William Herschel was born on November 15th, 1738 in Hanover in a family of musicians. In 1757,he fled to England and began earning a living as an organist and later composer and conductor. In 1772, he convinced his sister Caroline to join him as a singer. In their spare time the brother-sister team became occupied in astronomy. William died at his home in Slough, near Windsor on August 25th,1822,and Caroline on September 1st,1848.
Herschel’s first major discoveries were to show that Mars and Jupiter exhibit axial rotation(绕轴自转). Herschel struck fame in 1781,when on March 13th he discovered the planet Uranus(天王星) while engaged in work aimed at determining stellar parallax(恒星视差).This being the first new planet discovered since ancient times, Herschel, until then a mere amateur astronomer relatively unknown even in England, became world-famous. Adopting a historically proven strategy, Herschel named the new planet Georgium Sidum,in honor of the then ruling English king GeorgeⅢ. The trick worked once again, as King GeorgeⅢ gave William and Caroline the titles of“The King’s Astronomer”and“Assistant to the King’s Astronomer”, an honor which came with a life’s pension for both. In 1782 they moved to Bath, and shortly thereafter to Slough, and from this point on William and Caroline could devote themselves entirely to astronomy. The Herschels went on to discover two moons of Uranus in 1787.
While Caroline became increasingly occupied with the search for comets at which she was quite successful, William became for a time interested in the Sun. Inspired by Wilson’s 1774 work, he put forth the theory of sunspots(太阳黑子),an opinion that continued to exist well into the nineteenth century. In 1800,he became interested in the solar spectrum(太阳光谱),and uncovered the first evidence for solar energy output outside of the visible spectrum, in what is now known as the infrared(红外线).In 1801, he published two papers that effectively started the field of solar influences on Earth’s weather.
【小题1】Herschel made himself known to the world mainly by .

A．discovering the planet Uranus

B．determining stellar parallax

C．discovering two moons of Uranus

D．uncovering the evidence for the infrared

【小题2】It can be inferred from the passage that George Ⅲ .

A．liked science and technology

B．liked Herschel’s naming of the new planet

C．was interested in astronomy

D．gave Herschel a lot of useful suggestions

【小题3】What do we know about Caroline from the passage?

A．She was successful in music.

B．She was given the title of“The King’s Astronomer”.

C．She died later than her brother.

D．She published two papers.

【小题4】This passage mainly tells readers .

A．some information about Herschel and his sister

B．how Herschel and his sister discovered the planet Uranus

C．Herschel and Caroline got along well with each other

D．Herschel and Caroline’s major scientific publications

   All of my friends had jobs but I didn’t. That’s because they had a “hook up”. At times, I wished I had a hook up! If I did, I wouldn’t have to go through all those nervous interviews, or waste my ink on those applications that probably got thrown.

One day I asked my grandmother, “Why does no one want to hire me?” She said it was because I didn’t have any experience. How was I supposed to have experience when I’d never had a job before? Even McDonald’s wouldn’t hire me. I applied there so many times. It was a shame.

The Gap was one of the hardest places to apply. Once you filled out an application, the managers would interview you right on the spot. It made me so nervous that I couldn’t talk right. The first question they asked was, “Why do you want to work for the Gap?” Your mind was telling you to say, “For the money.” But you didn’t want to say that because you didn’t want to make yourself sound greedy, even if it’s the truth. So I said, “Because I’m familiar with what the company does, which is selling clothes.”

However, not for long there was another question that always seemed to get me every time, “What can you bring to this company?” I didn’t know, maybe more customers? By the time I got ready to pick it up, I heard them say, “If we don’t contact you in 24 hours, you don’t get the job.”

But if I was asked that question now, I would say, “I’m a hard worker and a very reliable person, and with these kinds of abilities I cannot only do a good job, but I can influence other employees to do so too.”

Despite all the bad luck I seemed to have, I didn’t give up. Eventually, I finally found a summer job.

【小题1】The underlined phrase “hook up” in Paragraph 1 probably refers to “________”.

A．comparison	B．experience
C．application	D．connection

【小题2】According to the passage, the main reason why I was not hired by McDonald was that ________.

A．I was too young to work there	B．I had no working experience
C．I applied there so many times	D．my grandmother stopped me

【小题3】What can be learned about the Gap’s interview?

A．The managers paid attention to the interview.

B．I was not nervous at all during the interview.

C．The managers were satisfied with my answers.

D．I influenced other employees to do a good job.

【小题4】What is most likely to be talked about in the paragraph following the passage?

A．My tips on job interviews.	B．My good luck in job-hunting.
C．The story about my summer job.	D．The process of more job interviews.

   54-year- old Abdul has a special job. He has been working as a living statue (活雕像) for over three decades, standing perfectly still for six hours a day and resisting people’s attempts to make him move or smile, anything that proves he is a living person.

Abdul, known as “India’s Statue Man”, has been performing his daily routine ever since 1985, soon after getting a job as a security guard. His boss had ever traveled to the UK, where he was so impressed by the statue-like members of the Royal Guard outside Buckingham Palace that he wanted to do something similar back home. So he had his guards receive three months of training, where they would sit perfectly still for around four hours. They weren’t allowed to talk, smile, eat, drink, or even shoo away a fly if it sat on their faces. In the end, Abdul proved the best of the group, so he got the strange job.

Abdul isn’t the only person in the world acting as a living statue, but what makes him special is the fact that he can do it for as long as six hours without even blinking his eyes. Once, a $155 prize was put up for anyone who can make him move a muscle. But try as they might, no one had ever succeeded. Actually, Abdul tries to move about as much as he can in his spare time, and only eats healthy home-cooked food to keep his body in shape. But he claims yoga has been the biggest help. In the 12 years, Abdul has become a celebrity in India and other Asian countries. Many Bollywood celebrities have come to witness this living statue and try to make him move, but none have succeeded finally.

Abdul earns about 10,000 rupees ($156) a month, which is enough to support his family, but definitely not enough to encourage his children to follow in his footsteps. It’s just too stressful and taxing (费力的) on the body. “Despite all the hardship and health problems, I love my job and I am thankful to people for the love and respect they have showered on me,” he says. “When the time comes, I want to die playing a statue.”

【小题1】What is Abdul’s daily routine?

A．Performing as a living statue.	B．Proving to be a living person.
C．Smiling at his customers.	D．Keeping his body in shape.

【小题2】Why could Abdul get the strange job given by his boss?

A．He had his special ambition.	B．He was quite familiar with the job.
C．He stood out among the guards.	D．He knew the boss more than others.

【小题3】What does Abdul do in his spare time?

A．He eats a lot of snacks.	B．He gives some performances.
C．He cooks for his family.	D．He always moves a lot.

【小题4】How does Abdul feel about his job according to the passage?

A．It’s overpaid.	B．It’s satisfying.
C．It’s boring.	D．It’s instructive.

   I am Peter Hodes, a volunteer stem courier. Since March 2012, I've done 89 trips of those , 51 have been abroad, I have 42 hours to carry stem cells（干细胞）in my little box because I've got two ice packs and that's how long they last, in all, from the time the stem cells are harvested from a donor(捐献者) to the time they can be implanted in the patient, we’ve got 72 hours at most, So I am always conscious of time.

I had one trip last year where I was caught by a hurricane in America. I picked up the stem cells in Providence, Rhode Island, and was meant to fly to Washington then back to London. But when I arrived at the check-in desk at Providence, the lady on the desk said: “Well, I’m really sorry, I’ve got some bad news for you-there are no fights from Washington.” So I took my box and put it on the desk and I said: “In this box are some stem cells that are urgently needed for a patient-please, please, you’ve got to get me back to the United Kingdom.” She just dropped everything. She arranged for a flight on a small  plane to be held for mere-routed(改道)me through Newark and got me back to the UK even earlier than originally scheduled.

For this courier job, you’re consciously aware than that box you’re got something that is potentially going to save somebody’s life.

【小题1】Which of the following can replace the underlined word “courier” in Paragraph 1?

A．provider	B．delivery man
C．collector	D．medical doctor

【小题2】Why does Peter have to complete his trip within 42 hours?

A．He cannot stay away from his job too long.

B．The donor can only wait for that long.

C．The operation needs that very much.

D．The ice won’t last any longer.

【小题3】Which flight did the woman put Peter on first?

A．To London	B．To Newark
C．To Providence	D．To Washington

We, Patty and I, had been best friends since Grade Four. Just about everywhere we went, people____we were best friends. We____secrets about popcorn（爆米花）and soda year after year. The best part about having a best friend was taking____sleeping over on Friday nights.
Then in Grade Eight everything changed. Suddenly, my interest in make-up and clothes____my mom. I____believe Patty started the first day of school____the same pigtails（辫子）she had worn forever. What was happening? Other girls seemed more____than Patty.
I started avoiding her and making excuses____, during the middle of the year, as we were sitting in the backyard, the____broke out. I said, “Go home, Patty, and don’t come back.” Then I ran into the house crying. Mom sat me down and I told her____I’ll never forget her words. She said, “____will come and go in and out of your life forever. You are____and it’s okay for both of you to make new friends____is happening is hard but perfectly____.”
Time healed（治愈）a lot of the____, and over the next few years we clearly walked along____paths. Still, when I saw her in the halls of high school, I____a strange sadness. I thought if I went back and “fixed” everything between us, we could somehow start all over____friends. But that was a fantasy（幻想）. Our differences were too great, and I could only____she understood.
I’ll always remember the years when Patty and I were best friend, but Mom was right____can change, and we have to let them go when it’s time.

【小题1】

A．realized B．believed C．knew D．understood

【小题2】

A．shared B．spared C．kept D．remembered

【小题3】

A．beds B．places C．turns D．sides

【小题4】

A．surprised B．scared C．frightened D．satisfied

【小题5】

A．wouldn’t B．shouldn’t C．couldn’t D．needn’t

【小题6】

A．wearing B．dressing C．keeping D．staying

【小题7】

A．boring B．interesting C．pleased D．exciting

【小题8】

A．Finally B．Naturally C．Generally D．Especially

【小题9】

A．tears B．words C．anger D．hate

【小题10】

A．matter B．everything C．trouble D．nothing

【小题11】

A．Interests B．Friends C．Sadness D．Childhood

【小题12】

A．changing B．studying C．quarreling D．imagining

【小题13】

A．What B．Which C．Why D．When

【小题14】

A．common B．ordinary C．regular D．normal

【小题15】

A．unhappiness B．loneliness C．memory D．emotion

【小题16】

A．different B．same C．hard D．separate

【小题17】

A．remembered B．thought C．felt D．lost

【小题18】

A．like B．as C．with D．on

【小题19】

A．suppose B．believe C．hope D．suggest

【小题20】

A．Environments B．Opinions C．Friendships D．Attitudes