1.Sometimes I scratch my head when I read about the government' s efforts to improve schools:newstandards and tests to be applied, strict teacher evaluations, and threats of school closures and joblosses. They frighten the school employees, not to mention the students. Instead of making peopleunable to solve problems or try new ideas--which is what fear does to us--research on schoolreform strongly suggests that policy-makers should encourage school leaders to take a morehumane approach. In their study on the reform efforts of twelve Chicago public schools, Bryk andSchneider found that enabling positive social relationships between the adults was the key tosuccessful school improvement and that trust was at the heart of those relationships.Trust in schools comes down to one thing:psychological safety or safety to speak one's mind,todiscuss with openness and honesty what is and isn' t working,to make collective decisions.Yet this kind of safety doesn' t come easily to schools. According to Bryk and Schneider, the adultsin school rely on each other to do their jobs correctly and with integrity (正直). The challeage isthat our expectations are very diverse based on our unique backgrounds.At one school where I taught, each teacher had different expectations about how much effortteachers should put into their work--a big difference between the teachers who left af~the last belland those who worked into the evening. And when expectations are uncoasci or unspoken, itbecomes impossible for others to live up to them.We also make assumptions about the intentions behind a person' s behavior. As we allImam,assumptions are often wrong. For example, parents and teachers my think the principal tamlparticular decision based on his career advancement rather than hat" s best for the studeata. don'tfeel psychologically safe to question our assumptions and e~aecmtiatm, trust itiea am the windowand our relationships suffer.According to Bryk and Schneider, what was most important for successful school improvemt?

2.California families are facing a rapidly mounting uphill battle to make enough money to provide basic household essentials, according to a new study conducted by the California Budget Project. 　　The research compiled by the Sacramento-based non-profit organization concluded an average two-parent family with one employed adult in California needs to make $51,177 a year, or $24.60 cents an hour, to pay for housing, transportation, food, utilities, child care, health coverage, taxes and other basic expenses. 　　The number grows significantly higher in the Bay Area, the state's most expensive region．A Bay Area family of four with two working adults living in rental housing needs a combined income of $79,946 to cover essential needs．That number is more than four times greater than the $19,157 income level recognized by the federal government as impoverished. 　　The study is the fourth semi-annual survey conducted by the California Budget Project since 1999． California Budget Project executive director Jean Ross said helping state officials and residents understand the numbers found in the report is crucial to moving families toward self-sufficiency. "How should we be targeting some of our programs and policies? How much do young people need to earn and what kind of a job should they be looking to train for if they want to have that salary that can support a family?" 　　CBP said the project was based on actual costs or generally accepted fair standard prices based on weighted averages found in ten California regions.[单选题] What has this study made people think about?

3.根据以下资料，回答16-30题。Every woman dreams of receiving a huge priceless diamond．Now space scientists __1__ that they have discovered the largest diamond in the universe．But it’s well 2_ the reach of the most loves truck men because it's 50 light years away, to be __3__．Measuring 2,500 miles across and weighing five million trillion pounds，the rock Was found on Valentine’ s Day __4__ in the core of a white dwarf star, and it has excited the _5__ world. “It’s the mother of all diamonds，”said Travis Metcalfe， __6__ led the team of researchers at the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre，“and you would need a jeweler’S loupe(专用放大镜)，the size of the Sun，to __7__ this diamond．” The largest diamond __8__ on earth was the 3，106-carat(克拉)Cullinan．It Was cut __9__ nine major stones，including the 530-carat Star of Africa，now a part of the Crown Jewels．Diamonds were __10__ discovered in India more than 2,800 years ago．The Ancient Romans __11__ that the stones were broken pieces of stars that had __12__ to earth．In Ancient Egypt，diamonds were used in funerals. In the Middle Ages，men __13__ them to symbolize their courage and strength．The __14__ of giving them as presents dates from 1477，__15__ Maximilian，the prince of Austria, gave a diamond ring to Mary of Burgundy．8A.cultivated,B.drawn,C.caught,D.found

4.Of all Barry H．Landau's anecdotes about his friendships with presidential dogs, perhaps the best is the one about the time the Clinton White House called to postpone his play-date with Buddy． 　　Yes, Landau is both human and an adult, a 60-year-old author, presidential historian, former White House protocol officer and memorabilia collector．But so enamored is he of dogs, and so well connected to a succession of presidents, that he had an appointment for a South Lawn romp one day with Buddy, Bill Clinton's Labrador retriever (拉布拉多犬) . 　　Logistics got in the way, though, and hence Clinton secretary Betty Currie's apologetic voice mail left at the Smithsonian Institution, where Landau was doing research: "I'm sorry, but we'll have to reschedule Mr．Landau's play-date with Buddy." 　　Not surprisingly, this is a happy week for Landau, with the new Obama family dog, Bo, joining a White House tradition that dates to George Washington．It's one that Landau feels is invaluable to a presidency. 　　"Having a dog just humanizes a president," he says．"It completes the picture．It's something people can relate to." And Landau has related to the best of them．He's known about 25 White House dogs since the Eisenhower administration．Among the presidential-pooch memorabilia in his Manhattan apartment are matching orange inaugural dog coats worn by LBJ's twin beagles (小猎犬) , Him and Her, and a photo of Landau kissing Clipper, JFK's German shepherd.Where does Landau live?

5. Bill looked around for a participant__________.

6.

Food is very important.Everyone needsto1well if he or she wants to have astrong body.Our minds also need a kind of food.This kind of food is2.We begin toget knowledge even3 we are very young.Small children are 4 in everythingaround them.They learn5 while they are watching and listening.When they are getting older,they begin to6story books,science books....anything theyhike.Whenthey find something new,they love to ask questions and7to find out answers.Whatis the best8to get knowledge?ifwe learn by ourselves,we will get9knowledge,If we are10 getting answers from others and do not ask why we will neverlearn well.When we study in the right way,we will learn more and understand better.8,

7.

The computer plays an important part in our everyday life.It is one of the great1in the world in the 2century,It works for us not only at home,in the offices,in bigshops3at schools.Today it is used4.many ways.It really 5the worldlarge wealth(财富）and happiness.The first computer in the world was6 Enid.It was built in America in 1946.Itwas7and heavy.8it was born,it has been developing very fast.Until now it hasgone9four periods(时期，阶段）and changed a lot.There' re many kinds of computers.The computers are getting smaller and smaller and computing faster and faster.It becomesmore and more10

The computer can do most of the things11 the people.It can help us to 12about the real world more quickly,to learn13 we want to learn and to think 14 ourselves.15 a student in the twenty-first century,you must work hard at it.8.（单选题）

8.Passage One　　Alexia Sloane，a l0一year-old girl，lost her sight when she was two following a brain disease But despite her disability she has excelled at languages and is already fluent in English，French，Spanish and Chinese。and is learning German.　　Now she has experienced her dream job of workingas an interpreter after East of England MEP(欧盟议员)Robert Sturdy invited her to the parliament building in Brussels，thus becoming the youngest interpreter to work at the European Parliament.“She was given a special permit to get into thebuildin9， where there is usually a minimum age requirement of l4 and sat in a booth listening and interpretin9，”said her mother，Isabelle.“The otherinterpreters were amazed at how well she did as the debate was quite complicated and many of the words were rather technical.” Alexia has been trilingual since birth as her mother，a teacher，is half French and half Spanish，while her father，Richard，is English.She started talking and communicating in all three languages before she lost her sight but adapted quickly to her blindness.By the age of four，she was reading and writing in Braille(盲文).When she was six。Alexia began to learn Chinese.The girl is now learning German at school in Cambridge.　　Alexia has been longing to be an interpreter since she was six and she chose to go to the European Parliament as her prize when she won a young achiever of the year award She asked if she could shadow interpreters and Mr.Sturdy agreed to take her along as his guest.Alexia worked with the head of interpreting and had a real taste of lire in parliament.“It was fantastic and lm absolutely determined now to become an interpreter，she saidThe tone of the passage can be best described as

9.Last week I called at my___

10.

Insomnia, or "poor sleep", can have bad effects on a person's health and general well-being. It can21on both our physical and mental health and can lead to other health22

　　Insomnia can be traced to many different reasons,but what is23 to ninny sufferers is their inability to relax fully and "switch the mind 24Constant thoughts,25 around and around in the mind, moving from one 26 to the next, prevent stillness and peace and 27 a sufferer extremely tired.

　　In order to treat insomnia 28, it is first necessary to allow a sufferer to re-experience 29 real relaxation feel like.It’s almost as though they've forgotten how to relax. Once this has been 30 by the brain, then fast and effective 31 can be made to reeducate the unconscious towards allowing the person to relax 32 and to allow a natural state of sleep to 33

　　Hypnotherapy(催眠疗法) is one of the fastest and most effective ways of 34 this goal for long-lasting results.

　　Sleeping pills, if used at all, should only be a short-term35as their effect is soon reduced and their side effects can be deep and far-reaching.21 （）

11.

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability.

It is like this. 61 you are going to have a baby, it ’s like preparing a vacation trip to Italy. You 62 a bunch of guidebooks and make wonderful 63 . You may learn some useful phrases 64 Italian. It ’s all very exciting. 65 several months of eager expectation, the day finally 66 . You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours 67 , the plane lands in Holland. ―Why Holland? ‖ you say, ―I sign up 68 Italy! All my life I ’ve dreamed 69 going to Italy. ‖ But you have landed in Holland and 70 you must stay.

The importance thing is to remember that they haven ’t taken you 71 a horrible, disgusting, filthy place. It ’s just a 72 place. So you go out and new guidebooks 73 you must learn a whole new language. Holland may be slower-paced 74 Italy. But you have been there for a while, you 75 that Holland has windmills and tulips( 郁金 香). Everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy, and they all boasting about 76 a wonderful time they had there. And for the 77 of your life you will say, ―Yes, that’s where I was 78 to go ‖. But if you spend your life 79 the fact that you didn ’t get to Italy, you may never be free to 80 the very special, the very lovely things about Holland.73、

12.Smoking and drinking may__________heart disease and cancer.

13.Online distance learning(网上远程教育)is an instructional system which connects learners witheducational resources.Students work on their own at home, at work, or at school and communicatewith faculty and other students by means of e?mail,electronic meetings, videoconferencing,chatrooms, instant messaging and other forms of computer?based communication.There are bothadvantages and disadvantages to online distance learning.There are many benefits to using online distance learning environments. Online education isavailable all the time,anywhere and to all people.However,there are weaknesses for some learners.The online learner only has the written text and no other face?to?face hints.This may confuse thelearner and cause misunderstanding. While distance learning allows for an openness, it is alsodifficult because it is done by e?mail messages and writing,and therefore may take more time thanface?to?face learning.Sometimes the messages can be overwhelming for many online students.Universities,colleges and schools use online distance learning environments. There are importantfor students who may be unable to attend classes for various reasons like illnesses or busy everydayschedules. Some learners just want to further their studies at home. They enjoy the convenienceof home learning as they take regular programs or enrichment classes.Online courses keep learners very occupied at all hours of the day.There are a great many messagesand other online resources to read and respond to. Most learners have regular jobs or attendregular school classes on ground as well.However,the benefits are clear. Online distance learning isbecoming very popular. Some online classes have become a profitable business as they replaceregular traditional means of learning.One of the good aspects of online distance learning is__________.

14.Nowadays little knowledge __ to be a dangerous thing.

15.Passage FourEvery morning, kids from a local high school are working hard. They are making and selling special coffee at a coffee cafe. They are also making a lot of money.These students can make up to twelve hundred dollars a day. They are selling their special coffee to airplane passengers. After the students get paid, the rest of the money goes to helping a local youth project.These high school students use a space in the Oakland airport. It is usually very crowded.Many people who fly on the planes like to drink the special coffee.One customer thinks that the coffee costs a lot but it is good and worth it. Most customers are pleasant but some are unhappy. They do not like it if the cafe is not open for business.The students earn $ 6.10 an hour plus tips. They also get school credit whiel they learn how to run a business. Many of the students enjoy the work although it took some time to learn how to do it.They have to learn how to steam milk, load the pots, and add flavor. It takes some skill and sometimes mistakes are made. The most common mistake is forgetting to add the coffee.Many of the students__________the work although it took some time to learn how to do it.

16.

Why do I want to go to college?No one has ever asked me1a question.But manytimes I have asked myself.I have2 a whole variety of reasons.3important reasonthat I want to be a better man.

Many things make human beings different4or better than or even superior to animals

One of the most important things is5 .1f 1 fail to receive higher education.myeducation 6.As I want to be a fully7 man.I must getawell-rounded educationwhich good colleges and universities are supposed to8 I know one can get educatemany ways.but colleges and universities are9 the best places to teach me how to educate mysell.Only when I am well-educated.will I be a better human being and10 fitinto society.7

17.根据以下资料，回答42-45题。 　　England is not a big country: from north to south and from east to west it is only about three hundred miles across．But for a small country it has a surprising range of climate．People who have never visited England or who have visited only one part of it often makes the mistake of thinking that it is a cold and wet country．Except for the summer months of June to September, this is probably true of the north of England and the Midlands．In the south, however, the climate is much more pleasant．One result is that when people retire from the job in the north, they often prefer to move down to the south. 　　Perhaps the warmest part of the country is the southwest, which consists of (is made up of) the counties of Devon and Cornwall, where palm trees, bamboo and many semitropical plants grow well．Flowers and vegetables ripen as much as a month earlier than those elsewhere．Farmers in the areas gain a higher price for their vegetables and flowers because they are ready earlier．In winter there may be several feet of snow in other parts of England but there will probably be no snow at all in the southwest．This may be one of the reasons why the southwest is one of England's most popular holiday areas.43 According to the passage, __.

18.Canada is the second largest country in the world in area, although its【1】is only some 25 million, most【2】in a 200-mile strip【3】the southern border. Over 25 per cent of the【4】number live in the three main cities. The northern areas of the country are almost uninhabited【5】for isolated settlements.

Canada is【6】a rich country, and its national【7】per capita is the fifth highest in the world, but its economy in recent years has been rather【8】, because of the varied nature of what it does.

Over the last three years, the Canadian economy has been hard【9】by falling oil prices and by rising US interest【10】. This has【11】to a steep fall in industrial production--by as much as a fifth since 1981. Some【12】now think Canada is on the【13】to recovery, though more cautious spirits say that no【14】can be expected until there is a【15】to lower interest rates in the USA.13 （）A.1ine,B.period,C.time,D.road

19. Among the first to suggest that clocks be moved ahead to extend(延长) daylight hoursduring the spring and summer was Benjamin Franklin. However, it was not until March31，1918, more than a century after Franklin's death, that Congress adopted the practice--during World War I，in order to save electricity. During World War1 daylight saving wasalsoadopted(采取inEngland,Germany,France,and many other countries5.Daylightsavingwasalsoadopted（）

20.Are there ___on the table?