August has always been difficult for me. It is the time when I realize that the books my English teacher assigned to me are not going to read themselves and that I have a difficult month in front of me.

You might think that I don’t want to spend my summer reading, but that’s not the problem: I love reading. On the first day of my summer holidays this year, I went to the library and got “A Gathering of Old Men” by African-American writer Ernest Gaines. I enjoyed it very much. I read all the magazines that my parents subscribe to and spend about 30 minutes every day with the morning paper. So why do I hate summer reading for school? Because the books on summer reading lists are often slow-going and just uninviting. Teachers and librarians don’t understand that summer reading can be entertaining as well as educational. They choose books that a friend of my mother’s calls “spinach books”: good for you, but not much fun to take in. Every summer, I read them, hate them and get bitter about the experience.

This bitterness started three years ago when I was about to begin high school. As preparation, my English teacher told me to read “The Age of Innocence” by American author Edith Wharton. I’m sure there are many people who enjoyed “The Age of Innocence”—some might even say it’s their favorite book.

But I don’t think any of these people read it as a 14-year-old boy on his summer vacation.

“The Age of Innocence” is the story of a forbidden romance in New York 100 years ago. At 14, my only experience with romance was my love for baseball. I couldn’t imagine being in love, much less being in love in 1900. “The Age of Innocence” was totally different to my life.

Most of my required summer reading has been like that—books written in a style that plays up the adjectives and plays down the verbs. I guess teachers don’t think exciting plots make for “good literature”. To me, though, a good writer describes events and characters in a way that makes the reader want to know what happens next.

If I were making up a summer reading list, it would include “The Friends of Eddie Coyle” by George V. Higgins, “The Right Stuff” by Tom Wolfe, and “Into Thin Air” by Jon Krakauer. These are all books that have literary value but, just as important, can also entertain kids on vacation. If the teachers could stand a little fun in the books they assign, my Augusts would be a lot more enjoyable.

1.The author thinks he will have a difficult August because _______.

A. he doesn’t like reading in summer vacation

B. he is to read the books boring and not right for kids

C. he hates the English teacher assigning homework

D. he hates August

2.What can make students interested in August reading ought to be ______.

A. romantic                                 B. out of date

C. entertaining and educational         D. pure

3.The author listed such books as “The Friends of Eddie Coyle” because he thinks ______.

A. they can change his opinion

B. he can learn a lot more from them

C. they are of literary value, and enjoyable

D. he has to do as teachers tell him to

4.In the opinion of the author of this passage, a good writer should be _______.

A. one who describes events and characters in different ways

B. one who is full of imagination

C. one who is learned

D. one who uses a way of describing that makes the reader wish to know what to happen next

5.Which of the following could be the best title of this passage?

A. Why Can’t Teachers Set Us Fun Books?

B. I Don’t Like Reading on the Vacation

C. Teachers, Don’t Set Us Any Reading Assignments

D. Teachers, Set Us Free

    阅读下面短文,按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求,在空格处填入一个适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空,并将答案填写在答题卷标号的相应位置上.

New York’s high-class restaurant scene is in the depression, according to the newest Zagat survey  __1.___ (release) Tuesday, with price increase coming at a time  __2.__  diners say they           _  3.__ (eat) out less often and spending less in the face of dreadful economic conditions.

“Restaurants are clearly feeling the pinch (拮据) from the economic crisis”, said Tim Zagat, founder of the survey now in  　　　_　4.30th year which bases the food, decoration and service ratings for some 2,000 restaurants on feedback from restaurant patrons (食客).

 The influence was not _ _5._ (limit) to diners, either, the survey found. Restaurant openings declined for the first time since 2003,down to 119 from last year’s 163, and 187 just three years _­ _6.___.

Nearly 40 percent of the survey’s 38,000-plus respondents said they were coping _ _7._ _ the shaky economy by eating out less often and by going to __ 8._ _ (expensive) restaurants.

As a matter of fact, high-end diners were hit even harder, with a nearly 10 percent price increase. The findings were one _ _ 9.___ (explain) for a number of new burger, pizza and barbecue places that popped up this year, the survey noted. Even well-known chefs such as Alain Ducasse and Jean-Georges Vongerichten opened small restaurants _ _10._ _ noodle shops.

  阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从各题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该题涂黑。

In the company in which I work, each of us is afraid of at least one person. The lower your    1is, the more people you are afraid of.   2all the people are afraid of the twelve men at the top who helped    3and build the company and now own and direct it.

    All these twelve men are elderly now and drained (耗尽) by time and success of energy and ambition. Many have spent their whole lives here. They seem friendly and    4when I come across them in the halls and always modest when they ride with others in the public lifts. They    5work hard. They hold meetings, make promotions, and allow their names to be used on announcements that are prepared and issued by somebody else. Nobody is sure who really runs the company, but the company does run.

In the    6course of a business day I am afraid of Jack Green because my department is part of his department and Jack Green is my boss; Green is afraid of me because most of the work in my department is done for the Sales Department, which is more important than his department.

    Green distrusts me sometimes. He makes    7clear to me every now and then that he wishes to see everything    8out of my department before it's shown to other departments. I know he doesn't really mean this. He is too busy with his own work to pay that much attention to all of mine, and I'll bypass (避开) him on most of our assignments rather than    9his time and delay their    10to people who have an immediate need for them.

1.A. position     B. pay            C. salary         D. office

2.A. And             B. But          C. So           D. Because

3.A. find         B. buy            C. set            D. found

4.A. strict       B. responsible  C. content      D. honest

5.A. no more      B. no longer    C. no less      D. no shorter

6.A. normal       B. familiar     C. easy         D. busy

7.A. that        B. him          C. this         D. it

8.A. coming       B. making     C. producing      D. inventing

9.A. use up      B. make up      C. take up      D. break up

10.A. production      B. delivery       C. value          D. time

假如你叫李华，是一中的一名学生，请根据以下倡议书的内容写一封英文倡议书，谈谈作为中学生如何履行网络文明公约。

倡议书

各位同学：

为了创造良好的网络环境，我提倡大家文明上网，做文明网民。

1．吸取有益信息，拒绝不良网站。

2．合理安排时间，不沉醉于网络。

3．友好聊天，不随意约见网友。

4．互相尊重，不侵害他人隐私。

让我们共同携手，让网络更好地为我们的学习和生活服务。

高三六班    李华

注意：

1．词数：100左右

2．开头已经给出，但不计入总词数。

3．参考词汇：网络环境   network environment; 文明网民 civilized netizen

Everyone,

I am Li Hua from Class Six， Grade Three.                                         

Last winter vocation ,some of my classmates decide to   1.

travel with their friends, while I chose to take part-time job 2.

to gain experience and earn some money. I learned from my   3.

teacher that a nearby company was looking after students 4.

with good handwriting to write addresses on envelope. The   5.

pay were 10 cents per envelope. I headed for the company,   6.

feeling sure I would easy finish 300 envelopes in five hours and    7.

to earn the money. Actually, I only finished 200. Now, I 8.

fully understand how hard is to earn money, Getting out   9.

of the classroom is indeed necessary for we all.            10.

1.Jim said that the whitewater rafting trip was full of         (刺激).

2.“Mind your         （行为）”, the mother said to her young boy.

3.I have a(n)         （负面的）opinion about this matter.

4.All the pupils are asked to sit         （直）while listening to the teacher.

5.She is not beautiful; she does not         （相似）her mother.

6.Can you understand this passage without e         ?

7.Light travels much fast than sound w         .

8.They have some s         dishes not found anywhere else.

9.These people are in danger because they have just eaten some p         food.

10.We are c         building a new road but have not decided yet.

Man：The time has come to say goodbye.

Woman：So soon.   1..

Man：  2..

Woman：It certainly has been a pleasure seeing you again and talking about old days.

Man：    3.. And I really want to thank you for spending so much time showing me the sights,

Woman：    4..It gave me a chance to get away from my everyday work and do something a little different.

Man：  5..

Woman：Oh, yes, That’s our present plan unless something bad comes up. I should be there in early September.

Man：I’ll be expecting you.

A．I’ve had a nice time.

B．It seems as if you just got here.

C．But I have to leave here now.

D．Oh, it was fun for me , too.

E．Are you sure you can make it?

F．I feel that way, too.

G．Will you be out to see me next year as you promised?

Come over and lend a helping hand in our non-profit unusual animal sanctuary（动物保护区）and educational facility in Sunny Florida! We are devoted to the lifetime care of deserted, retired, abused or otherwise homeless exotic（奇异的）animals to prevent them from being destroyed.

The animals that come here for sanctuary are given permanent homes. They are not sold, transferred, given away or bred ; they’ are simply here to be protected from harm. Great care is given to the animals to ensure that their medical, nutritional, and emotional needs are met on a daily basis. With the help from our supporters, we are able to provide permanent habitats for these animals on our 36-hectare compound.

You live in camping facilities at the sanctuary. Hot showers and laundry facilities are at your disposal. Facilities to relax after working hours are available.

Food, mostly home cooked, is included in the fee.Special arrangements, such as vegetarian food can be made.

What makes your stay here most important is that you will learn a lot about the knowledge and experience it takes to care for the different species at the sanctuary. You will also learn how to work around the animals without risk of being hurt as some of the animals are wild and need special handling and caution when working close by.

You must be in good physical condition and be able to bear heat.

You must be able to speak or at least understand English.You must be aged 18 or older. You must be available for at least two weeks.

• Recommended retail prices for 2006

Minimum two weeks participation $ 597 ; every week extra $ 298.

• Airport pick-up/drop-off

An airport pick-up/drop-off can be provided at the days of arrival/departure from the project, in between 9:00 and 21:00 hrs.The cost for the pick-up and/drop-off both together are $ 110.

1.What is the purpose of this passage?

    A．To call on people to take part in their volunteer action of protecting animals.

    B．To inform of readers something they are doing for the animals.

    C．To raise money for this non-profit project.

D．To introduce their sanctuary to the tourists.

2.All of the following are true EXCEPT that ________

    A． you must stay for at least half a month

B． it’s a job without pay and there may be some danger

    C．anybody is able to take part in the volunteer work

    D．you have to pay extra money for the pick-up and drop-off

3.How much will you pay if you want to be there for 4 weeks with a pick-up and a drop-off?

    A．$ 597.         B．$ 596.         C．$ 1303.        D．$ 1193.

4.What may be the most worthwhile thing you do at the sanctuary?

    A．See exotic animals that cannot he seen anywhere else.

    B．Get knowledge about caring different kinds of animals.

    C．Try some vegetarian food.

    D．Learn how to escape being hurt by dangerous animals.

Turning on the TV, a wonderful scene comes to your eyes---- a group of men, tall, strong and handsome. and women , young, beautiful and attractive, too. Together they eat in the finest restaurant, traveling everywhere around the world by luxurious planes and pleasure ships. They are models.

Do you envy them? What sort of life are model leading? Is it a wonderful life for a young lady or a young man?

A few models are well-known actors or actresses who can make a big money only by showing themselves off in commercials. But the majority of them are just curious to see what it is like. They’d like to be models just because they are attracted by what they imagine— models earn a lot of money and lead a glorious life. This is true for those who are very successful. However, most models find it difficult to get work. Very few can earn enough to live on, and for all models their expenses are high.Their agents claim about 20% of the earnings, and no model will get very far without a clever agent. Besides, they have to buy good clothing. They also have to pay to travel to interviews and reach the places where the work is to be done.

Interviews for a model job are known as cattle-markets in the modelling world, and not without a good reason. A top model can choose his or her work, demand and receive high fee and has his or her expenses paid. But for most models, the situation is quite different. An agent or employer inspects each model much as a farmer inspects cattle at a market. Intelligence, qualifications and personal characteristics count for little against good looks and the tight figure. For all except the very few lucky ones, the life of a model is a continual search for work, trying to sell herself or himself in the face of fierce competition and, sometimes, not particularly moral standard on the part of some employers.

Immigration officials at airport look suspiciously at a girl whose passport shows her occupation as “Model”, and these are men and women of considerable experience of the world. If comes no surprise to find that some models prefer to put “Secretary” or “Businessman” as their jobs in their passports.

Modelling is a changeable world with great rewards for a tiny minority but not for the majority.

1.For models, their good looks and tight figures are_____ , compared with their qualifications and intelligence.

    A． more important                       B． less needed

    C．less essential                   D．more looked down upon

2.Which of the following can lead you to believe according to the passage?

    A．A model’s travelling expenses are usually paid by his employer.

    B．To be a model ,good looks are the most important qualification.

    C．Most models have a fairly easy way of life with high pay.

    D．A model can hardly be successful without a good agent.

3.Models often put “Secretary” or“Businessmen” instead of“Model” in their passports because

               .

    A．they want to avoid being stopped to sign their names by fans

    B．a person with the occupation of a model is easily attacked by black societies.

    C．models are sometimes looked down upon

    D．secretaries and businessmen are free of Customs duty

4.What may be the author’s attitude toward modelling?

    A．It is a worthwhile life for a young lady or a young man.

    B． He is in favour of young people to try modelling.

    C． Before being crazy about a model job ,young people should be aware of the difficulties.

    D．It is a field in which everyone has a great chance to succeed.

5.The underlined word “suspiciously” can most probably be replaced by ________

    A．doubtfully     B．excitedly      C．proudly        D．sadly

Not long ago, making a baby boy or a baby girl was pretty much a hit-or-miss affair, but not any more now. Parents who have accuracy, as Monique and Scott Collins learned to their delight two years ago, when their long-wished-for daughter Jessica was born after genetic pre-screening at a fertility clinic in Fairfax, Virginia.

And baby Jessica is just the beginning. Within a decade or two, it may be possible to screen kids almost before pregnancy(怀孕) , such as how tall they are likely to be, what baby type they will have, their hair and eye color, and even their IQ and personality types.

In fact , if gene therapy lives up to its promise, parents may some day be able to go beyond weeding out undesirable trials and start actually inserting the genes they want, perhaps even genes that have been crafted in a lab. Parents may be going to fertility clinics and picking from a list of choices the way car buyers order air conditioning or wheels. “It’s the most exciting shopping” experience designing your baby.” says biotechnology（生物工艺学） critic, Jeremy Rifkin, who is concerned about the prospect（前景）. “In a society that is used  to cosmetic surgery（整形手术）, this is not a big step.”

The prospect of designer babies, like many of the ethical（伦理）problems caused by the genetic revolution, is causing the doctors, ethicists, religious leaders and politicians of the whole world to start a fierce conflict , who are trying to decide how they feel about it all.

They still have a bit of time. Apart from gender, the only trails that can now be identified at the earliest stages of development are about a dozen of the most serious genetic diseases. Gene therapy in embryos（胚胎） is at least a few years away. And the gene or combination of genes responsible for most of our physical and mental attributes hasn’t even been identified yet, so the idea of engineering genes in or out is of no practical meaning.

1.What is gene therapy supposed to do if it lives up to its promise?

    A．Screen a baby for sex.           B． Choose a baby’ s eve color.

    C． Implant genes.                  D． Identify genetic disorder.

2.According to the passage , what scientists can do with the genetic testing technology now is to_______.

    A．screen a baby’s sex             B．screen babies for desirable qualities

    C．put in genes parents want        D．craft genes in a lab

3.What can best describe Jeremy Rifkin’s attitude toward designing babies through gene therapy?

    A．Strongly supportive              B． Warmly welcome.    

    C．Uninterested.                    D． Critical.

4.From the passage we know that         .

    A．designing babies is purely scientific not to cause ethical problems

    B．designing babies may bring people a lot of ethical concerns

    C．scientists are now working against time to design babies

    D． people are concerned about the harm clone to science by designing babies