A few years ago I chose to carry out a “word of the year”. As I began 2014, I looked forward to how the word “________“ would shape the coming year.

I planned to give a gift a day for the ________ year. Some gifts would take time to prepare. Some of the other gifts came about more ________, such as helping someone cross the street. But either way, I always tried to seek a(n) ________ to serve.

Some gifts in 2014 ________ reading to my next door’s kids. I ________ that as my gift of the day. My mind is still crowded with precious ________ now.

Twice I left a few coins ________ on the sidewalk for a kid to find. It may have ________ a few cents, but I considered it a chance to ________ another person’s day. Along the way, I also made my own day pleasant.

One of my most ________ gifts throughout the whole year was letting other ________ go ahead of me in line at stores. Once again, ________ standing in line at a store one day, my son told me somebody ________ us had only two things to ________ I signed to the person to take our place in line. The few ________ minutes of wait time passed with hardly realizing it. They were minutes passing ________.

Although this act of ________ didn’t deserve something surprising, it remains one of my ________ gifts of 2014 and all because I saw how my ________ to give had become part of my children’s lives as well.

1.A. luck    B. gift    C. health    D. money

2.A. entire    B. next    C. previous    D. final

3.A. formally    B. regularly    C. suddenly    D. naturally

4.A. job    B. routine    C. opportunity    D. excuse

5.A. included    B. suggested    C. required    D. kept

6.A. looked into    B. looked upon    C. went over    D. went for

7.A. events    B. changes    C. motivations    D. memories

8.A. accidentally    B. cautiously    C. deliberately    D. constantly

9.A. cost    B. made    C. wasted    D. occupied

10.A. shorten    B. brighten    C. start    D. appreciate

11.A. expensive    B. special    C. expected    D. repeated

12.A. friends    B. relatives    C. customers    D. managers

13.A. while    B. once    C. since    D. though

14.A. beyond    B. behind    C. ahead of    D. next to

15.A. donate    B. serve    C. purchase    D. share

16.A. necessary    B. endless    C. limited    D. extra

17.A. rapidly    B. slowly    C. casually    D. painfully

18.A. uniting    B. delivering    C. receiving    D. giving

19.A. perfect    B. favorite    C. strangest    D. richest

20.A. ability    B. arrangement    C. choice    D. hesitation

Oumuamua,an object through space that was discovered on October 19th, has already made history.The speed at which it is moving relative to the sun means that it cannot be native to the solar system. Its official name is thus II/2017 UI, with the “I” standing for “interstellar(星际)”—the first time this name has ever been used.

That is exciting.Some scientists, though, entertain an even more exciting possibility: what if Oumuamua is not an asteroid(小行星),as most think, but an alien(外星的)spacecraft? Asteroids come in ll sorts of shapes and sizes, but Oumuamua seems particularly different.As best as astronomers can tell, it is cigarlike,being roughly 180 meters long but only about 30 meters wide.That makes it longer than anything known of in the solar system.Such a shape would be a sensible choice for a spaceship,since it would minimize the scouring(冲刷)effect of interstellar dust.

With that in mind the Breakthrough Listen project, an organization aimed at hunting for alien life, plans to turn the world’s biggest radio telescope,the Green Bank instrument in Virginia,towards Oumuamua to see if it can hear anything interesting.Oumuamua is currently about twice as far from Earth as Earth is from the sun. At that range,the telescope should be sensitive enough to pick up a transmitter about as powerful as a mobile phone after just a few seconds—worthy of observations.

Will it find anything? Almost certainly not.Oumuamua has the same reddish color as many as asteroids,so probably has a similar composition.And, if it really is a spaceship, it is strange that signs of its artificial origin have not been seen already.It could, in theory, be a derelict(遗弃星球). But in that case the telescope is unlikely to hear anything. By far the most likely option is that it is exactly what it seems to be: a huge space rock, one that has come to the solar system from the vast space between the stars.

1.What makes some scientists think Oumuamua is possibly an alien spacecraft?

A. Its size.    B. Its color.

C. Its shape.    D. Its speed.

2.What does the underlined word“that”in the third paragraph probably mean?

A. The research into the solar system.

B. The purpose of hunting for alien life.

C. The effect of interstellar dust on Oumuamua.

D. The possibility of Oumuamua being a spaceship.

3.What is Oumuamua most likely to be according to the author?

A. An asteroid.    B. A space rock.

C. Interstellar dust.    D. An alien spacecraft.

4.It can be inferred from the last paragraph that__________.

A. Oumuamua will return to where it’s from soon

B. Oumuamua’s real identity remains to be found out

C. astronomers have not seen signs of Oumuamua’s artificial origin

D. the Green Bank telescope has already heard something from Oumuamua

Our perception of hoe food tastes is influenced by cutlery like knives, forks, and spoons, research suggests.

“Size, weight, shape and color all have an effect on flavor,” says a University of Oxford team. Cheese tastes saltier when eaten from a knife rather than a fork; while white spoons make yoghurt taste better, experiments show.

The study in the journal Flavour suggests the brain makes judgments on food even before it goes in the mouth. More than 100 students took part in three experiments looking at the influence of weight, color and shape of cutlery on taste. The researchers found that when the weight of the cutlery is consistent with expectations, this had an influence on how the food tastes. For example, food tasted sweeter on the small spoons that are traditionally used to serve desserts.

Color contrast was also an important factor-white yoghurt eaten from a white spoon was rated sweeter than white yoghurt tasted on a black spoon. Similarly, when testers were offered cheese on a knife, spoon, fork or toothpick, they found that the cheese on a knife tasted saltiest.

“How we experience food is a multisensory experience involving taste, feel of the food in our mouths, pleasant smells, and the feasting of our eyes,” said Pro. Charles Spence and Dr. Vanessa Harrar. “Even before we put food into our mouths, our brains have made a judgment about it, which affects our overall experience.”

Past research has shown that china can change our perception of food and drink. For example, people generally eat less when food is served on smaller plates. “The new research into how the brain influences food perception could help dieters or improve gastronomic（美食的）experiences at restaurants,” said Pro. Spence. He told BBC News: “There’s a lot more to food than what’s on the plate. Many things we thought didn’t matter do. We’re going to see a lot more of neuroscience（神经科学）design around mealtimes.”

1.According to the text, we know that the cheese used in the experiment is ________.

A. salty    B. sour

C. sweet    D. bitter

2.What do we know about the weight of the cutlery in paragraph 3?

A. It is important for people.

B. People usually don’t care about it.

C. It affects how the food tastes.

D. It is always different from people’s expectation.

3.What does the underlined word “multisensory” in Paragraph 5 probably mean?

A. Coming from the senses.

B. Involving many different senses.

C. Able to feel or perceive.

D. Easily affected by other feelings.

4.What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A. Research on cutlery is of great importance.

B. Research on food will be continued in the future.

C. Research on the effect of nerves on the taste of food will be done.

D. Research on plates and food will be carried out in the near future.

Bob Dylan, the 75-year-old rock legend received the Nobel Prize for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition. Sara Danius, permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, said Dylan had been chosen because he was a great poet in the English speaking tradition.

Dylan, born on May 24, 1941 is an American songwriter, singer, artist, and writer. He has been influential in popular music and culture for more than five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s. Early songs such as Tangled up in Blue, Blowing in the Wing and The Times Are a-Changing became anthems（颂歌）for the American civil fights and anti-war movements. Leaving behind his initial base in the American folk music revival（复兴）, his six-minute single Like a Rolling Stone, recorded in 1965, enlarged the range of popular music.

Dylan’s lyrics（歌词）include a wide range of political, social, philosophical, and literary features. His recording career, spanning more than 50 years, has explored the traditions in American song---from folk, blues, and country to rock and roll, and rockabilly to English, Scottish, and Irish folk music, embracing even jazz and the Great American Songbook. Dylan performs with guitar, keyboards, and harmonica. Backed by a changing lineup of musicians, he has toured steadily since the late 1980s on what has been called the Never Ending Tour. His accomplishments as a recording artist and performer have been central to his career, but songwriting is considered his greatest contribution.

Since 1994, Dylan has published six books of drawings and paintings, and his work has been exhibited in major art galleries. As a musician, Dylan has sold more than 100 million records, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. He has also received numerous awards including eleven Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and an Academy Award. In May 2012, Dylan received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama.

1.Why was Bob Dylan awarded the Nobel Prize?

A. Because he invented many music expressions.

B. Because his lyrics in his songs rhymed like poems.

C. Because his works had the characteristics of Rock.

D. Because he changed the English speaking tradition.

2.Which of Dylan’s works expended the area of popular music?

A. Like a Rolling Stone    B. Blowing in the Wind

C. Tangled up in Blue    D. The Times Are a-Changing

3.According to the passage, Bob Dylan can be best described as ________.

A. knowledgeable and generous    B. talented and socially responsible

C. thoughtful and warm-hearted    D. hard-working and ambitious

4.What is considered to be Dylan’s greatest contribution in his career?

A. Composing Poems.    B. Giving performances.

C. Making records.    D. Writing songs.

1.A traveler will enjoy a performance if he chooses ________.

A. the Essential Tour    B. the Backstage Tour

C. Opera High Tea    D. any of the tours

2.Joining the Backstage Tour, a traveler ________.

A. is allowed to wear sport shoes when standing on the stage

B. will have an opportunity to be the conductor of the orchestra

C. can take his big family of 8 members to free breakfast except him

D. can buy the discount ticket the day before the tour

3.If a couple who travelled with their 17-year-old son joined the Essential Tour and had a meal of $150 there, what would the lowest cost be if paid in cash?

A. $203.25.    B. $214.5.

C. $225.    D. 239.25.

假如你是新华中学的学生李华，你的英国朋友Tom非常喜欢中国的传统文化，想到你校来学习一年的汉语，请根据以下要点用英语给他写一封电子邮件。

1．介绍你们学校：①百年历史；②48个教学班，300多名教职工；③坐落在山脚下，一条小河穿过校园。

2．他将面临的困难或问题：①语言障碍；②思乡。

3．你的建议。

注意：1．词数100左右；

2．可适当增加细节；

3．信的开头和结尾已经给出，但不计入总词数。

Dear Tom,

I’m very glad to hear that you are coming to our school to learn Chinese for a year. Here I’ll introduce our school first.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

Yours sincerely,

Li Hua

短文改错

An old man had been waiting for the bus stop. After a few minutes, the bus arrived and did not stop. The man who thought it would stop a bit farther, so he started running after the bus. Fortunately, the bus never stop.

The man kept follow the bus until he realized that he arrived home. The man was so happy that he could save a bit money. He happily told his wife, “Honey, today I ran after the buses until arriving home. I didn’t have to pay the fee.” Surprising, the wife blamed her husband, “ Do you know how many you could save if you ran after a taxi?”

阅读下面短文，根据以下提示：1）汉语提示，2）首字母提示，3）语境提示，在每个空格内填人一个适当的英语单词，所填单词要求意义准确，拼写正确，并将该词完整地写在答题卡中相应的横线上。

Mr. Smith offers us some advice on how to write a goodcomposition, which i1.the following steps. Firstly, we should read the topic c2.and organize our ideas. Then we start to shape our thoughts 3.our own word and finish our writing in the g4.time. After that, we have to check our compositions, paying attention to 5.（语法）and spelling. It is very important to read them aloud to 6.（自己）or someone else form 7. to end. Lastly, we had better ask our teachers or classmates for advice on how to improve our writing. If 8.（可能）, we may leave them alone for some time before reading again 9.will help a great deal. I hope you will b10.a lot from the advice above.

When I came to my new school three years ago, I was surprised at how lonely I felt. Then one of my classmates invited me to her house for a dinner______ I was a little anxious, but finally I gladly______.

Not really knowing how______he bus ride should be, ______ when I saw the landmarks ______ on my fiend's hand dawn map. But when I got close enough to the ______. I found none of the streets were shown on the map. I was______on a busy road with cars driving past without a person in sight. I had no______when the next bus would come, ______ when a bus did come by, I ______ got on. I told the bus driver where I wanted' o go and he said that I had caught he ______bus, but he let me stay on. After he had finished his scheduled bus route, he______ to help me out. I grateful showed him my little hand--drawn map but______did not help much.

He finally ______ me off at a main road to catch a different bus and was______that he could not help me more. After a few minutes of walking, I noticed a bus pull up near me. It was the ______ bus driver. He explained that he didn't want to leave me there______. He sent out a call and someone radioed back, saying that the bus I needed to catch was about ten minutes away. At last I made it to the dinner party______. I was over an hour late, I am forever thankful for the ______ that this bus driver had for me. His act of kindness left a______ on my heart.

1.A. meal    B. party    C. meeting    D. time

2.A. accepted    B. refused    C. got    D. received

3.A. far    B. difficult    C. long    D. bad

4.A. drove on    B. walked away    C. hurried by    D. got off

5.A. show    B. showing    C. shown    D. to show

6.A. street signs    B. tall buildings    C. traffic lights    D. back yards

7.A. queuing    B. siting    C. standing    D. waiting

8.A. meaning    B. idea    C. problem    D. way

9.A. so    B. yet    C. but    D. still

10.A. suddenly    B. luckily    C. finally    D. quickly

11.A. right    B. wrong    C. best    D. fastest

12.A. supplied    B. refused    C. offered    D. wanted

13.A. it    B. he    C. she    D. they

14.A. kept    B. dropped    C. drove    D. turned

15.A. eager    B. worried    C. sorry    D. disappointed

16.A. same    B. next    C. kind    D. silly

17.A. helpless    B. lonely    C. unaccompanied    D. alone

18.A. after    B. although    C. until    D. when

19.A. respect    B. concern    C. help    D. love

20.A. mark    B. sign    C. symbol    D. line

Long ago, people believed that in the future we would work less, have more free time and get more relaxed. 1.

Today we work harder, work longer hours and have more stresses than ten years ago. We walk faster, talk faster and sleep less than previous generations. And although we use machines that save us time, we have less free time than our parents and grandparents. 2. An American journalist James Gleick in a new book, says that people are suffering from “ hurry sickness” --- we’re trying to do more things in less time. As a result, our lives are stressful. He says that if we don’t slow down, we won’t live as long as our parents. 3.

Newspaper articles today are shorter and the headlines are bigger. Most people don’t have enough time to read the articles, so they only read the headlines. On TV and the radio, newspapers speak more quickly than ten years ago. In the USA, there is a book called One-Minute Bedtime Stories for children. These are shorter versions of traditional stories, specially written for “busy parents” who want to save time! Some answer phones now have “quick playback” buttons so that we can replay people’s messages faster--- we can’t waste time listening to people speaking at the normal speed! 4. Ten years ago when people went to art galleries they spent seconds looking at each picture. Today they spend just three three seconds! Nowadays, many people prefer faster and dynamic sports like basketball.

5. Our cars are faster but the traffic is worse, so we drive more slowly. We spend more time sitting in our cars, feeling stressed. Experts predict that in ten years the average speed on the road in cities will be only 17 km/h.

A.People didn’t feel stressed ten years ago.

B.But unluckily, this has not happened yet.

C.Even when we relax we do everything more quickly.

D.But what is this doing to our health?

E.For most people, being faster doesn’t mean being better.

F.The only thing that is slower than before is the way we drive.

G.Now everything is faster than before, which bring us more convenience.