It is time for class to start. The teacher __________ be in the classroom now.

A. can          B. should  C  would   D. shall

 

 The opening day of Expo 2010 Shanghai China we have been forward looking to_____ to arrive.

A. being    B. be  C. is       D. will

 

 _________the peace talk between the two countries will break down depends on      

your attitude.

A. If       B. Whether          C. Weather       D. That

 

 It was __________ you had done ________made it possible for you to improve 

   your English.                                 

   A. that/ that  B. that / what  C. what/ what  D. what/ that

 

 —May I use your computer?

  —Sure, _____________

A. cheer up         B. come on          C. go ahead         D. nothing

 

 

下图反映的是当前一些学生在学习上的做法。请你根据对下面这幅漫画的理解用英语写一篇短文，描述一下这种做法并发表你的看法。

注意：1．词数150左右。开头已经写，不计入总词数。

          2．要适当发挥想象，不要做简单的描述。

          3．作文中不得提及考生所在学校和本人姓名。

参考词汇：缸vat；漏出来leak out；漏洞 loophole

 

 

 

 

In the picture, four people are trying to fill a vat with water. Two men are carrying water while two others are pouring water into the vat._______________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

Computerised trading agents may help humans build better markets

THANKS to declining markets, investment banks are getting rid of many of their highly-paid traders. When markets recover, the banks might be tempted to replace them with rather cheaper talent. One alternative has been around for a while but has yet to catch on: autonomous trading agents-computers programmed to act like the human version without such annoying costs as holidays, lunch breaks or bonuses. Program trading has, of course, been done before; some blamed the 1987 stock market crash on computers instructed with simple decision-making rules. But robots can be smarter than that.

Dave Cliff, a researcher at Hewlett-Packard Laboratories in Bristol, England, has been creating trading robots for seven years. In computer simulations he lets them evolve "genetically", and so allows them to adapt and fit models of real-world financial markets. His experiments have suggested that a redesign of some markets could lead to greater efficiency. Last year, a research group at IBM showed that Mr Cliff's artificial traders could consistently beat the human variety, in various kinds of market. Nearly all take the shape of an auction(拍卖). One well-known type is the English auction, familiar to customers of the salesrooms(拍卖场)of Christie's and Sotheby's, where sellers keep mum on their offer price, and buyers increase their bids by stages until only one remains.

At the other extreme is the Dutch auction, familiar to 17th-century tulip-traders in the Netherlands as well as to bidders for American Treasury bonds. Here, buyers remain silent, and a seller reduces his price until it is accepted. Most markets for shares, commodities, foreign exchange and derivatives are a mixture of these two types: buyers and sellers can announce their bid or offer prices at any time, and deals are constantly being closed, a so-called "continuous double auction".

Mr Cliff's novel idea was to apply his evolutionary computer programs to marketplaces themselves. Why not, he thought, try and see what types of auction would let traders converge(趋同) most quickly towards a balance price? The results were surprising. In his models, auctions that let buyers and sellers bid at any time like most of today's financial exchanges were less efficient than ones that required relatively more bids from either buyers or sellers. These "evolved auctions" also withstood big market shocks, such as crashes and panics, better than today's real-world versions. Mr Cliff's most recent results, which will be presented in Sydney, Australia, on December 10th, show that the best type of auction for any market depends crucially on even slight differences in the number of buyers and sellers.

Bank of America has been investigating these new auctions, along with robotic traders, for possible use in electronic exchanges. The hope is that today's financial auctions and online marketplaces might work better by becoming more like their English and Dutch ancestors.

1.What is the passage mainly about?

A. A review of two kinds of auctions.       B. An introduction of trading robots.

C. A survey of the trading market.          D. About trading alternatives.

2.Which of the following is true according to the text?

A. Mr Cliff’s robot traders have now been used in real-world markets.

B. Robot traders can evolve like creatures.

C. There is room for improvement in efficiency in trading markets.

D. The English auction is the most popular trading form.

3.What can we infer from the text?

A. Existing auctions cannot withstand market shocks

B. The Dutch auction is better than the continuous double auction

C. It’s hard for traders to reach a balanced price

D. The best type of auction takes place when the number of the buyers is equal to that of sellers

4.What’s the author’s attitude toward robot traders?

 A. Prejudiced           B. Objective        C. Critical         D. Optimistic

 

 

Chances are you’ve enjoyed a cup of coffee from Starbucks. Since the opening of the first Starbucks in 1971 as a vendor of high-quality coffee beans and brewing equipment, the company has expanded to become the most popular coffeehouse chain in the world. Its 14,000 stores in 43 countries sell coffee beverages, beans, teas, brewing equipment, pastries, and more. How did this happen?

     Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz took over the company in 1987. He recognized an untapped market in busy individuals in urban areas who could afford fine coffees. In 1995, Schultz hired Anna Niess and Will Chassaing to redesign his booming chain. In addition to laying the groundwork for Starbucks’ well-known symbols and distinctive style, they created a program that led to opening one store per day throughout the 1990s.

     One thing that makes Starbucks so popular is the company’s vision of their stores as a “third place” to spend time in addition to work and home. It’s a cozy environment that serves as a meeting place. This attracts a loyal following of customers that come not only to drink coffee, but to relax, work, socialize, and attend cultural events.

     Schultz still sees a great deal of potential for his company. Starbucks plans to have 40,000 stores worldwide with 20,000 in the US and Canada. The company is now a household name around the world.

     Howard Schultz is the perfect example of a person living the American dream. After growing up in public housing, he received a football scholarship to Northern Michigan University. This allowed him to become the first in his family to graduate from college in 1975.

     Schultz first experienced Starbucks as a salesman for Swedish drip coffeemakers on a trip to visit the Seattle company that had been buying his products. A year later, he joined the company. Conflict arose when Schultz recommended Starbucks sell brewed coffee in addition to beans and equipment. The owners disagreed, and in 1985, Schultz went on to start his own coffee shop, II Giornale. In 1987, the original Starbucks owners sold their company to Schultz, and refocused their attention on selling coffee beans and teas.

     Schultz promoted an aggressive expansion of Starbucks throughout the US and Canada. When Starbucks began selling stock shares in 1992, he had already grown the chain to 165 stores. Throughout the expansion of Starbucks, Schultz has held strong principles of social responsibility. Starbucks takes good care of its employees with health insurance, stock options (认股权), and stable hours. In fact, under Schultz, Starbucks has been consistently ranked one of the best places to work in the US and UK.

     Commitments to environmentalism, fair pay for coffee bean growers, and a positive contribution to society contribute to Schultz’s reputation as a truly ethical (道德的) businessman. That means with Schultz in charge of Starbucks, you can enjoy your coffee with a clear conscience.

1.Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. Starbucks sells coffee beverages, beans, teas, brewing equipment, pastries and more.

B. The original Starbucks owners focused their attention on selling coffee beans and brewing equipment until 1987.

C. Starbucks has been the best place to work in the US and UK.

D. It was Anna Niess and Will Chassaing who redesigned Starbucks’s well- known symbols and style.

2.What makes Starbucks so popular?

A. Starbucks’ care for its employees.

B. Starbucks’ Chairman Howard Schultz.

C. Starbucks’ expansion around the world

D. Starbucks’ cozy environment

3.Which of the following is the correct order of the events?

a. Schultz started his own coffee shop.

b. Schultz recommended Starbucks sell brewed coffee.

c. Schultz bought Starbucks.

d. Schultz grew the chain to 165 stores.

A. b, c, a, d           B. b, a, c, d           C. b, c, d, a           D. b, a, d, c

4.What helps Schultz to earn a reputation as a truly ethical businessman?

A. His being the first to graduate in his family.

B. The fast expansion of Starbucks.

C. His strong principles of social responsibility.

D. His being the perfect example of a person living the American dream.

 

 

Is there a magic cutoff period when offspring become accountable for their own actions? Is there a wonderful moment when parents can become spectators (旁观者) in the lives of their children and shrug, "It' s their life," and feel nothing?

When I was in my twenties, I stood in a hospital corridor waiting for doctors to put a few stitches in my son' s head. I was asked, "When do you stop worrying?" A nurse said, "When they get out of the accident stage." My mother just smiled faintly and said nothing.

When I was in my thirties, I sat on a little chair in a classroom and heard how one of my children talked incessantly, disrupted (打断) the class, and was headed for a career making license plates. As if to read my mind, a teacher said, "Don't worry. They all go through this stage, and then you can sit back, relax, and enjoy them." My mother listened and said nothing.

When I was in my forties, I spent a lifetime waiting for the phone to ring and the cars to come home, the front door to open.

My friends said that when my kids got married I could stop worrying and lead my own life. I wanted to believe that, but I was haunted by my mother' s wan ( 淡淡的 ) smile and her occasional words, "You look pale. Are you all right? Call me the minute you get home."

Can it be that parents are sentenced to a lifetime of worry? Is concern for one another handed down like a torch to blaze the trail of human frailties and the fears of the unknown? Is concern a curse? Or is it a virtue that elevates us to the highest form of life?

One of my children became quite irritable recently, saying to me, "Where were you? I' ve been calling for three days, and no one answered. I was worried! ! !"

I smiled a wan smile.

1.What can we know about the author’s mother from the passage?

A. She seems to laugh at the author.        

B. She is not concerned about the author.

C. She has a thorough understanding of the author.     

D. She tries to give the author some encouragement.

 

2.What did the author do in her forties?

A. She was less concerned about her children.          

B. She couldn't stop worrying about her children.

C. She would like her children to see her often.         

D. She became more patient with her children.

3.Why did the author smile a wan smile at the end of the passage?

A. She wanted to learn from her mother.                

B. She stopped worrying about her children at last.

C. She succeeded in tricking her children.              

D. She got a kind of satisfaction from her child's concern.

4.The main purpose of the passage is to tell us that ______.

A. the concern between parents and children is natural

B. parents’ love for their children is selfless

C. parents show more concern for their children        

D. parents will worry about their children all their lives

 

 

When the first spring flowers blossom, Easter comes. It is the oldest Christian feast, in memory of the resurrection (复活) of Jesus Christ.

Along with the traditional Easter walk or outing, the giving of Easter eggs and, more recently, of Easter presents is a main feature of the feast. Parents give their children “Easter eggs” – colored and boiled eggs, chocolate eggs, marzipan eggs – Easter bunnies, sweets, and other gifts. In some German regions, children virtually “collect” Easter eggs from their relatives, especially their godparents.

Usually, the Easter eggs are carefully hidden in the garden or in the house and the children must search for them on the morning of the Sunday. They are told that the Easter bunny has brought them. This anonymous, mysterious bunny is like Santa Claus at Christmas. But it is less of an “educational” figure than Santa Claus is, since the eggs are not given to children as rewards for being good.

Some Easter egg games have been preserved at certain places in Germany or have even been newly developed. Children try to outdo others in rolling colored eggs down grassy slopes, for instance, or they knock the eggs’ pointed ends together and the child whose egg does not shatter gets the broken one, too. In some places, this custom was even used as the name of local festival.

 

1.What are the main features of Easter?

A.  Easter walk, Easter eggs, Easter bunnies and sweets.

B.  Easter outing and the giving of Easter presents.

C.  Easter walk, Easter eggs, Easter bunnies and Easter egg games.

D.  Easter outing, the collecting of Easter eggs, and Easter games

2.The underlined word “outdo” means ________.

A. do better than       B. do worse than        C. do slower than       D. do the same as

3.What can be inferred from the passage?

A.  Easter bunny will give gifts to children for better or worse.

B.  Easter bunny is very similar to Santa Claus, as they both bring gifts to children.

C.  Easter always falls on a Sunday.

D.  Some of the local festivals are named by Easter egg games.

 

 

请认真阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

   When we visit another country, differences in music and dance are   1some of the first things that we notice. Every culture has   2its own types of music and dance, which are very different from those of other societies.

   Each type of music usually has a distinctive rhythm and a special sound,   3on the kinds of instruments that are used to produce it. The most common type of instruments are

4instruments, such as guitars and violins; wind instruments, including horns and flutes. Many different kinds of musical sounds   5be created by using different combinations of instruments.

   The human voice is a very special kind of instrument,   6it can produce a great number of different sounds with different   7, ranging from loud to soft. Singing is very popular in most cultures because it allows us to   8words and ideas with music.

   Societies coordinate body movements with musical rhythms to create   9. Sometimes people dance for fun and individual expression. Dances can also be used to   10ideas to an audience. Hawaiian dancers,   11, use arm and hand movements to express the meaning of a song. In the same way, many societies use dances in religious ceremonies   12to tell about important events.

   Music and dance are passed from one   13to another and thus become a permanent part of the society and   14culture. Of course, as cultures come   15contact with each other, the music and dance of one society may be accepted by other societies, or the different styles may be combined to   16a new kind of music or dance. Some Latin American music, for example, has taken   17from Indian cultures and mixed them with those from European and African cultures.   18, popular music from England and the US can be heard in countries   19the world,   20it has had an influence on musical tastes, especially among young people.

 

1.A. unlikely           B. probably         C. likely               D. surely

2.A. installed      B. developed            C. meant                D. established

3.A. depending      B. relying              C. playing          D. resting

4.A. thread         B. cord             C. string               D. band

5.A. can            B. might            C. must             D. should

6.A. when           B. since                C. after                D. although

7.A. heights            B. sizes                C. volumes          D. tones

8.A. express            B. explain          C. provide          D. compose

9.A. sounds         B. songs                C. dances               D. moves

10.A. give          B. perform          C. translate            D. communicate

11.A. for example       B. such as          C. that is              D. on the contrary

12.A. just          B. as               C. or               D. only

13.A. country           B. people               C. generation           D. time

14.A. their         B. the              C. form             D. its

15.A. to                B. into             C. for              D. with

16.A. join          B. show             C. become           D. form

17.A. advantages        B. styles               C. features         D. origins

18.A. However       B. On the contrary      C. Besides          D. Similarly

19.A. over          B. across               C. through          D. along

20.A. where         B. when             C. which                D. what

 

 ― Have you ever talked to your fiancée about the wedding yet?

― No, I’d like to, ______.

    A. indeed           B. yet              C. anyway       D. though

 

 I went to bed early, but I left my bedroom lamp on ______ my parents think I _______.  

A. making; would study                  B. to make; was studying

C. to make; had studied                     D. making; had been studying

 

 ― I'm afraid I have to give it up.

― Don't be discouraged. Remember ______ sticks to his work will succeed one day.

A. those who   B. who              C. whoever         D. whomever

 

 _______ is the strength of union that all the dilemmas, if any, can be dealt with.

A. That         B. It              C. Such                 D. So

 

 ― I’m sorry to bother you at this time of night.

― _________. It’s just so happened that I’m not engaged right now.

A. All right        B. That’s OK      C. You’re welcome      D. Please don’t be bothered

 

 After several rounds of competition, the little girl ______ because of her excellent English and quick wit.

A. stood out        B. picked out       C. turned out      D. came out

 

 

 Out of the crowded bus __________, who was dressed in a black suit and waving to a woman.

A. stepped a tall man in his thirties           B. a tall man in his thirties stepped

C. did a tall man in his thirties step          D. did a tall man step in his thirties 

 

 ―We didn’t see Robert at the opening ceremony yesterday.        

―No, he _______ it.

    A. mustn’t have attended               B. needn’t have attended

    C. needn’t attend                      D. didn’t need to attend

 

 To my mind, she is the most wonderful teacher that I’ve ever known, _________ is able to get across to her students ________ she really thinks and means.

A. which; that     B. that; as              C. who; what         D. who; that     

 

 I feel sure that ______ qualification, ability and experience, you are abundantly suited to the position we have in mind.

A. on account of    B. in spite of          C. in terms of         D. by means of

 

 Even though they have worked side by side in the same office for 9 years, the two ladies ______ on good terms.

    A. are not          B. were not         C. have not been        D. will not be

 

 The police have offered a large _______ for information leading to the robber’s arrest.

A. prize            B. compensation     C. price                D. reward

 

 Your essay is fairly good and yet it leaves something ______.

A. to desire        B. desire               C. desiring         D. to be desired

 

 Susan was expecting her favourite singers, but to her disappointment, _______ appeared.

A. some         B. none            C. everyone             D. no one  

 

 China’s economic development has made ______ rapid progress in the past 10 years, and young people have made ______ great contribution to this progress.

A. a; a         B. the; /               C. /; a             D. /; /

 

 

2010年4月14日7时45分许，青海省玉树县发生了里氏7.1级地震。1700多人遇难，1万2千多人受伤，12所学校垮塌，孩子们无法上学学习。为了帮助孩子们尽早回归学校开始正常的学习生活，你校学生会在下周一的升旗仪式上号召同学捐款、捐书、捐学习用具等。假设你是学生会主席李华，在下周一的升旗仪式上你将代表学生会向同学们发出口头倡议，号召大家积极募捐，以实际行动帮助灾区同学渡过难关。要点如下：

1. 简单介绍灾区的受灾情况；

2. 募捐的理由；

3. 募捐的要求。

注意：

1. 适当增加细节以使行文连贯；

2. 词数：100个左右。

3. 开头已写好，不计入总词数。

Dear schoolmates,

   Good morning.

 

 

根据括号内的汉语提示，用句末括号里的英语单词的正确形式完成句子。

1.Quite beyond me is _______________________（怎样解决）this problem.（solve）

2.His ________________________（不承认打破了）the precious vase made his father very angry. （admit）

3.If he stays here longer, he ________________________（就会适应吃）such strange fruit by the next month. （accustomed）

4.Most citizens do not object _______________________（禁止吸烟）in public places.（forbid）

5._____________________（我们与生俱来的）is the tendency to love and to be loved.（born）

6.Not only _______________________（这项发明被重视）but the inventor was also spoken highly of at the conference.  （attach）

7.The great GM project , _______________________（他们为此做出了贡献）, is assessed to lead to the rapid development of modern agriculture. （contribute）

8.Honey, look at your mistake in spelling this word, or you __________________________（就能得到）full marks in this exam. （get）

9.After claiming your baggage tomorrow, you can proceed to __________________________（我站的地方）, right next to the newspaper stand.（stand）

10.____________________________（坚持在一起）your friends through thick and thin that brings you lifelong friends. （stick）

 

 

“The world's oceans are slowly getting more acidic(酸的),” say scientists. The researchers from California report that the change is taking place in response to higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

    The lowering of the waters' PH value is not great at the moment but could cause a serious threat to current ocean life if it continues, they warn. Ken Caldeira and Michael Wickett, from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, report their concerns in the journal Nature. Increasing use of oil fuels means more carbon dioxide is going into the air, and most of it will eventually be absorbed by seawater. Once in the water, it reacts to form carbonic acid. Scientists believe that the oceans have already become slightly more acidic over the last century.

    These researchers have tried to predict what will happen in the future by combining what we know about the history of the oceans with computer models of climate change. “This level of acidity will get much more extreme in the future if we continue releasing CO2 into the atmosphere,” said Dr Caldeira. And we predict the amount of future acidity will be greater than anything we have seen over the last several hundred million years.

    However, it is not absolutely clear what that means for ocean life. Most organisms live near the surface, where the greatest PH change would be expected to occur, but deep－ocean life forms may be more sensitive to PH changes. Coral reefs and other organisms whose shells contain calcium carbonate(碳酸钙) may be particularly affected if the water's acidity levels keep going up, the team predict. They could find it much more difficult to build these structures in water with a lower PH.

    In recent years some people have suggested storing carbon dioxide from power station in the deep ocean as a way of dealing with global warming. But Dr Caldeira said that such a strategy should now be re—considered. “Previously, most experts had looked at ocean absorption of carbon dioxide as a good thing——because in releasing CO2 into the atmosphere we warm the planet, and when CO2 is absorbed by the ocean, it reduces the amount of greenhouse warming.”

1.The ocean is becoming more acidic due to      .

A. the lower water PH value                  B. the warming atmosphere

C. the higher level of CO2 in the air        D. the increasing use of oil fuels

2.According to Dr Caldeira,      .

A. ocean absorption of carbon dioxide is a good thing

B. more oil fuels will be used in the near future

C. scientists may predict climate changes with computer models

D. the future situation of the amount of acidity is extremely serious

3.If the water's acidity level keeps rising,      .

A. ocean life whose structures contain calcium carbonate may be affected

B. the water's PH value will become higher and higher

C. organisms living near the surface are more sensitive to PH changes

D. some disastrous events will occur more often than before

4.Most experts once believed storing carbon dioxide in the ocean would reduce      .

A. the CO2 absorbed by the ocean         B. the amount of greenhouse warming

C. the acidity of the ocean              D. the gradual release of CO2

 

 

    Sadness is unpleasant, and in a society where personal happiness is prized above all else, there is little tolerance for falling in despair. Especially now we’ve got drugs for getting rid of sad feelings — whether it’s after losing a job, the break-up of a relationship or the death of a loved one. So it’s no surprise that more and more people are taking them.

But is this really such a good idea? A growing number of voices from the world of mental health research are saying it isn’t. They fear that the increasing tendency to treat normal sadness as a disease is playing fast and loose. Sadness, they argue, serves a useful purpose—and if we lose it, we lose out. Yet many psychiatrists insist not. Sadness has a unpleasant habit of turning into depression they warn. Even when people are sad for good reason, they should take drugs to make themselves feel better.

So who is right? Is sadness something we cannot live without or something horrible never to touch? There are lots of ideas about why feeling sad should become part of human life. It may be a kind of self-protection, as other primates (灵长类) also show signs of sadness. A losing monkey that doesn’t show sadness after it loses a fight may be seen as continuing to challenge the winning monkey — and that could result in death.

In humans sadness has a further function: we may display sadness as a form of communication. By acting sad, we tell other community members that we need support.

Then there is the idea that creativity is connected to dark moods. There are plenty of great artists, writers and musicians who have suffered from depression or disorder. Scientists found that people with signs of depression performed better at a creative task, and negative moods make people think deeply over the unhappy experience, which allows creative processes to come to the front. There is also evidence that too much happiness can be bad for your career. A doctor found that people who scored 8 out of 10 on a happiness test were more successful in income and education than 9s or 10s. The happiest people lose their willingness to make changes to their lives that may benefit them.

1.The underlined word “this” refers to ________.

   A. taking medicine                   B. falling in despair  

C. losing a job                      D. feeling sad

2.The author believes sadness is ________.

   A. a good thing for people’s health                   B. something horrible never to touch

C. a necessary function of humans                      D. always to be treated as depression

3.Some animals show their sadness in order to ________.

A. cheat their enemy                 B. protect themselves 

C. comfort the loser                 D. challenge the winner

4.We can infer from the last paragraph that ________.

A. people with great creativity tend to be happier   

B. unhappy experiences contribute to a greater career

C. too much happiness can be bad for your career

D. the happiest people are the most successful ones