题型：阅读理解 题类：期中考试 难易度：较易
年份：2016
Getting away for a short time always seems like a great idea until you have to pack. But packing will not be a problem if you keep in mind one simple rule: pack light. Here are some tips to help you pack.
Organize Yourself
Make a list. Think of what you need. Keep the list for future reference. When you have done this once, it will be easier the next time.
Start Small
Consider buying trial-size samples (货样) of shampoo, toothpaste, and other items at your local store. Make sure they are all sealed (封闭) tightly.
In an emergency, you can buy them at your destination. But remember that the time you spend buying things at your destination will reduce your visiting time.
The Clothing Dilemma
Choosing which clothes to bring is probably the hardest packing decision to make. Think once again from head to toe — hats, shirts, jeans and sneakers. Once you have made your selection, think carefully whether or not you really need that extra pair of jeans. Mixing and matching is a smart and easy way to lighten your load (负载量).
Weather is an important factor in your packing. If it is cold, you could wear a jacket, a sweater, a regular shirt, and a T-shirt. Layering (叠层) up will keep you warm, and it will leave more room in your bag.
After you have mixed, matched and layered, try to cut the amount of clothing you have chosen in half. It may seem impossible, but keep in mind how much easier it will be to carry your bag.
How to Pack
●Use a small, light bag. If you need to buy a bag, stick with something simple, like a small backpack.
●Distribute (分配) the weight evenly (均匀地). It makes carrying around a bag a lot easier.
●Roll up your casual clothes instead of folding and laying them flat. This leaves more room to pack other things, and keeps your clothes fairly wrinkle-free.
●Pack any breakables in the middle of your bag. Cushion (铺垫子以缓冲) them with your clothing.
Remember that it is you who have been invited somewhere, not your things. You will have an easier time if you are not weighed down, so do it right — pack light.
| A. lighten your load | B. save a lot of money |
| C. have more visiting time | D. have more room in your bag |
| A. Removing half the clothes. |
| B. Laying them flat in the backpack. |
| C. Making a list of other items to bring. |
| D. Rolling up clothes rather than folding them. |
| A. Choosing a bag as big as possible. |
| B. Folding all the things that can be folded. |
| C. Placing heavy things in one side of the bag. |
| D. Putting breakables in the middle of the bag. |
题型：阅读理解 题类：期中考试 难易度：较易
年份：2016
| A. Writing the story for the film is difficult |
| B. Shooting the film takes a long time |
| C. Actors work very hard |
| D. Making a film is not easy |
| A. says how only one scene should be filmed |
| B. tells the actors and actresses how they should not act |
| C. is the most important person in a film studio |
| D. all the above |
| A. Writing the story for the film is a part of making a film． |
| B. The indoor stages in the film studio are very big． |
| C. All of the people in film making are actors and actresses． |
| D. Shooting the film often takes many months． |
| A. having no money | B. not rich in imagination |
| C. pitiful for poor people | D. not worth seeing |
| A. Writing the Story | B. Actors and Actresses |
| C. A Director of the film | D. Making a Film． |
题型：阅读理解 题类：期中考试 难易度：较易
年份：2016
| A. are mainly caused by neurons firing |
| B. affect people mostly working on farms |
| C. help our brains better process information |
| D. have started troubling people in recent years |
| A. curious | B. determined | C. satisfied | D. cautious |
| A. phantom vibrations could probably result in obsessive behavior |
| B. the use of smartphones has completely changed the way our minds work |
| C. most people feel uncomfortable when they experience phantom vibrations |
| D. hospital workers are more likely to suffer from phantom vibrations than students |
| A. move to a quieter neighborhood |
| B. stop using smartphones in poor condition |
| C. take a break from using smartphones occasionally |
| D. keep a close watch on your anxiety levels． |
题型：阅读理解 题类：期中考试 难易度：较易
年份：2016
C
Children start out as natural scientists, eager to look into the world around them. Helping them enjoy science can be easy; there’s no need for a lot of scientific terms or expensive lab equipment. You only have to share your children’s curiosity. Firstly, listen to their questions. I once visited a classroom of seven-year-olds to talk about science as a job. The children asked me “textbook questions” about schooling, salary and whether I liked my job. When I finished answering, we sat facing one another in silence. Finally I said, “Now that we’re finished with your lists, do you have questions of your own about science?”
After a long pause, a boy raised his hand, “Have you ever seen a grasshopper（蚱蜢）eat? When I try eating leaves like that, I get a stomachache. Why?”
This began a set of questions that lasted nearly two hours.
Secondly, give them time to think. Studies over the past 30 years have shown that, after asking a question, adults typically wait only one second or less for an answer, no time for a child to think. When adults increase their “wait time” to three seconds or more, children give more logical, complete and creative answers.
Thirdly, watch your language. Once you have a child involved in a science discussion, don’t jump in with “That’s right” or “Very good”. These words work well when it comes to encouraging good behavior. But in talking about science, quick praise can signal that discussion is over. Instead, keep things going by saying “That’s interesting” or “I’d never thought of it that way before”, or coming up with more questions or ideas.
Never push a child to “Think”. It doesn’t make sense, children are always thinking, without your telling them to. What’s more, this can turn a conversation into a performance. The child will try to find the answer you want, in as few words as possible, so that he will be a smaller target for your disagreement.
Lastly, show; don’t tell. Real-life impressions of nature are far more impressive than any lesson children can learn from a book or a television program. Let children look at their fingertips through a magnifying glass（放大镜）, and they’ll understand why you want them to wash before dinner. Rather than saying that water evaporates（蒸发）, set a pot of water to boil and let them watch the water level drop.
| A. ask them to answer quickly |
| B. wait for one or two seconds after a question |
| C. tell them to answer the next day |
| D. wait at least for three seconds after a question |
| A. any questions |
| B. any problems |
| C. questions from textbooks |
| D. any number of questions |
| A. tell their children stories instead of reciting facts |
| B. offer their children chances to see things for themselves |
| C. be patient enough when their children answer questions |
| D. encourage their children to ask questions of their own |
| A. to take them to travel around the world |
| B. to share the children’s curiosity |
| C. to explain difficult phrases about science |
| D. to supply the children with lab equipment |
题型：阅读理解 题类：期中考试 难易度：较易
年份：2016
B
How many times in our lives do we wait? We wait for little things, such as our food at restaurants, tickets to see the newest movie and spring to come with new life. We wait for big things, such as our acceptance letters in the mail, our families to come home from war, our retirement to set us free from the binds of our career.
And so often when we wait, we feel as though we are wasting time. In this day and age, we are known as the here-and-now generation and our children are good at computers before they are fluent in English. There is no time to wait on our touch screens. There is no app for waiting.
We have forgotten the beauty of waiting. We have also forgotten the pleasure of hot chocolates being passed around and hands rubbing against one another, as we try to keep each other warm. We have forgotten the gossip we tell and stories we share as we wait for our waiter to come with our food. We have forgotten that the best part of Christmas is not Christmas Day, but the waiting for Christmas, the songs of snowmen and sleigh bells, the smell of eggnog around the fire and the stringing of lights around the house.
Nowadays we are so busy with “living life”, that we have forgotten that most of life is supposed to be spent on thinking, and then enjoying. We have turned the volume up and sped up the song, trying to drown out the wait around us.
I have learned that waiting is life’s best teacher. It teaches you the importance of stopping to look at the sky or listen to the sound of the wind. It pushes you to stay hopeful and forces you to be strong even though you don’t think you have any strength to give. It reminds you that sometimes you can’t have what you want here and now because it’s better that way.
My mother says I am spoiled because I have grown up in the age of technology. But sometimes I think, the word she is looking for is “deprived(贫穷的)”. We are deprived because we have too much. Too much that blinds us from what is essential. “I’ll wait for you” were some of the last words I said to my husband as he left for the army. They were similar to the words my grandfather said at his wife’s funeral. They were the same words my cousin whispered to me when I was afraid to use my grandfather’s outhouse in the dark. They were the words my brother used when he walked with me to the bus in the morning to school.
| A. live in a fast-paced world |
| B. don’t benefit from waiting |
| C. have too many things to wait for |
| D. don’t want to fall behind other people |
| A. making comparisons |
| B. providing examples |
| C. following the order of importance |
| D. following the order of time |
| A. the writer is sad that her mother doesn’t know her well |
| B. the writer’s mother didn’t receive a good education |
| C. it is technology that is to blame for people’s impatience |
| D. waiting has diverse implications in different situations |
题型：阅读理解 题类：期中考试 难易度：较易
年份：2016
| A. difficult | B. easy | C. funny | D. interesting |
| A. basic． | B. beautiful． | C. comfortable． | D. meaningful． |
| A. Where to Meet Friends？ |
| B. How to Make Friends？ |
| C. What Is a Friend Indeed？ |
| D. Everyone Needs Friends． |
题型：阅读理解 题类：期中考试 难易度：较易
年份：2016
Women make better drivers than men for many reasons. Why is that, do you suppose? Wouldn’t you think that competing at who has better driving abilities is pointless? If you ask me, I’d like to say, men know that women are better drivers but do not have the courage to admit the truth — women are queens of the road.
Unlike men, women stop for directions when they have no idea as to where they are going. We don’t drive around for hours pointlessly wasting a tank of gas only to find ourselves heading in the wrong direction. Have you ever be in a car with a man who is lost? He tells you to shut up when you begin to open your mouth. And every five minutes or so he takes a turn going forty-five miles per hour only to find out he’s made another wrong turn.
Speeding is what men do best on the road. Traffic is not a race. There is a reason why men get more speeding tickets than women. Not because we trick to get out of tickets but only because we don’t get pulled over as frequently. We don’t speed. We have more intelligence than senselessly to put our own lives as well as the lives of others in danger.
My largest issue with male drivers is how a majority of them drive with one hand on the wheel and the other hand doing only God knows what. The seat is backed as far as possible, and they’re totally lost into loud music beyond a necessary level. You don’t ever see women driving like that.
I feel that the above evidence more than proves my points that women are not only better drivers but also safer drivers than men. We women rule the road. Oh, and men, if you want to continue criticizing (批评) women for being bad drivers, bring it on.
| A. tell the man next to her to shut up |
| B. drive aimlessly for hours without stopping |
| C. take the wrong turns at a high speed |
| D. stop the car and ask people for help |
| A. women drivers have more responsibility for lives |
| B. women drivers often play tricks on the police in charge |
| C. men drivers are more confident and skillful in driving |
| D. men drivers usually have to be pulled over to the roadsides |
| A. positive | B. negative |
| C. neutral | D. indifferent |
（①=paragraph 1; ②=paragraph 2; ③=paragraph 3; ④=paragraph 4; ⑤=paragraph 5）
A.  | B.  |
C.  | D.  |
题型：阅读理解 题类：期中考试 难易度：较易
年份：2016
Americans plan parties for many reasons. As in other cultures, many Americans attend parties for weddings and religious or national holidays. But some parties are especially American. For example, a group of neighbors may gather on their street to eat food, play music and visit with one another. This is called a block party. A woman might invite a group of women to a party called a baby shower for a friend who is about to give birth. Guests bring presents for the new baby.
Americans also attend tailgate parties. A tailgate is the back end of a truck or other vehicle that opens down. The tailgate parties are a big part of sports culture in the United States. Friends bring food and drink to a sports event. They eat together in the parking area of the sports stadium.
Birthday parties are also very popular. Many parents organize a party for their child around a theme. Birthday parties usually include gifts and a birthday cake with candles. In many parts of the United States, cupcakes have become a popular replacement for cakes.
Birthday parties can be low cost or very costly. Some parents take their children’s birthday parties very seriously, even when the child is too young to fully understand the celebration.
One group of parents started a website called Birthdays Without Pressure. They decided that some parents were under too much social pressure to plan costly parties for their children. The group sees this movement as an example of America’s culture of “too much stuff”. The group’s website gives suggestions on how to keep birthday celebrations simple, meaningful and fun without spending a lot of money. Their advice may be very helpful during this period of economic recession (萧条)．
| A. Reasons for parties |
| B. Birthdays without pressure |
| C. American parties |
| D. Different parties in the world |
| A. 8. | B. 7 | C. 6 | D. 5. |
| A. Block party is especially American. |
| B. Some parties in America are the same as in other countries. |
| C. Birthday parties are the most popular in America . |
| D. There’s a party for the mother before her new baby is born. |
| A. relieve people’s pressure |
| B. spread America ’s culture |
| C. make birthday parties meaningful and costly |
| D. have meaningful birthday parties with low cost |
题型：阅读理解 题类：期中考试 难易度：较易
年份：2016
I had my first job at the age of thirteen, when a friend of my mother who owned a bookshop hired me for six hours a week to help her in the shop. I was very proud to earn my own pocket money and my parents never interfered with how I spent it, even when I was spending it foolishly. Theybelievedthat by earning money, spending it, and learning from the mistakes, I would become more mature and responsible about how to handle work, relationships with others, and money.
Like many American parents, my parents also let me and my brothers do things over which they worried a great deal. When I was sixteen, for example, after I finished high school and before I entered university, I wanted to spend the summer months traveling around Europe. My mother was against the idea of my traveling alone at such a young age, but my father felt that it would be a great experience for me. In the end, my father won the argument on the condition that I limited my traveling to France, my motherˈ s home, where I had many uncles, aunts and cousins spread out through the country who could provide shelter and help if I needed them.
Three years later, my younger brother decided to take a year off after his first year in university and travel through the United States and the Caribbean. Again my mother was very worried and not eager to see my brother leave school, but my father encouraged him and my brother had a fascinating year working his way on trains and ships to earn passage to different ports and cities, and discovering many fascinating places and people.
These kinds of experiences are probably rare for children in many countries but in the US they are fairly common. Most parents start pushing their children at a young age to do small things by themselves. By the time they have finished high school, many American kids have already had part-time jobs, traveled around the US or other countries on their own, have selected the university they plan to attend and maybe even decided on their future career, and so on.
| A. it could make the kids become braver |
| B. the kids could earn some pocket money |
| C. it could bring good to the kidsˈ future |
| D. the kids could find jobs more easily |
| A. his brother earned a lot of money by working |
| B. his brother gained valuable experiences during the travel |
| C. his brother didnˈt disappoint his father |
| D. his brotherˈs travel was better than his to France |
| A. The author went to France in order to see his relatives. |
| B. The authorˈs mother managed to stop the kids doing dangerous traveling. |
| C. Many American parents encourage their kids do things independently to prepare for the future. |
| D. The authorˈs brother gave up his university to travel in the USA and the Caribbean. |
题型：阅读理解 题类：期中考试 难易度：较易
年份：2016
D
The airline lost your baggage. The hotel laundry ruined your favorite shirt. The taxi driver asked for more money. When you're abroad, sometimes things go wrong. Now you can do something about it! Use these tips when you want to express an effective complaint in English.
No matter how unfair the situation is, it's best to express your complaint politely. In English, you'll sound more polite if you use indirect language. Here are some examples:
“I'm sorry to bother you...” Starting a complaint like this puts the listener who may have heard many complaints that day at ease. Use this phrase if the situation isn’t that serious. For example, “I'm sorry to bother you, but I wanted a baked potato, not fried.”
“Can you help me with this?” Everyone would rather be asked to do something than told! So try expressing your complaint as a request for help: “Can you help me with this? My shirt came back from the laundry without buttons.”
“I'm afraid there may be a misunderstanding.” This is a polite way of saying, “Your information is wrong. Please fix it now.” You'll most likely use this phrase if you made reservations(预定) for a flight, hotel or restaurant, and when you arrive, it's not what you expected. For example, “I'm afraid there may be a misunderstanding. I requested a non-smoking room.”
“I understand it's not your fault...” Often when you make a complaint, you deal with a person who was not directly responsible for the problem. But the problem isn't your fault, either! This phrase is helpful when you need swift action. Tell the person you're dealing with that you understand they're not at fault and then directly state the problem: “I understand it's not your fault, but the airline promised they would deliver my baggage yesterday.”
“Excuse me, but I understood that...” Using this phrase lets the person know you're well-informed and doubt they might be trying to take advantage of you. Don't say, “Hey! You’re trying to cheat me!” Instead, start indirectly by stating what you know to be true: “I understood that the taxi ride to the airport was only 25 dollars.” Then give them a chance to do the right thing.
| A. To give an introduction of life abroad. |
| B. To offer advice on giving complaints in English. |
| C. To give suggestions on how to learn English. |
| D. To offer guides to those who travel around the world. |
| A. use direct language to make others understand |
| B. go for the police immediately |
| C. state our complaints politely |
| D. fight against the one who is responsible |
| A. Because the situation is never serious. |
| B. Because the listener may not speak English. |
| C. Because we should be always in good manners abroad. |
| D. Because it can help solve the problem more easily. |
| A. “Can you help me with this?” |
| B. “I understand it's not your fault.” |
| C. “I'm afraid there may be a misunderstanding.” |
| D. “Hey! You’re trying to cheat me!” |
