This brief book is aimed at high school students, but speaks to anyone learning at any stage of life．

Its formal, serious style closely matches its content, a school-masterly book on schooling．The author, W．H．Armstrong, starts with the basics: reading and writing．In his opinion, reading doesn’t just mean recognizing each word on the page; it means taking in the information, digesting it and incorporating it into oneself just as one digests a sandwich and makes it a part of himself．The goal is to bring the information back to life, not just to treat it as dead facts on paper from dead trees．Reading and writing cannot be completely separated from each other; in fact, the aim of reading is to express the information you have got from the text．I’ve seen it again and again：some-one who can’t express an idea after reading a text is just as ineffective as someone who hasn’t read it at all．

Only a third of the book remains after that discussion, which Armstrong devotes to specific tips for studying languages, math, science and history．He generally handles these topics thoroughly（透彻地） and equally, except for some weakness in the science and math sections and a bit too much passion（激情） regarding history to his students, that was a hundred times more than my history teachers ever got across．To my disappointment, in this part of the book he ignores the arts．As a matter of fact, they demand all the concentration and study that math and science do, though the study differs slightly in kind．Although it’s commonly believed that the arts can only be naturally acquired, actually, learning the arts is no more natural than learning French or mathematics．

My other comment is that the text aged．The first edition apparently dates to the 1960s—none of the references（参考文献）seem newer than the late 1950s．As a result, the discussion misses the entire computer age．

These are small points, though, and don’t affect the main discussion．I recommend it to any student and any teacher, including the self-taught student．

1.According to Armstrong, the goal of reading is to ________．

A．gain knowledge and expand one’s view

B．understand the meaning between the lines

C．express ideas based on what one has read

D．get information and keep it alive in memory

2.The author of the passage insists that learning the arts _________．

A．requires great efforts

B．demands real passion

C．is less natural than learning maths

D．is as natural as learning a language

3.What is a shortcoming of Armstrong’s work according to the author?

A．Some ideas are slightly contradictory．

B．There is too much discussion on studying science．

C．The style is too serious．

D．It lacks new information．

4.This passage can be classified as________．

A．an advertisement B．a book review

C．a feature story D．A news report

5.Which of the following words can best describe the author’s attitude towards the book_____。

A．positive      B．neutral

C．negative     D．objective

The easy way out isn't always easiest．I learned that lesson when I decided to treat Doug, my husband of one month, to a special meal．I glanced through my cookbook and chose a menu which included homemade bread．Knowing the bread would take time, I started on it as soon as Doug left for work．As I was not experienced in cooking, I thought if a dozen was good, two dozen would be better, so I doubled everything．As Doug loved oranges, I also opened a can of orange and poured it all into the bowl．Soon there was a sticky dough （面团） covered with ugly yellowish marks．Realizing I had been defeated, I put the dough in the rubbish bin outside so I wouldn't have to face Doug laughing at my work．I went on preparing the rest of the meal and, when Doug got home, we sat down to Cornish chicken with rice．He tried to enjoy the meal but seemed disturbed．Twice he got up and went outside, saying he thought he heard a noise．The third time he left, I went to the windows to see what he was doing．Looking out, I saw Doug standing about three feet from the rubbish bin, holding the lid up with a stick and looking into the container．When I came out of the house, he dropped the stick and explained that there was something alive in our rubbish bin．Picking up the stick again, he held the lid up enough for me to see．I felt cold．But I stepped closer and looked harder．Without doubt it was my work．The hot sun had caused the dough to double in size and the fermenting yeast （酵母） made the surface shake and sigh as though it were breathing．I had to admit what the "living thing" was and why it was there．I don't know who was more embarrassed by the whole thing--- Doug or me．

1.The writer's purpose in writing this story is ________．

A．to tell an interesting experience

B．to show the easiest way out of a difficulty

C．to describe the trouble facing a newly married woman

D．to explain the difficulty of learning to cook from books

2.Why did the woman's attempt at making the bread turn out to be unsuccessful?

A．The canned orange had gone bad．

B．She didn't use the right kind of flour．

C．The cookbook was hard to understand．

D．She did not follow the directions closely．

3.Why did the woman put the dough in the rubbish bin?

A．She didn't see the use of keeping it

B．She meant to joke with her husband．

C．She didn't want her husband to see it．

D．She hoped it would soon dry in the sun．

4.What made the dough in the bin look frightening?

A．The rising and falling movement．

B．The strange-looking marks．

C．Its shape．

D．Its size．

5.When Doug went out the third time, the woman looked out of the window because she was_____．

A．surprised at his being interested in the bin

B．afraid that he would discover her secret

C．unhappy that he didn't enjoy the meal

D．curious to know what disturbed him

All the housewives who went to the new supermarket had one great ambition: to be the lucky customer who did not have to pay for her shopping．For this was what the notice just inside the entrance promised．It said: “Remember, once a week, one of our customers gets free goods．This May Be Your Lucky Day!”

For several weeks Mrs. Edwards hoped, like many of her friends, to be the lucky customer．Unlike her friends, she never gave up hoping．The cupboards in kitchen were full of things which she did not need．Her husband tried to advise her against buying things but failed．She dreamed of the day when the manager of the supermarket would approach her and say: “Madam, this is Your Lucky Day．Everything in your basket is free．”

One Friday morning, after she had finished her shopping and had taken it to her car, she found that she had forgotten to buy any tea．She dashed back to the supermarket, got the tea and went towards the cash-desk．As she did so, she saw the manager of the supermarket approach her．“Madam,” he said, holding out his hand, “I want to congratulate you! You are our lucky customer and everything you have in your basket is free!”

1.The housewives learnt about the free goods _______．

A．on TV                             B．at the supermarket

C．from the manager                  D．from the newspaper

2.Mrs. Edwards ________．

A．is always very lucky

B．had no friends

C．hoped to get free shopping

D．gets disappointed easily

3.Mrs. Edwards’s husband tried to ________．

A．make her unhappy           B．cheer her up

C．buy things with her        D．stop her buying things

4.Mrs. Edwards went back to the supermarket quickly because she had to _______．

A．buy another thing                     B．talk to the manager

C．pay for her shopping                   D．find her shopping

5.Mrs. Edwards must have been ________．

A．pleased        B．delighted

C．proud         D．disappointed

Nick Petrels is a doctor in Montreal. He works 60 hours a week. He takes care of 159 patients a week in the hospital and at his office. He's been a doctor for ten years.

Dr. Petrels gives his patients good medical advice. But he doesn't just tell his patients what to do. He also sings to them on television! Dr. Petrels has his own TV show. The show is in Italian, English and French. The doctor starts the show with a song and then gives medical advice. He explains a medical problem or disease in simple language. After that, he sings another song.

Dr. Petrels produces and performs in his own show every week. The program is very popular with his patients and with people who enjoy his singing. His dream is to perform(表演) in Las Vegas. His favorite songs are love songs, and he has a compact disk of love songs that he wrote. Dr. Petrels says, "I always loved to sing. All my problems are gone when I sing." But when Dr. Petrels was young, his father didn't want him to be a singer, so he went to medical school.

Some people tell Dr. Petrels he can help people more as a doctor. But Dr. Petrels says he helps people when he sings, too. "I like to make people smile. Sometimes it's difficult to make a sick person smile. Medicine and entertainment(娱乐) both try to do the same thing. They try to make people feel good."

1. Dr. Petrels works 60 hours a week, because he _______.

A. gives his patients medical advice

B. takes care of 159 patients a week

C. sings on television

D. has his own TV show

2.Dr. Petrels _______, so he is called a singing doctor.

A. A. has been a doctor for ten years

B. always loved to sing

C. is popular with his patients

D. also sings to his patients on TV

48. In his TV show, Dr. Petrel _______.

A. sings and gives medical advice

B. sings about different diseases

C. starts to explain diseases with a song

D. sings love songs he wrote

3.Dr. Petrels' show is popular _______.

A. in Las Vegas.

B. at medical school

C. with people who like his singing

D. with patients in Montreal

4. Dr. Petrels says he likes to _______.

A. help people sing     B. make people feel better

C. do the same thing    D. make difficult people smile

Mr. and Mrs. Turner live outside a small town. They have a big farm and they are always busy working on it. Their son, Peter, studied at a middle school. The young man studied hard and did well in his lessons. It made them happy.

Last month Peter finished middle school and passed the entrance examination (升学考试). Mrs. Turner was very happy and told the farmers about it.

Yesterday morning the woman went to the town to buy something for her son. On the bus she told one of her friends how clever and able her son was. She spoke very loudly. All the people in the bus began to listen to her.

“Which university (大学) will your son study in?” a woman next to her asked.

“In the most famous university in our country!” Mrs. Turner said happily.

“The most famous university?”

“Oxford University (牛津).”

Most of the passengers (乘客) looked at her carefully. Some of them said to her, “Congratulations!”

A woman said, “I'm sure he'll know Fred Smith.”

“Who's Fred Smith?”

“He's my son.”

“Does he study in the university, too?”

“No, ”said the woman. “He is one of the professors.”

1.The story happened in ________.

A. America  B. France  C. Germany  D. England

2.Mr. and Mrs. Turner were happy because ________.

A. their son did well in his lessons

B. they have a big farm

C. they have a good harvest

D. their son studied at a middle school

3.Mrs. Turner wanted everyone to know ________.

A. her son finished middle school

B. her son was handsome

C. her son was going to study in a university

D. her son was very friendly to others

4. Mrs. Turner spoke so loudly in the bus that __________.

A. her friend could hear her

B. all the people could hear her

C. she hoped to make all the people happy

D. she hoped they would say congratulations to her

5.Which of the following is true? __________.

A. The woman wasn't interested in Mrs. Turner's words

B. Mrs. Turner knew nothing about the famous university

C. The woman wanted to stop Mrs. Turner from showing off (炫耀)

D. The woman next to Mrs. Turner wanted to show off her son, too

Everyone has got two personalities(性格)—the one that is shown to the world and the other that is secret and real. You don’t show your secret personality when you’re awake because you can control your behavior, but when you’re asleep, your sleeping position shows the real you. In a normal night, of course, people frequently change their position. The important position is the one that you go to sleep in.

If you go to sleep on your back, you’re a very open person. You normally trust people and you are easily influenced by fashion or new ideas. You don’t like to upset people, so you never express your real feelings. You’re quite shy and you aren’t very confident.

If you sleep on your stomach, you are a rather secretive(不坦率的)person. You worry a lot and you’re always easily upset. You’re very stubborn, but you aren’t very ambitious(有雄心的). You usually live for today not for tomorrow. This means that you enjoy having a good time.

If you sleep curled up(卷曲), you are probably a very nervous person. You have a low opinion of yourself and so you’re often defensive（提防的）. You’re shy and you don’t normally like meeting people. You prefer to be on your own. You’re easily hurt.

If you sleep on your side, you have usually got a well-balanced personality. You know your strengths and weaknesses. You’re usually careful. You have a confident personality. You sometimes feel anxious, but you don’t often get depressed（压抑）. You always say what you think even if it annoys people.（words: 278）

1.According to the writer，you naturally show your secret and real personality _______.

A．only in a normal night

B．only when you go to sleep

C．only when you refuse to show yourself to the world

D．only when you change sleeping position

2.Which is NOT mentioned in the second paragraph about a person’s personality?

A．He or she is always open with others.

B．He or she always likes new ideas earlier than others.

C．He or she is always easily upset.

D．He or she tends（倾向） to believe in others.

3.Point out which sentence is used to show the personality of a person who is used to sleeping on his or her stomach?

A．He or she is careful not to offend（冒犯） others.

B．He or she doesn’t want to stick to his or her opinion.

C．He or she likes to bring others happiness.

D．He or she can’t be successful in any business.

4.Maybe you don’t want to make friends with a person who sleeps curled up. Why?

A．He or she would rather be alone than communicate with you.

B．He or she is rarely ready to help you.

C．He or she prefers staying at home to going out.

D．He or she wouldn’t like to get help from you.

5.It appears that the writer tends to think highly of the person who sleeps on one side because __________.

A．he or she always shows sympathy for people

B．he or she is confident，but not stubborn

C．he or she has more strengths than weaknesses

D．he or she often considers annoying people

Memory, they say, is a matter of practice and exercise. If you have the wish and really make a self-effort, then you can quite easily improve your ability to remember things. But even if you are successful, there are times when your memory seems to play tricks on you.

　　Sometimes you remember things that did not happen. One morning last week, for example, I got up and found that I had left the front door unlocked all night, yet I clearly remembered locking it carefully the night before.

Memory “trick” works the other way as well. Once in a while you remember not doing something, and then find out that you did. One day last month, for example, I was sitting in a barber(理发师) shop waiting for my turn to get a haircut, and suddenly I realized that I had got a haircut two days before at the barber shop across the street from my office.

　　We always seem to find something funny in incidents（小事） caused by people’s forgetfulness or absent-mindedness(心不在焉). Stories about absent-minded professors have been told for years, and we never got tired of hearing new ones. Unfortunately, however, absent-mindedness is not always funny. There are times when “trick” of our memory can cause us great trouble. （words: 169）

1.If you want to have a good memory, ________.

A．you should force yourself to remember things

B．you should make a self-effort of practice and exercise

C．you should never stop learning

D．you should try hard to remember things

2.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．One night the writer forgot to lock the front door.

B．One night the writer forgot having locked the front door.

C．The writer remembered to lock the door.

D．The writer remembered unlocking the front door.

3.From the sentence "We never get tired of hearing new ones", we can infer that______.

A．we enjoy hearing new stories about absent-mindedness of professors

B．we don’t want to know anything more about absent-mindedness of professors

C．we will never get rid of（摆脱） listening to new stories about absent-mindedness

D．absent-mindedness happens not only to professors but to many other people

This is What a REAL Silver Dollar Looks Like

If you trust in the yen, the euro,

and the dollar...stop reading.

Because this is a story about

the sliver coin EVERYBODY wants.

You read the headlines.You know that troubled economic times have put global currency on a rollercoaster(过山车) ride.But millions have found a smarter way to build long­term value with high­grade collectable silver.And right now, those people are lining up to secure some of the last 2012 U．S.Mint Silver Eagles, America's Newest Silver Eagle Dollars. Today, you can graduate to the front of that line.Buy now and you can own these brilliant uncirculated Silver Dollars for only $38.95!

You Can't Afford to Lose

Why are we releasing(发行) this silver dollar for such a remarkable price? Because we want to introduce you to what hundreds of thousands of smart collectors and satisfied customers have known since 1984—New York Mint is the place to find the world's finest high­grade coins.That's why we're offering you this Brilliant Uncirculated 2012 U．S.Silver Eagle for as little as $37.45(plus s/h)．

Timing is Everything

Our advice? Keep this to yourself.Because the more people who know about this offer, the worse it is for you.Demand for Silver Eagles in 2011 broke records.Experts predict that 2012 Silver Eagles may break them all over again.Due to rapid changes in the price of silver, prices may be higher or lower and are subject to(受……影响) change without notice.Supplies are limited.Call immediately to add these Silver Eagles to your holdings before it's too late.

Offer Limited to 40 per household

2012 American Silver Eagle Coin

Your cost 1­4 Coins $38.95 each＋s/h

5­9 Coins $38.45 each＋s/h

10­19 Coins $37.95 each＋s/h

20­40 Coins $37.45 each＋s/h

Note：$10 s/h(shipping and handling) for each purchase

For fastest service, call toll­free 24 hours a day

1­888­201­7143

New York Mint

14101 Southcross Drive W．， Dept.ASE177­04

Burnsville, Minnesota 55337

www.NewYorkMint.com

1.What is stressed in the ad?

A．The coin is of high quality and worth collecting.

B．The coin can be circulated as a currency.

C．Limited supplies guarantee a stable price of the coin.

D．Demand for the coin is bound to break records.

2.If you buy six 2012 U．S.Mint Silver Eagles by post, you should pay at least ________.

A．$230.7  B．$233.7  C．$240.7  D．$243.7

3.The ad strongly encourages people to purchase the silver coins by ________.

A．shopping online

B．making a phone call

C．lining up in front of the stores

D．writing to the company

In the last couple of years, there has been a craze about time­traveling TV series in China.This year, it seems like the South Korean drama writers have fallen in a deep, neverending love with the time­travel trend.

Rooftop Prince

A prince from the Joseon era (18th century), Lee Gak is catapulted 300 years forward into the future in Seoul 2012 with his entourage(随从) when he tries to investigate the suspicious circumstances which surround the death of the woman he loves.In the present, he finds a young woman who looks exactly like his beloved crown princess.

Queen In­hyun's Man

The drama, set during the Joseon era, features the hero Kim Boong­do as he tries to restore the exiled Queen In­hyun.It is in this time period he is given the time­traveling power that transports him to the future world where he makes friends with an actress playing the role of Queen In­hyun for a drama in her time.

Dr Jin

Jin Hyuk is a genius neurosurgeon.Through a mysterious power, Jin finds himself transported back in time 150 years.He begins treating people there, but the lack of equipment and medical knowledge of the period forces him to seek new ways to aid the sick.Through this challenging process, Jin eventually becomes a genuine doctor.

Operation Proposal

Kang Baek­ho realizes that he falls in love with his best friend, Ham Yi­seul, on the day of her wedding to another man.He travels back in time to various events of their lives hoping to change the outcome of their relationship.Will Kang be able to change the course of their future?

1.Which of the following words can replace “catapulted” in Paragraph 2?

A．Captured.  B．Transported.

C．Traveled.  D．Deserted.

2.What do the three TV series have in common?

A．They are all about love.

B．They all describe what happened in ancient times.

C．They are all based on true stories.

D．They all feature time­travel.

3.If you are interested in prince and princess story, which will you turn into?

A．Rooftop Prince.  B．Queen In­hyun's Man.

C．Dr Jin.  D．Operation Proposal.

If you want fully enjoy your vacation, then you’d better check the Durban City Tours! This is actually one of the best choices in South Africa today.

There is nothing more relaxing than to think about that there is a place to go and relax, right? City life is strained, but you can escape this situation and be in the place where there is nothing but relaxation. Here in Durban you will get to see all the amazing tourist attractions. If you love animals and want to see some elephants wandering around the streets, then Durban is the place to go. You can even get to ride one if you want!

Here you will also get to taste all the delicious South African food. You can choose from Italian cooking to its native dishes. Durban is a great place to tour with your friends and family. You will learn a lot about its history through the landmarks you will see down the streets. Tourists and even the local villagers just can’t get enough of these treats!

However, it is important that you make the necessary arrangements. There are actually lots of tour guides that will help you as you make your journey along the streets of Durban. But if you prefer the best tour guides here in Durban, then you’d better choose the Street Scene Tours. Their staff are all well-trained and professional. They will certainly make your stay here an unforgettable one. No wonder tourists prefer the Street Scene Tours when it comes to Durban City Tours.

1.The underlined word“strained”in Para. 2 means ______.

A．easy             B．stressful           C．relaxing           D．wonderful

2.What is the main idea of Paragraph 2?

A．Durban is relaxing city.

B．People don’t like city life.

C．It is good to have a place to relax.

D．One can have fun riding elephants.

3.If you walk in the streets of Durban, what will impress you most?

A．Tourists from all over the world.

B．The buildings and many kinds of animals.

C．The streets and some wandering elephants.

D．The friendly local people and the scenery.

4.What does the last sentence in Paragraph 3 show?

A．The food can’t satisfy them.

B．They are bored with the streets.

C．They are treated very well here.

D．never get tired of the sights.