I live in Minnesota, which is unfairly famous for terrible winters. Buffalo is far more wintry, whereas Seattle’s winters are more bitter. Our winters tend to be brilliantly sunny and cheerful. But, of course, it’s different for a visitor.
Lightweight thermal(保暖的) wear is good. Back in the day, we wore layers and layers of heavy woolens. A boy of 13 carrying 35 pounds of wet wool on his back does not feel very cold. Today you can buy outfits filled with goose feathers as well as thermal boots and caps to keep you warm.
When I was a youth, there was no such phrase as global warming. We never got warm, not even at night, when we slept under piles of blankets because Dad believed that if you couldn’t see your breath when you talked, then the thermostat(恒温器) was turned up too high and you were wasting fuel. So 45 degrees was room temperature, and we wore long woolens to bed.
We arose in the cold, dark dawn, and walked forth into the snowstorm to catch the school bus. We huddled(蜷缩) by the highway, praying for the bus to come, while wolves moved around eyeballing us for signs of sleepiness. When you have survived wolves, then the winters of today are a walk in the park.
Enduring winter is only a start—embracing(拥抱) winter is what you should struggle for. Winter gives a sense of purpose and saves one from a life of self-gratification, lying down and posting photos on Facebook. You have promises to keep. A sidewalk to clear. Two inches of snow over a layer of ice—you may as well set a leg trap for the elderly as leave the walk unswept.
You have children to raise. Remove their fingers from their smartphones, and lead them outdoors so they can absorb the wisdom of winter. We are animals. Life is not mainly about self-expression. It is about finding food and clothing and shelter, about sticking with the pack and not wandering off. Everyone is just as cold as you. No complaining.
1. What are Minnesot’s winters like in the author’s eyes?| A．They are wonderful. | B．They are unbearable. |
| C．They are colder than Buffalo’s | D．They are comfortable for visitors. |
| A．he kept talking to keep warm | B．he suffered from winters’ nights |
| C．his dad tried his best to warm him | D．his room was always at a high temperature |
| A．warm | B．quiet | C．short | D．pleasant |
| A．store enough food for cold winters |
| B．lend the neighbors a helping hand |
| C．step outside and appreciate winters |
| D．say goodbye to modern technology |
相似题推荐
This contact would give the girl a vision of her future self. It would hive her some idea of a fascinating circle who might someday join. It would also help if one of her parents died when she was 12, giving her a strong sense of insecurity and fueling a desperate need for success. Armed with this ambition, she would read novels and life stories of writers without end. This would give her a primary knowledge of her field. She’s be able to see new writing in deeper ways and quickly understand its inner workings.
Then she would practise writing. Her practice would be slow, painstaking and error-focused. By practising in this way, she delays the automatizing process. Her mind wants to turn conscious, newly learned skills into unconscious. Automatically performed skills. By practising slowly, by breaking skills down into tiny parts and repeating, she forces the brain to internalize a better pattern of performance. Then she would find an adviser who would provide a constant stream of feedback, viewing her performance form the outside, correcting the smallest errors, pushing her to take on tougher challenges. By now she is redoing problems — how do I get characters into a room—dozens and dozens of times. She is establishing habits of thought she can call upon in order to understand or solve future problems.
The primary quality our young writer possesses is not some mysterious genius. It’s the ability to develop a purposeful, laborious and boring practice routine; the latest research takes some of the magic out of great achievement. But it underlines a fact that is often neglected. Public discussion is affected by genetics and what we’re “hard-wired” to do. And it’s true that genes play a role in our capabilities. But the brain is also very plastic. We construct ourselves through behaviour.
1. The passage mainly deals with .
| A．the function of I.Q. in cultivating a writer |
| B．the relationship between genius and success |
| C．the decisive factor in making a genius |
| D．the way of gaining some sense of distinction |
| A．come to understand the inner structure of writing |
| B．join a fascinating circle of writers someday |
| C．share with a novelist her likes and dislikes |
| D．learn from the living examples to establish a sense of security |
| A．her adviser forms a primary challenging force to her success |
| B．her writing turns into an automatic pattern of performance |
| C．she acquires the magic of some great achievement |
| D．she comes to realize she is “hard-wired” to write |
| A．A fueling ambition plays a leading role in one’s success |
| B．A responsible adviser is more important than the knowledge of writing. |
| C．As to the growth of a genius, I.Q. doesn’t matter, but just his/her effort. |
| D．What really matters is what you do rather than who you are. |
【推荐2】When Randy Smalls found out that his daughter, ReOnna, was in a group of students who bullied(霸凌) a girl at school, he couldn’t bear to sit back.
As someone all-too-familiar with being bullied, he felt they should say sorry to Ryan Reese, the girl who was getting picked on. And in doing so, he also found a way to teach his own daughter a lesson. He decided to help Ryan buy brand new clothes. ReOnna was upset, especially because she is into fashion. So Randy asked her to come with them and help pick out Ryan’s new clothes. Randy also took Ryan to get her hair done at asalon (美发厅). Randy’s generosity became inspiration. Several local salons also offered to help keep her looking beautiful in the months that followed.
Upset as Re’Onna was at first, the more time she spent with Ryanthe more she began to truly understand the importance of not bullying. Not only because it’s not okay to hurt others but because you never know what someone else is going through. For Ryan, that included losing her dad, grandpa, and aunt in a short period of time. “I wasn’t expecting it,” Ryan said. “I just started to cry. It really took me deeper down in my depression.”
“As parents, we have to take responsibility for what our children do,” Randy said. “We can teach our children, but when they go and are around other children, something terrible may happen. When situations like this happen we have to take action and be the parent and not the friend.”
1. What did Randy find out?| A．His daughter was bullied. | B．His daughter bullied a girl. |
| C．His daughter failed in exams. | D．His daughter got hurt at school. |
| A．Buying new clothes for Ryan. | B．Blaming her for being involved in bullying |
| C．Reporting the bullying to the school. | D．Urging her to make an apology to Ryan. |
| A．Many students helped Ryan. bir | B．Randy’s daughter felt upset. |
| C．Several local salons also took action. | D．The school also did something for Ryan |
| A．The parent is stricter. | B．The parent is more caring. |
| C．The parent is more helpful. | D．The parent is more responsible |
【推荐3】Driving a car at high speed along a highway seems to be fun. You need only to follow the bright traffic signs beside the highways and it will take you to where you wish.
But to a London taxi driver, driving is not an easy job. A taxi driver has to have not only good driving skills but also a good knowledge of the city of a London, from the smallest lane to the most popular bar around. He has to be at the service of all kinds of passengers at all times.
A certain London taxi driver told of his job as follows.
During the night it is quite usual for him to stop two or three times for some refreshments (点心). He said. “I never drink when I’m working -- I would lose my license.”
He normally goes home between 2 and 3 o’clock in the night, there are times he has to stay longer and try to make more runs. He said, “That’s the worst thing about working for yourself. If you don’t make the money, no one is going to give it to you.”
London taxi drivers not only ‘take’ but also ‘give’. Every summer hundreds of children from London will go for a day at the sea-- by taxi! Their rides are paid by the taxi drivers, and these fares all go to the ‘London Taxi Fund for Underprivileged Children.’ At the sea, they are met by the mayor, and a lunch party is also held in honour of the taxi drivers and the children. After a happy day running around the sea beaches and visiting the market, the children go home again-- by taxi, and free of charge, of course!
1. To be a London driver is not easy because ________.| A．he has to follow the bright traffic signs |
| B．he has to have good driving skills and know all the places in the city |
| C．he has to serve all kinds of passengers at all times |
| D．both B and C |
| A．work hard because no one would give them money for doing nothing |
| B．never stop driving in the city |
| C．only work between 2 and 3 o’clock in the night |
| D．are very rich |
| A．the taxi driver works longer than is necessary |
| B．the more runs the taxi driver makes, the more he gets |
| C．the taxi driver doesn’t like to work for others |
| D．the taxi driver doesn’t take money |
| A．take money because they have to pay for the children’s ride |
| B．go to the sea for a day in the summer |
| C．pay the fares for the poor children to the sea for a day once every year |
| D．give the poor children a free ride for a day at the sea once every year |
【推荐1】Daylight Saving Time (DST) is the practice of setting the clocks forward one hour from standard time during the summer months (=lose 1 hour), and back again in the fall (=regain 1 hour), in order to make better use of natural daylight. So “spring forward, fall back” is one of the little sayings used to remember which way to set your watch.
In 1966, Congress passed the Uniform Time Act, which standardized the length of DST, which begins on the second Sunday of March each year and ends on the first Sunday of November. In 2021, Daylight Saving starts at 2 a.m. on March 14 and it will end at 2 a.m. on November 7. In other words, sunrise and sunset will be about one hour later on March 14 than the day before, meaning there will be more light in the evening.
Benjamin Franklin is often credited with first proposing daylight saving in his 1784 essay, An Economical Project. The idea wasn’t seriously considered, however, until more than a century later when William Willetts, a British builder, fiercely recommended it. The current DST format was proposed in New Zealand by entomologist (昆虫学家) George Hudson. In 1895, he recommended a two-hour time change because he wanted to have more daylight after work to go hunting for bugs in the summer.
Some studies show that DST could lead to fewer road accidents and injuries by supplying more daylight during the hours when more people use the roads. It is also used to reduce the amount of energy needed for lighting during the evening hours. However, other studies claim that people’s health might suffer due to DST changes.
Nearly every state in the U.S. observes DST, according to the Department of Transportation. However, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and most of Arizona do not.
1. Why is DST observed?| A．To save money. | B．To save time. |
| C．To take advantage of natural daylight. | D．To reduce traffic injuries. |
| A．4 a.m. | B．3 a.m. | C．2 a.m. | D．1 a.m. |
| A．Benjamin Franklin. | B．A British builder. |
| C．William Willetts. | D．A New Zealand entomologist. |
| A．To show the rules of Daylight Saving Time. |
| B．To introduce Daylight Saving Time in the USA. |
| C．To stress the importance of Daylight Saving Time. |
| D．To inform readers of the influence of Daylight Saving Time. |
【推荐2】The Spring Equinox(春分)
The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides a year into 24 solar terms. The Spring Equinox.as the fourth term of the year starts on March 20 and ends on April 4 in 2020.
The ancient Chinese people divided the fifteen days of the Spring Equinox into three “hou’s” or five-day parts.
Spring Equinox is also a good time to fly kites.
| A．Later flying kites developed into a popular game of spring |
| B．In ancient times, people did not have good medical resources |
| C．The Spring Equinox signals the equal length of the day and night time |
| D．It suggests that people flying kites help preserve health and bring good luck |
| E．Farmers will reward cattle with sticky rice balls to express their gratefulness |
| F．As the old saying goes, swallows fly back to the North in the first hou |
| G．Standing an egg upright is a popular game across the country during the Spring Equinox |
There is no month in the whole year in which nature wears a more beautiful appearance than in the month of August. Spring has many beauties, and May is a fresh and blooming month, but the charms of this time of year are enhanced by their contrast with the winter season. August has no such advantage. It comes when we remember nothing but clear skies, green fields, and sweet-smelling flowers—when the memory of snow, and ice, and bleak winds, has faded from our minds as completely as they have disappeared from the earth—and yet what a pleasant time it is! Orchards and fields sing with the sound of work; trees bend beneath the thick clusters of rich fruit which bow their branches to the ground; and the wheat, piled in graceful sheaves, or waving in every gentle wind that sweeps above it, tinges the landscape with a golden colour. A soft, pleasant light appears to hang over the whole earth; the influence of the season seems to extend itself even to a passing wagon, whose slow motion across the well-reaped field is seen by the eye, but makes no loud noises upon the ear.
(Adaptation from The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens)
1. What does this paragraph mainly describe?
2. What aspects does the author describe?
【推荐1】Devon Gallagher, a college graduate from Philadelphia, wants the world to know exactly where she’s been during her worldwide vacation in a special way.
The traveler, who was born with a bone disease, had her right leg amputated(截肢) at the age of four. Although the amputation caused setbacks for Gallagher early on, she now sees it as nothing short of inspiration for living her best life.
To spread that message, Gallagher has taken to social media, where she shares photos of her travels across the globe, but instead of simply using a geotag, she writes her location across her artificial leg before taking a picture.
Now she has been taking pictures across the Continent, which show her cycling over the canal in Amsterdam, relaxing on a wall overlooking the city of Barcelona, posing with a waffle in Brussels, taking spectacular pictures in Athens and enjoying a river cruise in Budapest, all with the well known locations written on her artificial leg.
“I get a new leg every two years and I can choose the design on it. One day I had a sudden thought to get a chalkboard,” Gallagher said. “My mum and grandmother weren’t too keen on the idea, but my friends thought it was great and told me to go for it, so I did.”
Gallagher said people often stare when she’s writing on her leg, but once she shares the photos, she receives only positive feedback. “My leg hasn’t stopped me from doing anything I’ve wanted to do,” she said. “I don’t know if it’s my determination to prove to myself that I can do it, but regardless, I’ve been able to keep up with my peers and lead a pretty great life.”
Gallagher shows us that you should never let anything stand in the way of your dreams. And if life gives you an artificial leg, make art.
1. What message did Gallagher want to spread in her special way?| A．She enjoys her traveling across the globe. |
| B．She suffers little from her leg amputation. |
| C．She looks on her misfortune as another form of blessing. |
| D．She has exactly fallen in love with posting photos online. |
| A．The Continent. | B．The pictures. |
| C．The leg. | D．The locations. |
| A．helpful and ambitious | B．friendly and generous |
| C．determined and creative | D．independent and sensible |
| A．Never Too Late to Share | B．A Special Artificial Leg |
| C．An Outstanding Photographer | D．Gallagher’s Summer Holidays |
【推荐2】“Wow, this carrot is shaped like a spaceship!”
As a child, I’d always been drawn to strangely shaped vegetables in the produce aisle: horseshoe eggplants, flat bell peppers, three-legged carrots...but as time passed, TV ads and perfect supermarket displays taught me that tomatoes should always be perfectly round, carrots straight and apples bright red. I was taught that what looked nice must taste nice.
Today, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) acts much like Vogue and Cosmopolitan, setting unrealistic beauty expectations on how produce ought to look, down to the exact color, shape and size. But appearance is a poor indicator of flavor, nutritional value and even freshness. Food stylists in TV ads have conditioned us to see pretty as delicious and nutritious. However, Linda Hagen, a professor of consumer behavior from the University of Southem Califomia, denies the connection between beauty and nutrition, explaining that it is just another marketing strategy used by food companies to increase sales.
In the United States alone, an estimated six billion pounds of ugly produce is left unharvested, unsold and uneaten every year. That’s enough food to feed three million people for a whole year!
The discarding of imperfect produce is not just wasteful; it also contributes significantly to climate change. Rotting produce creates large amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas 28 times more effective than carbon dioxide. When supermarkets toss away an ill-shaped tomato, they are also tossing away all of the fertilizer, water and energy that went into growing, storing and transporting that tomato.
I’ve decided to take this issue into my own hands. Working with local farms, markets, meal centers and food banks, I have rescued over 4, 500 pounds of edible, nutritious, often organic, ugly produce in my city. However, helping can be a lot easier than driving from farm to farm every weekend.
1. How does the writer find the USDA?| A．Inactive. | B．Invaluable. |
| C．Inaccessible. | D．Irresponsible. |
| A．It reflects the inside value of produce. |
| B．It’s a reasonable marketing strategy. |
| C．It’s by no means connected with nutrition. |
| D．It indicates flavor, nutrition and freshness. |
| A．Some simple ways to rescue ugly produce. |
| B．Some other countries that waste produce. |
| C．Some stories of the writer visiting farms. |
| D．Some new discoveries by food professionals. |
【推荐3】I always wondered how people would react if I tried to approach a total stranger for help in a busy place like a street corner or in a noisy mall. I have always hurried past a stranger who tried to catch my attention in a busy place or when I am rushing around.
Yesterday, I was in a busy shopping mall buying a large piece of luggage because I just had the time to do it after many days of planning. After the purchase in one of the large shops, I picked up my phone from my pocket to call my driver waiting in the parking lot but my phone was dead.
I then requested the shop assistant who had just sold me the luggage to ring the number of my driver for me and she replied that it was the shop policy that they cannot use mobile phones while working in the shop.
I got out of the shop onto the busy street in front and approached a young mother with her two kids to make a request. As soon as I said “Excuse me, madam”, she grabbed both her kids and ran. I felt like a kidnapper.
I stood there, wondering how many times I had reacted to strangers like the young mum. I stood there in the busy street with people rushing by, looking at their faces to see if there was a sign of kindness on their faces.
I saw a man pretty shabbily dressed. He seemed to have noticed me and I just stopped him expecting him to rush past. My request escaped the lips. He immediately called the number of my driver and waited till my car came to be sure I was picked up, and he turned around before I could thank him adequately and was gone. I was surprised by his kindness and hope I will do likewise to strangers who try to catch my attention from now on.
1. The author turned to others for help to .| A．charge up his dead phone | B．test their reaction to a stranger |
| C．call his driver to pick him up | D．catch their attention to him |
| A．The shop assistant. | B．The shabbily-dressed man. |
| C．The mother with two kids. | D．Nobody. |
| A．The author was hopeless after seeking help in vain. |
| B．The man may be too poor to own a phone. |
| C．The man didn’t look safe. |
| D．The author found himself mistaken for a bad person. |
| A．Kindness can turn strangers into friends. |
| B．Helping strangers is easier said than done. |
| C．Experience is better gained through practice. |
| D．Do to others what you would like others to do to you. |
【推荐1】All languages change over time, and there can be many different reasons for this. The English language is no different — but why has it changed over the decades? Some of the main influences on the evolution of languages include: The movement of people across the globe…
What changes has the English language seen?
As the English language has changed, it’s been easy to pick out words that pass into common usage. The rise in popularity of internet slang (俚语) has seen phrases such as “LOL” ( Laugh Out Loud ), “YOLO” ( You Only Live Once ) and “bae” (an abbreviated form of babe or baby ) become firmly rooted in the English language over the past ten years. Every decade sees new slang terms like these appearing in the English language. And while some words or abbreviations do come from the Internet or text conversations, others may appear as entirely new words, a new meaning for an existing word, or a word that becomes more generalized than its former meaning. Decades ago, “blimey” was a new expression of surprise, but more recently”woah” is the word in everyday usage.
Sentence structure is of course another change to English language. Decades ago, it would have been normal to ask “Have you a moment?” Now, you might say “D’you have a sec?” Similarly, “How do you do?” has become “How’s it going?” Not only have the sentences been shortened, but new words have been introduced to everyday questions.
Connected to this is the replacement of certain words with other, more-modern versions. It’s pretty noticeable that words like “shall” and “ought” are on the way out, but “will”, “should” and “can” are doing just fine. Other changes can be more subtle (微妙). A number of verbs can be followed by another verb in either the “-ing” form or the “to” form, for example “they liked painting / to paint”, “he didn’t bother calling / to call”. Both of these constructions are still used but there has been a steady shift over time from the “to” to the “-ing”.
What do the changes mean?
Most language experts accept that change in language, like change in society, is unavoidable. Some think that is regrettable, but others recognize it as a way to enrich the language, bringing alternatives that allow subtle differences of expression.
As with everything, change isn’t necessarily a bad thing and, as the needs of English language users continue to change, so will the language !
1. What is the text mainly about?| A．The main influence on the evolution of the English language. |
| B．The different opinions on the English language changes. |
| C．The English language has changed over the decades. |
| D．Why the English language has changed over the years. |
| A．Internet slang terms and new words’ meanings |
| B．words, expressions and sentence structures |
| C．text conversations and everyday questions |
| D．a few model verbs and gram mar |
| A．the fast-paced modern life |
| B．the worsening laziness of the youth |
| C．the English influence on technology |
| D．the rise in popularity of the Internet slang |
| A．Opposed. | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Approving. | D．Uncaring. |
【推荐2】Life under lockdown is strange and lonely but people are finding ways to come together and support those in need by volunteering. Here are just a few more ways you can take part in.
NHS Responders
After asking retired medical professionals to return to work, the government has also put out a call for 250,000 volunteers to support the NHS (National Health System). You can apply to be a community response volunteer, collecting and delivering supplies for those in isolation; a patient transport volunteer, helping patients who are dismissed from hospital get home and settled; and an NHS transport volunteer, to assist with delivery of medical supplies.
GAIL'S Bakery
As well as baking breads and pastries for the general public, GAJL's is supplying front-line NHS teams with fresh food, and they need more help to get it where it needs to be. If you want to lend a hand, drop them an email.
Re-engage
Re-engage is a voluntary group that helps reduce loneliness among old people and given that so many people are isolated because of the virus outbreak, they need more volunteers to become call companions. If you want to join them in the telephone befriending service, contact them at 18112256.
A Plate For London
This online platform helps match volunteers with Londoners in need . Now they are focusing on doorstep deliveries of food parcels and hot meals to children who rely on free school meals and those who have lost their jobs as a result of the widespread disease.
1. What is the duty of a patient transport volunteer?| A．Picking up patients. | B．Sending patients home. |
| C．Moving patients to clinics. | D．Delivering supplies for patients. |
| A．NHS Responders. | B．GAIL’s Bakery. |
| C．Re-engage. | D．A Plate For London. |
| A．The aged. | B．The volunteers. |
| C．The patients. | D．The unemployed. |
【推荐3】I think the biggest difference between middle and high school is the homework load (工作量) and size of the school. I went from maybe fifteen minutes of homework a night to several hours, so I had to learn how to make full use of time! Our class size is around 550, but joining in clubs, sports, music, and other activities at school makes it easier to get to know people in every grade.
The best advice I can give about the years you spend in high school is to learn things for yourself, not just to get a good grade. There have been so many tests that I’ve prepared for the night before. I have gotten an A, and not remembered anything later. I’ve changed that this year, and I enjoy school so much more. Don’t take easy classes just to have a simple year. If you have a choice between chemistry and sports, the first will prove to be a lot more useful!
While drinking and smoking might be present in some middle schools, they’re also around in high schools. I have a lot of friends who promised they’d never drink or smoke, but are now partying every weekend. If you have “fun” and spend your nights wasted instead of studying, you will regret it when you’re applying for (申请) college. The “friends” who say you’re a loser for not partying are really not your friends at all. It’s hard to see your closest friends grow apart and go in different directions, but don’t follow their footsteps. Create your own path in life and make your own decisions.
1. What does the author think of high school?| A．It requires hard work. |
| B．There are very few activities. |
| C．It’s hard to meet new people there. |
| D．There isn’t enough time for homework. |
| A．give up sports |
| B．choose useful classes |
| C．try their best to get good grades |
| D．get ready for tests the night before |
| A．The importance of making friends. |
| B．Not losing ourselves in high school. |
| C．Not going to any party in high school. |
| D．The trouble caused by drinking and smoking. |
