May the first is an important date in the college admission process in the United States．This is the last day for high school seniors to accept or reject offers of admission in the fall．But according to a recent report, there is a great change．Acceptance rates at the top colleges this year were lower than ever．1. .
These days, college applicants are applying to more colleges because online and common applications make the process easier．2..On the other hand, deciding students for top colleges to accept can be difficult because it takes much time．Students may not like being put on waiting lists．Also, common colleges work more to get the students they accept to accept them．Some colleges hold visiting days that offer a chance to attend classes and stay overnight．Some universities send gifts．3. .
For many families, the most important thing colleges can do is show them the money, especially this year; the weak economy makes parents nervous．4.. The recent problems that spread from the housing market to credit markets have even affected student’s loans．So lately, top schools have to spare lots of money to increase their financial aid for students．5.. The Education Department expects the number of high school graduates to start to go down．This will happen as the last of the children of the baby boom generation finishes high school．The number is not expected to start rising again until 2019．
A．What contributes to it?
B．Besides, top colleges are facing changes in the population．
C．But a mistake can be costly if it happens．
D．It can mean several acceptances to choose from．
E．They have international students who know English．
F．But top colleges ignore them．
G．They cannot afford college as planned．
We are interested in the preservation of the biodiversity on Earth. What I’ve been working on is rats. Just looking at rats, you can understand continental drift and climate change. We’ve actually rediscovered rats that were thought to be extinct. Darwin was the last one to document them on the Galapagos Islands. People have gone there for hundreds of years and not seen one. In 1997, I went there with my mentor(导师) and another graduate student. Everyone thought I was crazy, why look for something that doesn’t exist? They wouldn’t even give us permits. Our plan was to stop on a beach for a day and then hike up to the top of an extinct volcano where very few people had been:We were on a picturesque, isolated beach. We set out the traps just to see what we might find. The next morning, I checked my traps! I immediately ran back to my mentor. When he looked in the mental trap—I will never forget his face--- It looked like he’d seen a ghost.
I certainly understand the argument: “ Who cares about an extinct rat?” but you have no idea what role that rat plays in that functioning ecosystem. People can appreciate beauty, so that’s why people love pandas and want to keep them around. You never hear, “What good is panda?” Ecologically, these rats are much more important to their ecosystem than those pandas--- not that I don’t love pandas but we have to look beyond the big and beautiful.
I teach conservation biology and evolution. In both you have to appeal to people asking “ Why is this important to me?” Some scientists refuse to do that. That’s my entire approach. I’ll ask “How many of you had a family member who was in a tornado, hurricane or flood?” .And almost every hand goes up. Climate change is suddenly very personal, and now they want to hear what you are saying. You are not looking for sympathy for the rats but for a greater understanding of the system.
1.When the author went to the Galapagos Island with his team in 1997,________.
A. they were led to an extinct volcano.
B. they were driven away from the islands
C. they were offered some useful information
D. they couldn’t be understood by other people
2.Seeing the rat in the trap, the author’s mentor felt____.
A. delighted B. astonished
C. satisfied D. frightened.
3.The author mentions pandas in Paragraph 2 to show______.
A. it is no use protecting pandas
B. it’s important to research on rats
C. it’s time we cared about ecosystems
D. it’s worthwhile to bring extinct rats back to life.
4.How does the author make his students focus on his lectures?
A. By letting them know the courses are closely related to them.
B. By informing them of the harm of climate change.
C. By telling them the influence of natural disasters.
D. By making them feel sorry for the rats.
Over 500 dogs being delivered to a butcher house were saved by a Chinese animal protection organization.
The incident then triggered a debate among Chinese netizens about the necessity of pouring so much money and efforts into saving dogs.
On Friday, a truck loaded with over 500 dogs were stopped by volunteers from animal protection organization on Jingha Expressway Beijing section. Beijing Times reported these dogs were being delivered to slaughter houses in the city of Changchun, northeast Jilin Province and would be eventually served on dinner tables.After negotiations with the truck driver, pet service provider Leepet Holding Corp. and a philanthropic foundation, Shang shan Foundation purchased these dogs, each paying 50,000 yuan. Dogs were then delivered to the headquarter of China Small Animal Protection Association (CSAPA), being taken care of and waiting for adoption.
After the “dog saving mission” was reported, Chinese net users debate over whether saving dogs is worth so much efforts and money while there are still many poor and needy people in China lacking assistance.Some net users argue the “dog saving mission” is placing overattention to animals while lots of needy people are still left unattended.A microblogger “Xiaowulaitajie” said on China's twitter like website, weibo.com, “Dogs are saved, adopted and they attracted media spotlight. We'd better spend such money and take such efforts in helping the needy people.”Another microblogger, Liluping, said “We poured such huge sum of money into saving dogs. I would rather the money was spent on disaster relief.”
Some applaud volunteers' actions and show eagerness of offering their helping hands to those saved dogs.
Still many disapprove those “saving dogs” critics, but they argue that such act nonetheless promotes social progress.
A microblogger named “broken bridge” said, saving dogs does not run counter to taking care of people. Such enthusiasm in public affairs will help raise social awareness in helping the needy.
I think people and animals are created equal. Attention should be paid to people as well as animals.
1.Where did the article come from?
A. A storybook.
B. A novel.
C. The Internet.
D. A magazine.
2.Which one has the similar meaning to the underlined phrase “run counter to” in the last but one paragraph?
A. meet with
B. agree with
C. go against
D. come across
3.The following statements are TRUE except .
A. These dogs were finally saved and adopted.
B. More than 25,000,000 yuan was given to the truck driver to purchase these dogs.
C. All the people don't think it right to save these dogs with so much money.
D. Some people think it better to spend the money in helping the needy people.
To err is human. To blame the other guy is even more human.
Common sense is not all that common.
Why tell the truth when you can come up with a good excuse?
These three popular sentences are meant to be jokes, and yet they tell us a lot about human nature .To err, or to make mistakes, is indeed a part of being human, but it seems that most people don’t want to accept the responsibility for the problem. Perhaps it is the natural thing to do .The original quote about human nature went like this: “ To err is human, to forgive, divine(神圣的).”.This saying mirrors an ideal people should be forgiving of others’ mistakes. Instead, we tend to do the opposite –find someone else to pass the blame on to. However, taking responsibility for something that went wrong is a making of great maturity.
Common sense is what we call clear thought. Having common sense means having a good general plan that will make things work well, and it also means staying with the plan. Common sense tells you that you take an umbrella out into a rainstorm, but you leave the umbrella home when you hear a weather forecast for sunshine．Common sense does not seem to be common for large organizations, because there are so many things going on that one person cannot be in charge of everything. People say that in a large company, “the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.”
And what is wrong with a society that thinks that making up a good excuse is like creating a work of art? One of the common problems with making excuses is that people, especially young people, get the idea that it’s okay not to be totally honest all the time. There is a corollary(直接推论)to that: if good excuse is “good” even if it isn’t honest, then where is the place of the truth?
1.According to the passage, which of following seems the most human?
A. To search for truth．
B. To achieve one’s ideal
C. To criticize others for one’s own error.
D. To make fun of others’ mistakes．
2.Which of the following is NOT based on common sense?
A. A man tries to take charge of everything in a large company.
B. A student goes out with an umbrella in stormy weather.
C. A company’s next move follows a good plan．
D. A lawyer acts on fine judgments．
3.What is the author’s opinion about a good excuse?
A. Bitter truth is better than a good excuse.
B. Inventing a good excuse needs creative ideas.
C. A good excuse is as rewarding as honesty.
D. Making a good excuse is sometimes a better policy.
4.What would be the best title for his passage?
A. To Blame or to Forgive B. A Mirror of Human Nature
C. A Mark of Maturity D. Truth or Excuse
Alaska Airlines has the cheapest fares around, but you receive superb service unequal to its price．In case you don’t know, Alaska Airlines does not just go to Alaska, but includes states such as Washington, California, and Hawaii．Our prices are reasonable and we offer great service．
Alaska Airlines is generous. For each bag you check in, it must weigh 50 pounds or less, which is extremely generous for domestic flights. Your baggage is allowed to be up to 62 inches in length. You’re also allowed one carry-on bag in addition to one personal item which can be a purse, a laptop computer, or a briefcase.
Not only do we give you the cheapest airfare, but we offer you a visa card which you can earn plenty of miles on. Upon approval, you will receive 25,000 Bonus Miles. From then on, for each dollar you charge to this card, you will receive 3 miles and there’s no limit to the amount of miles you can earn. You also receive a $99 round-trip discount code for a Companion Ticket each year for using this card. This is a sweet deal and very generous. Think about all of your purchases you make during the month. Now multiply that by three. You’re talking about a free trip cross country in just a few short months. Wow!
Alaska Airlines receives great reviews for its performance, punctuality, and professional service. In addition to its great reviews from customers, Alaska Airlines has received lots of awards and recognitions. Network Carriers in North America has rated Alaska Airlines for the highest in customer satisfaction for the past 4 years. We have also received the Executive Travel’s leading edge Award. We were also named on the 2011 Washington Green 50 list.
Alaska Airlines is quickly gaining the recognition it deserves, We’re adding higher expectations to the flying experience．Try it out．
1.Which of the following is TRUE about Alaska Airlines?
A. It has earned wide recognition from customers.
B. It has only three flying destinations.
C. It has received the most awards for its service in the US.
D. It provides good service matching the price.
2.You will be forbidden to broad Alaska Airlines’ flight if you _____________
A. have three bags in total
B. carry two suitcases on you
C. take a bag about 50 inches long
D. have a bag weighing 40 pounds or so
3.After you get the visa card they offer, ____________ .
A. you will receive 25,000 flying miles every year
B. you can earn three times more flying miles than usual
C. you will have 99 dollars off when buying a round-trip ticket
D. your free flying miles can be increased by purchasing with the card
4.What could be the best title for the text?
A. The Reasons for Alaska Airlines’ Success
B. Welcome to Broad Alaska Airlines
C. How to Earn Your Cheapest Flight Ever
D. Explore the Beauty of Alaska
假如你是李华，你的加拿大朋友Mike在与你同一城市的国际学校读书。你收到他的email了解到他最近因为一次考试没有考好而烦恼，请按照以下内容给Mike写一封回信。
1.宽慰他； 2.给予改进学习的建议（至少两点）； 3.邀请周末去打篮球。
注意：1.字数100字左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.开头和结尾已给出，不计入字数。
参考词汇：宽慰comfort
Dear Mike，
I’m sorry to hear that you failed in the last exam.________________________________________________
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Hoping everything will be fine with you.
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
