Every time you go shopping, the vegetables and fruit look so tempting that you wish you could buy all of them. Some people are lucky and can grow the fruit and vegetables in the gardens that they have. While getting fresh vegetables, they can also achieve great cost cutting.

   

Mushrooms are expensive and can also go bad very quickly. Mushrooms can also be grown easily in a dark environment. In fact it’s better than growing other vegetables since you really don’t need an outdoor space. A special type of soil that is good for growing mushrooms is easily available.

Actually mushrooms aren’t even vegetables; they are fungi(菌类) and for this reason, you don’t even require sunlight to grow them. Well how does one go about growing mushrooms? You could always Google “growing mushrooms” and you will find a number of mushroom growing kits(工具) available online that area effective and not very expensive either.

Mushrooms can be added to any dish that you cook. Simply use them in pizzas, salads and anything that you pretty much fancy. Grow mushrooms in your own house and use them whenever you want. Fresh mushrooms are tastier than the ones that are stored in your refrigerator.

If you have had a really good crop of mushrooms, then you can even store them. Ideally you should use the white variety of the mushrooms. Simply pick them, slice them and put them on a cookie sheet in a freezer. When they are frozen, you can use them when you want to. Remember to thaw（解冻）them before you use them, and they will give a really great taste to the dish that you are making.

1. What can we know about growing mushrooms?

A．It takes much attention.

B．It needs lots of sunshine.

C．The soil is easily available.

D．The environment is demanding.

2. What is the author’s attitude towards growing vegetables in gardens?

A．Doubtful.

B．Supportive.

C．Objective.

D．Disapproving.

3. What could be the best title for the text?

A．Simple to Cook Mushroom Pizzas

B．Fun and Easy to Grow Mushrooms

C．Expensive to Buy Mushrooms Online

D．Important to Eat Fruit and Vegetables

Today's world is not an easy adjustment for young adults. Key skill set for success is persistence (毅力), a characteristic that researchers say is heavily influenced by fathers. Researchers from Brigham Young University discovered that fathers are in a unique position to help their adolescent children learn persistence.

BYU professors Laura Padilla-Walker and Randal Day arrived at these findings after following 325 American families over several years. And over time，the persistence gained through fathers led to higher achievement in school.

"There are relatively few studies that stress the unique role of fathers，"Padilla-Walker said. "This research also helps to prove that characteristics such as persistence-which can be taught-are key to a child's life success.”

Researchers determined that dads need to practice an "authoritative" parenting style. Authoritative parenting is not authoritarian:rigid，demanding or controlling. Rather，an authoritative parenting style includes some of the following characteristics:children feel warmth and love from their father；responsibility and the reasons behind rules are stressed children are given an appropriate level of autonomy(自主权).

In the study，about 52 percent of the dads exhibited above-average levels of authoritative parenting. A key finding is that over time，children raised by an authoritative father were significantly more likely to develop persistence，which leads to better outcomes in school.

This particular study examined 11 to 14-year-olds living in two-parent homes. Yet the researchers suggest that single parents still may play a role in teaching the benefits of persistence，which is an avenue of future research.

4. What is special about the BYU professors' study?

A．It centered on fathers' role in parenting.

B．It was based on a number of large families.

C．It analyzed different kinds of parenting styles.

D．It aimed to improve kids' achievement in school.

5. What would an authoritative father do when raising his children?

A．Ignore their demands.	B．Make decisions for them.
C．Control their behaviors.	D．Explain the rules to them.

6. Which group can be a focus of future studies according to the researchers?

A．Single parents.

B．Children aged from 11 to 14.

C．Authoritarian fathers.

D．Mothers in two-parent homes.

7. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．Three Characteristics of Authoritative Fathers.

B．Key Skills for Young Adults to Succeed in Future.

C．Children Tend to Learn Determination from Father.

D．Family Relationship Influences School Performance.

During most time of the 1930s, the Great Plains region was destroyed by drought and high winds. Howling across the Great Plains, these winds swept up the soil of the over-farmed land and created serious sandstorms of dust. These black sandstorms were so thick that daylight seemed more like dusk. Year after year having passed without rain, the winds continued to blow, and the dust swirled endlessly. During this terrible period, the region came to be called the Dust Bowl.

But the causes of the sandstorms weren’t just drought and winds. In a strange way, patriotism（爱国主义）was partly to blame. During World War Ⅰ, the U. S. government encouraged farmers to support the war by planting more wheat. As farmers increased their production, their own profits increased. Following the invention of the farm tractor, farmers plowed up thousands of acres of grassland and planted wheat. Wheat production rose fast, but nature soon turned success into disaster.

When the drought began, farmers didn’t realize that, by plowing up the grassland, they had destroyed the land’s natural protection against soil erosion（侵蚀）. As the drought continued, one powerful windstorm after another blew across the Great Plains. Crops dried up and were blown away.

Nothing grew for years. Eventually most of the rich topsoil（表土层）was blown away. As years passed, all the moisture（水汽）in the ground disappeared, leaving even the deep roots of trees in dust.

The Great Plains became a deserted place, as thousands of people fled to California to escape the dust and look for work. Most found only low-paying agricultural jobs. But there were those who refused to leave. For these farmers, a program encouraged them to make use of new ways that would protect the precious topsoil from eroding. But bringing the soil back to life took time, and the farmers still needed rain. Rain meant more to the farmers than it ever had before. It meant a future.

8. Which of the following is the main cause of turning the Great Plains into the Dust Bowl?

A．The land was over-farmed.

B．The high winds blew away good soil.

C．There was lasting drought for years.

D．There were many thick black sandstorms.

9. What does the underlined phrase in the second paragraph mean?

A．Show up the grassland for farming.

B．Open up the grassland for farming.

C．Give up the grassland for farming.

D．Give out the grassland to the farmers.

10. The third paragraph is mainly developed by __________________.

A．the time order	B．giving examples
C．exploring causes and effects	D．explaining the process

11. What is mainly discussed in the last two paragraphs?

A．Measures to be taken.	B．Future of the destroyed region.
C．Results of the disaster.	D．People’s reaction to the disaster.

There is an old saying in China that goes.”The days of the Sanjiu period are the coldest days.”The “Sanjiu period”，which is in Minor Cold(小寒)，refers to the third nine-day period the 19th to the 27th day after the day of the winter solstice(冬至) There are many different customs related to Minor Cold in China.

Eating hotpot

During Minor Cold people should eat some hot food to benefit the body and defend against the cold weather.Winter is the best time to have hotpot and braised mutton(炖羊肉) with soy sauce.But it is important to notice that too much spicy food may cause health problems.

Eating huangyacai

In Tianjin，there is a custom to have huangyacai，a kind of Chinese cabbage，during Minor Cold.There are large amounts of vitamins A and B in huangyacai.As huangyacai is fresh and tender.it is fit for frying，roasting and stewing.

Eating glutinous rice(糯米饭)

According to tradition，the Cantonese eat glutinous rice in the morning during Minor Cold.Cantonese add some fried preserved(腌制的)pork，sausages and peanuts and mix them into the rice.

Eating vegetable rice

In ancient times，people in Nanjing took Minor Cold quite seriously，but as time went by，the celebration of Minor Cold gradually disappeared.However，the custom of eating vegetable rice is still followed today.The rice is steamed and is unspeakably delicious.Among the ingredients，aijiaohuang(a kind of green vegetable)，sausages and salted ducks are the specialties in Nanjing.

12. What do we know about Minor Cold？

A．It lasts twenty-seven days.

B．It marks the first day of winter.

C．It refers to the winter solstice.

D．The Sanjiu period is in Minor Cold.

13. What is a special custom in Tianjin in Minor Cold？

A．Eating hotpot.

B．Buying cabbage.

C．Having huangyacai

D．Having vitamins and B pills.

14. How do the Cantonese eat glutinous rice？

A．They fry and toast it.

B．They eat it for dinner.

C．They steam it with soy sauce.

D．They mix it with many other things.

15. This text may be taken from the _____ column of a newspaper.

A．travel

B．culture

C．fashion

D．science

What’s the easiest way to stay warm in the super cold?     16    . At least that’s what Christmas Father told me.

During Christmas, Dennis and I went to Finland. We brought back some tips for keeping warm in a cold temperature.

1. Three layers (层) work wonders.

Start with the base layer, which sits right on your skin: choose something that can absorb sweat.     17    . A sweater is a good choice. The most important layer is the outer clothes, which should be waterproof (防水的) and windproof.

2.     18    

You lose heat from every millimeter of uncovered skin, which was the biggest lesson I learned on this trip. My whole body was well covered. But I missed one spot: my face. So it often felt like the wind was going to blow my nose off.

3. Exercise, don’t just stand still.

When it’s cold, exercising may be the last thing you feel like doing, but be smart.     19    , and you will feel the difference. When we first got to Finland, we were freezing. But after a couple of minutes jumping around, we felt less cold.

4. If you have a heater …

You may want to turn it all the way up, but it’s best to keep it at between 18 and 20 degrees.     20    , but not create a huge difference between inside and outside.

A．Grow a crazy beard

B．The key is what your layer is

C．Cover every bit of your skin

D．That will keep you comfortable

E．Take a walk, faster than your normal speed

F．Don’t forget to keep your hands and feet warm, too

G．The middle layer keeps your body heat from getting away

When I was a college student．I did a lot of traveling abroad．That was because a professor _______ me to do so．She said．"To travel around the world can _______ your knowledge through actual experiences and make you have fun．"I _______ her．

Since I started to work for a _______ company，however，I have done most of my traveling through the Internet．With the help of the Internet．I have also got _______ about food in different countries．

Therefore，I was beginning to feel that actual trips were _______ necessary until I happened to read a famous chef's comment on the Internet．He said "When we enjoy food and the ________ around us at the same time，why don't you fly over to Italy and enjoy real Italian _______ ？ Those words reminded me of my _______ advice．As information technology___，you might be able to do it without making a real trip．But this also means that you will miss the various ________you can get from traveling．

Today there are people who ________direct communication with others and spend much of their time on the Internet．It is not surprising to see group of people ________not with each other but into their microphones．However，we should never let it ________our time for face-to-face communication．Let's make use of information technology more ________，and have great fun in experiencing the actual world．

21.

A．promised

B．allowed

C．impressed

D．encouraged

22.

A．build up

B．use

C．practice

D．exchange

23.

A．agreed with

B．learn from

C．followed

D．obeyed

24.

A．car

B．food

C．clothing

D．machine

25.

A．information

B．taste

C．cooks

D．advertisements

26.

A．even more

B．no longer

C．much

D．actually

27.

A．people

B．drink

C．atmosphere

D．environment

28.

A．shoes

B．dishes

C．customers

D．situations

29.

A．friend's

B．parents'

C．professor's

D．boss'

30.

A．produces

B．advertises

C．forms

D．advances

31.

A．news

B．pleasures

C．troubles

D．places

32.

A．avoid

B．keep

C．lose

D．enjoy

33.

A．meeting

B．talking

C．communicating

D．traveling

34.

A．spare

B．increase

C．reduce

D．use

35.

A．wisely

B．correctly

C．quickly

D．slowly

语法填空

Yuan Longping, known as the “father of hybrid rice”, was born in 1930.     36     (learn) that farmers often had poor harvests and sometimes even had a serious shortage of food to eat, he chose to study agriculture and graduated from Southwest Agricultural College in 1953.

Since his     37     (graduate), Yuan has devoted his life to finding ways     38     (produce) more rice. Through intense effort, he overcame enormous technical     39     (difficulty) to develop the first hybrid rice     40     could be used for farming in 1974. This hybrid enabled farmers to expand their output     41     (great). Today, it is estimated that about 60 percent of domestic rice consumption in China     42     (comprise) of crops generated from Yuan’s hybrid strains. Yuan’s innovation has helped feed not just China,     43     many other countries that depend on rice as well.

Though Yuan’s hybrids have made him quite     44     (wealth), he doesn’t lead a life of leisure. Instead, he donates much money to support agricultural research.     45     his advanced years, he is still young at heart and full of vision, and everyone is waiting to see what he will dream up next.

46. 假定你是李华，你市图书馆将播放关于中国茶文化的纪录片。你的外教Mr. Smith是中国茶文化爱好者，请给他写一封邮件，邀请他一起观看。内容包括：
1.播放时间、地点，
2.纪录片主要内容。
注意：
1.词数100词左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：纪录片documentary
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47. 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文，续写的词数应为150左右。

Last Sunday afternoon, Sandra and I were eager to meet up with a man on Detroit’s east side to help him get ready for a job interview this week. But on the way, we spotted a dog lying near the road next to his owner. We thought he’d been hit by a car. My friend, Sandra Abrahamian and I, had assisted animal rescue groups before and we thought there might be something we could do, so we quickly pulled over to help.

His owner, a woman told us the dog’s name is Bosco, and she was walking him over a mile in the heat to her new home. She said Bosco was an outside dog and no one would give him a ride to her new place. That’s when she and a friend decided to walk the entire way. He was going from a life on a chain in one backyard to another. She said Bosco was having trouble breathing along the way, but they thought he could make it. But just a block away from their destination, Bosco fell down. We could tell he was suffering from heatstroke(中暑). She told us he had thrown up and could no longer stand. Bosco was out of breath quickly, his drool(口水) was also thick. Bosco’s owner said she wanted to give him away because she didn’t have time for him. She said he would never be allowed into her new “home” because her children have allergies(过敏症) and she worried he would dirty the carpet.

I made a call to Kristina Rinaldi of Detroit Dog Rescue to ask if they could help Bosco because it was clear that he was going to die without emergency care. To our happiness, Rinaldi said they could help. At once she told the people at Oakland Veterinary Referral Services that a dog which needed critical care was being rushed in and they must be ready to try their best to save him.

Paragraph 1:

Sandra drove while I stayed in the back seat trying to comfort Bosco.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:

So Bosco is now being called Roscoe, whose critical care and recovery were estimated to be several thousand dollars.

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