His wife，Marion，seventy­eight, was looking 4.(nervous) at him. Then Sammy walked5.the car and pushed it forward，but his boots slipped on the warm asphalt (沥青)．He could see the train approaching fast.

It might be6.(easy)to push the car backward, Sammy thought. He ran around to the front to the vehicle and shouted at Jean 7.(put)the car in neutral(空挡). Sammy could feel the ground trembling under his feet. He put his boots against the track and pushed forcefully. Finally，the car rolled off the tracks. When Sammy looked up，the train was just a couple of  8.(foot )away. Sammy，shocked and 9.(speech)，went back to work as the crowd gathered at the scene.

Weeks later，Marion called to thank Sammy. He responded，“I just did 10.I had to do.”

How to Be Creative

Most of us think that creativity is a quality belonging only to artists，writers，or dancers，rather than ourselves.1. The following tips are a great beginning for developing our creativity.

1．Get out of your comfort zone

We eagerly accept the familiar and fear the unknown. Break out of your usual patterns and welcome creativity into your life. As stated earlier，the human brain was designed to recognize patterns.2. In fact，our comfort zone is nothing more than a collection of patterns. As we become more efficient at recognizing and using patterns，we rely less on creativity to find new paths. We should force ourselves out of our comfort zones and open up new possibilities.

2．Try different things

If you always do what you've always done，you'll always get what you've always got. We are creatures of habits and routines，and creativity hates routines. If you usually drive to work，take the subway for a few days.3. Interrupt your routine，experiment and try something new. New things are often creative，but the same old thing never is.

3．4.

Having a great idea is not enough；you must work to make it a reality. Have you ever seen a new product and realized that you thought of the same thing long ago？Yet someone else is making money with “your” idea.5. The difference between a dreamer and a doer is action. Do whatever it takes to bring your ideas to life. If you can put them into practice，you are well on your way to improving your creativity in all areas of your life.

A．Take action

B．Seek several options

C．Think from the other person's point of view.

D．If you normally eat in the office，have lunch under a tree.

E．The truth is that we are all born with the capacity to be creative.

F．We continue to create patterns and routines for almost everything we do.

G．We all have great ideas sometimes，but only a few people turn their ideas into realities.

    It was August in the US，and the school year had just started，when one parent received an unexpected phone call.

Stacie Dunn had been called to Woodford County High School because her teenage daughter had been caught going against the dress rules. But the offense left Dunn shocked.

She arrived to find her daughter in a set of pretty ordinary clothes：a cardigan，a tank top and jeans. The trouble，administrators indicated，lay with her daughter's exposed collarbone (锁骨)．Bare shoulders and naked collarbones are illegal under Woodford County High School's dress rules. Students who break these rules can receive detention (the punishment of being kept at school for a time after school)—or after multiple violations (违纪)，be prevented from going to school entirely.

Dunn was very shocked and angry.“Parents are being called away from their important jobs，and students are missing important class time because they are showing their collarbones，” she wrote on the social media site Facebook，attaching a picture of her daughter in the offending clothes.“Something needs to change！”

Dress rules vary by school districts and are often decided by teachers and school administrators. Yoga pants and skinny jeans are banned. Certain dress rules also require knee­length pants and skirts.

Some school administrators argue they are simply supporting having a professional standard of dress to prepare their students for their future careers. But others have told students that their clothes present a “distraction” to others.

Certain schools have chosen to re­evaluate their dress rules，with input from parents and students. Even Woodford County High School—home of the “collarbone” ban—is reconsidering its policies this month. But，at_least_for_now，the_dress_rule_debate_is_far_from_over.

1.Why was Stacie Dunn called to Woodford County High School?

A. Her daughter went to school with bare shoulders.

B. Her daughter broke her collarbone.

C. Her daughter broke the dress rules of the school.

D. Her daughter received detention.

2.Under the dress rules，which of the following clothes are acceptable?

A. Skinny jeans B. Long skirts.

C. Yoga pants. D. Short pants.

3.How did Stacie Dunn respond to being called to school?

A. She wasn't in favor of what the school did.

B. She turned to Facebook for help.

C. She bought a standard dress for her daughter.

D. She accused the school of wasting her time.

4.The underlined sentence in the last paragraph indicates that ________．

A. the debate between parents and students will never be over

B. few schools will take measures to change their policy

C. the problem of “clothes distractions” will last

D. the argument on what to wear and how to dress will continue

    Whether it is Mozart or Miley，your choice of music could determine whether you will perform well at your job. A new study suggests that listening to music in the office improves the speed and accuracy of tasks such as data entry，proofreading and problem solving. an office­based experiment，88 percent of participants were found to produce their most accurate work when listening to music.

The study also found that 81 percent completed their work fastest when music was played. And it matters what type of music you listen to. For instance，if you're doing your tax returns，then classical music is the most effective as it improves maths skills.

Listening to Jessie J or Justin Bieber could also improve your speed，with 58 percent of participants completing data entry tasks faster while listening to pop songs. During proofreading，dance music，such as David Guetta，had the biggest positive impact with participants increasing their speed by 20 percent compared to tests undertaken with no music at all. Dance music also had a positive effect on spell­checking with a 75 percent pass rate compared to 68 percent when no music was played at all.

The research，undertaken by Brighton­based Mindlab International，suggests that silent offices may be the least productive. The Music Works experiment revealed a positive correlation between music and productivity. Overall，it showed that when listening to music，nine out of ten people performed better，said Dr David Lewis，chairman of Mindlab International.

1.Whose music can help you do maths homework according to the study?

A. The music of Justin Bieber.

B. The music of Mozart.

C. The music of David Guetta.

D. The music of David Lewis.

2.Which of the following is NOT mentioned according to the passage?

A. Music makes you relaxed.

B. Music helps you to enter data faster.

C. Music improves maths skills.

D. Music has a positive effect on spell­checking.

3.The result of the experiment showed that when music was played，________．

A. 88% of people worked faster

B. 81% of people did their most accurate work

C. 90% of people worked better

D. 75% of people completed data entry task faster

4.What can we conclude from the passage?

A. Music may be helpless to people in office.

B. Silent offices can make people work better.

C. Different kinds of music have the same effect.

D. Silent offices may make people work least profitably.

    Last year I ruined my summer vacation by bringing along a modern convenience that was too convenient for my own good：the iPad. Instead of looking at nature，I checked my e­mail. Instead of paddling a small boat，I followed my Twitter feed (推特简讯)．Instead of reading great novels，I stuck to reading four newspapers each morning. I was behaving as if I were still in the office. My body was on vacation，but my head wasn't.

So this year I made up my mind to try something different: withdraw (退出) from the Internet. I knew it wouldn't be easy，since I'm bad at self­control. But I was determined. I started by giving the iPad to my wife.

The cellphone signal at our house was worse than in the past，making my attempts at cheating an experience in frustration (沮丧)．I was trapped，forced to go through with my plan. Largely cut off from e­mail，Twitter and my favorite newspaper websites，I had few ways to connect to the world except for the radio—and how much radio can one listen to，really？I had to do what I had planned to do all along：read books.

This experience has had a happy ending. With determination and the strong support of my wife，I won in my vacation struggle against the Internet，realizing finally that it was I，not the iPad，that was the problem. I knew I had won when we passed a Starbucks and my wife asked if I wanted to stop to use the Wi­fi.“I don't need it，” I said.

However，as we return to post­vacation life，a harder test begins：can I continue when I'm back at work?

There are times when the compulsion to know what's being said right now is great. I have no intention of giving up my convenience completely. But I hope to resist the temptation (诱惑) to check my e­mail every five minutes，which leads to check my Twitter feed and a website or two.

I think a vacation is supposed to help you reset your brain to become more productive. Here I hope this one worked.

1.What do we know about the author's last summer vacation?

A. He was determined to enjoy the beautiful view.

B. His iPad ruined his plan of finishing a great novel.

C. He felt satisfied that he had stuck to his usual timetable.

D. He hated himself for acting as if he were working on vacation.

2.What did the author do to keep away from the Internet this year?

A. He handed his iPad to his wife.

B. He cut off his cellphone signal.

C. He refused to cheat in his house.

D. He listened to the radio most of the time.

3.When back at work，the author will probably choose to ________．

A. stay away from the Internet forever

B. continue to read more and more books

C. keep control of when and how to use the Internet

D. stop checking what is being said right now completely

4.What is the author's opinion of a great vacation in the passage?

A. A vacation is having nothing to do but read all day.

B. A vacation proves that a life of pleasure is overvalued.

C. A vacation is a period of time to do whatever one wishes to.

D. A vacation means a change of pace to make one more creative.