When Ryad Alsous arrived in England, he knew one thing: he wanted to keep bees. The insects had been a major part of his life in Syria, and fleeing his war-torn homeland. It was a precious certainty amid so much chaos.
As a lecturer at the University of Damascus, Ryad had built a respected reputation for his research on Syrian bees. With over 500 hives, he produced over ten tons of honey every year. Fleeing his country in 2013, he lost everything.
Yet even with all his knowledge and experience, Ryad didn’t know if his dream would be possible in the UK. “I found that there is a lot of rain and the temperature isn’t very high. All the time I was thinking ‘How can I set up another project here?’”
The wet weather wasn’t Ryad’s only challenge. The language barrier and a vastly overqualified CV made it difficult to find work. Eventually, Ryad volunteered at the Huddersfield Beekeepers’ Association, but he was still without a colony of his own. Finally, Facebook brought him into contact with a woman in Manchester who was willing to donate an entire colony of rare British black bees.
“In one year, I was able to split the colony she gave me into seven. I realised that the beekeeping project could become very profitable and successful in the UK.”
Soon, Ryad found himself with 17 hives, but he wasn’t finished yet. His inner teacher was itching to get out. Through City of Sanctuary, a British refugee charity, Ryad began to run beekeeping workshops for refugees and job seekers. The Buzz Project was born.
Today, the Buzz Project houses 14 hives, where Ryad shares his expertise. It has started to bear fruit. Last year, they produced-half ton of honey (around 1,000 jars). But for Ryad, the most important thing is bringing people together.
“We have local people, job seekers and volunteers, in addition to refugees. All of them work together doing the same job. The exchange between the groups, the information and skills, helps them integrate very well and improve their language skills” he says.
1. Why did Ryad come to England?A.To keep bees. | B.To do research. |
C.To seek shelter. | D.To run business. |
A.The hot weather. | B.His poor English. |
C.His inadequate qualification. | D.The cultural differences. |
A.He wanted to share his beekeeping skills. |
B.He decided to establish a beekeeping school. |
C.He wanted to expand his business. |
D.He decided to find a teaching job. |
A.Persistent and charitable. | B.Ambitious and reliable. |
C.Curious and responsible. | D.Independent and respectably. |
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【推荐1】Finally, I entered the university. Because of my careful savings, I did not have to work during the school year. Then, summer came and it was time to work harder than ever. I continued working as a waitress at night, instructed tennis camps several mornings a week and worked as a secretary for a few hours in the afternoons. I even decided to take a class at a community(社区) college. This class at the community college saved me $650. It was an extremely tiring summer and made me anxious to return to my relatively easy life at the university.
During my second and third years of undergraduate schooling, I decided to work about five hours per week in the campus admissions office answering phones. This provided a little spending money and kept me from drawing my savings out. I wanted to go to Israel to study for 3 weeks, but I hesitated in making this decision because it would cost me $1,600 more to get the credits(贷款) in Israel. About two weeks later my mom called to tell me that I had $1,600 in the bank that I had forgotten about! One of my concerns about this trip was not only the cost, but the loss of time to make money; however, I made as much that summer in the ten weeks when I was at home as I had made during the fourteen weeks when I was at home the summer before. The way everything worked together to make this trip possible was one of the most exciting things that have ever happened to me.
This experience has shaped me in many important ways. The first thing that I learned was the importance of a strong work ethic(伦理). Working long hours did a lot to develop my character and helped me learn the value of a dollar. It also made me learn how to search for creative ways to settle difficult situations.
1. Where did the writer probably work part-time before attending the university?A.In a restaurant. | B.In the tennis camps. |
C.In a company. | D.In the campus admissions office. |
A.Because she wanted to save money. |
B.Because life there was relatively easy. |
C.Because summer time was tiring. |
D.Because it was required by the university. |
A.How the writer made money on the college campus. |
B.How the writer managed to make full use of her vacation. |
C.How the writer was forced to support herself by her mother. |
D.How the writer was shaped by working part-time through college. |
【推荐2】Ways to Come Back Ready for Work After a Vacation
You finally took a break from work and went on a well-deserved vacation.
Ease your way back into work. Take some time to plan out your day. Make a to-do list with everything you know you need to do and prioritize (确定优先顺序) what needs to be done. Focus on doing what you know how to do and what requires the least amount of time.
Go to work with a new set of eyes. Maybe you were frustrated with a task before you went on vacation because you couldn’t make it work. After being away from it for a while, you can look at it differently and offer a new perspective.
Take breaks during the day.
A.Starting with small tasks can boost your confidence |
B.Day breaks are helpful to people with work pressure |
C.Don’t go back to work right after your vacation’s over |
D.Sometimes you just need time away to restart your work |
E.New tasks can be handled more effectively and smoothly |
F.Days of relaxation have you wishing that it would never end |
G.Going into full work without any breaks would make you exhausted |
【推荐3】There are plenty of beauty schools throughout the country that can help you to start a career in cosmetology(美容业). Nowadays, young people may not be able to afford a four-year college. Students can look forward to attending a beauty school program which will only take a few months to complete and start their career right away to earn money.
There can be many benefits of going to beauty school. The expense is much less than attending a four-year university. Besides, attending beauty school is mostly a hands-on(动手的) experience which appeals to many people. Some students don’t like sitting all day listening to lectures and then having to study at night. What’s more, most beauty school programs keep up with the changing trends and fashion. So you will always be working on different hair types which can be fun and will give you a lot of experience throughout the years of your career.
If you are worried about finding a job after graduation, many beauty schools will offer assistance for immediate job placement and give you peace of mind that you will not be stranded looking for a job. Most colleges and universities are not equipped to do that because of the large number of graduates each year.
Cosmetologists will also make a good salary. The average salary will depend on your location, but you may earn a salary around $3,000--$3,500 a month. This is not including tips which could be $600 or more a month. Not only can young people go to cosmetology school, but people of all ages can start this career. As you can see, there are many benefits of beauty schools that can be the perfect opportunity for anyone to become a great cosmetologist.
1. Some students prefer not to go to college probably because .A.they are interested in beauty school |
B.they don’t have enough money |
C.they are not young any longer |
D.they are too busy doing something useful |
A.Five | B.Two |
C.Three | D.Six |
A.beauty school can help find a job |
B.many people don’t go to university |
C.lots of students compete for beauty schools |
D.going to college costs a large amount of money |
A.The types of school for children |
B.The benefits of beauty schools |
C.The advantages of going to college |
D.Going to college or beauty school |
【推荐1】In the seventh grade I realized I was dyslexic, which made it difficult for me to read and spell. I did really badly in my history course, so my mother said to me, “I’ll work with you for a full week. I’m going to show you what you can do if you put in the right amount of effort.” So we did. We worked on history for a full week, an extra hour every day. But I still failed the test as always.
By the time I got to college, things didn’t get better. I would wait in registration lines all day to sign up for extra courses. Then I would go around the first day of class and ask each professor: “What’s your policy on misspelling?” If he said, “Three misspellings is a fail,” I’d drop it.
Although I was an academic failure, I had a great time. I had many friends and I was always popular. I was a good football player. I never had a day when I would think “People don’t like me.”
In spite of my obvious weaknesses, I became successful in my career, so much so that people say to me, “So you’ve overcome dyslexia.” No. I don’t overcome it. I just learn to compensate for it. Some easy things are hard for me. Most people read 500 words a minute. I only read 200. I try not to dial a phone because I sometimes have to dial three times to get the number right. I owe my successful career to my writing instructor, Ralph Salisbury. He looked past my misspellings and gave me encouragement. So I always feel confident.
The real fear that I have for dyslexic people is not that they have to struggle with their reading skills or that they can’t spell correctly, but that they will quit on themselves before they get out of school.
1. When the author did badly in the course, what did his mother do?A.She led him to make more efforts. | B.She taught him history in person. |
C.She blamed his laziness bitterly. | D.She sent him to an extra class. |
A.The author always dials three times to make a phone call. |
B.The author cures himself without anyone’s help. |
C.The author failed in many extra courses. |
D.The author leads a successful life. |
A.fight for | B.make up for | C.struggle with | D.put up with |
A.They should make more efforts to practice reading skills. |
B.They should turn to a writing instructor for help. |
C.They should not give up on themselves. |
D.They should ignore the disease. |
【推荐2】Police Officer Tidwell left the station just after 8 a.m.on Sunday June 4. He had spent a boring night on duty and was looking forward to his day of rest. By habit he took a short-cut down the path behind Dugby Hall road and after a minute or two he saw a man climbing down a drainpipe(雨水管)from an open bedroom window of Number 29. In silence, Tidwell crept into the garden.The man reached the ground and was dusting himself down when he felt his arm caught.
"It's 8:15 on a Sunday morning," said the officer,"and this sort of thing seems an unlikely adventure at such a time. Would you mind explaining?"
The man was obviously scared but tried to keep calm. He said, "I know what you are thinking, officer, but it isn't true. This is a funny mistake."
"It's part of my job to take an interest in unusual events. I think you've just left this house in a manner other than the customary one. That may be quite innocent, but I'd like to make sure." Tidwell took out his notebook and a pen. "Name, address and occupation and then, please, tell me your story..."
"Charlie Crane, lorry driver, from Nottingham, 51 Breton Street. My story...”
"Yes. What were you doing like a fly on that wall, Mr. Crane?"
"Well, I had a breakdown yesterday and had to stay the night here. Bed and breakfast. The land-lady's name is Mrs. Fern. She gave me breakfast at seven, and I was out of here right way and down at the lorry by half past seven. Only when I felt around for a cigarette did I realize I'd left $80 in my envelope under the pillow here at number 29. I always put it under my pillow at night. It's a habit I've got into. I even do it at home...
"I see. Why didn't you miss it when you went to pay Mrs....What's her name?"
"I'd paid her last night. You've got to pay when you take the room, see? So I came rushing back, but it's Sunday, and she'd gone back to bed, and could I wake her? I rang the bell and banged on the front door for ten minutes before I came round here to the back and spotted my bedroom window still open. Up I went, then, up this pipe. It's a trick I learned in the army. She didn't make the bed and money was still there. You know the rest, I hope you believe it because..."
"Mr.Crane, whatever are you doing here? I thought you'd gone an hour ago." It was Mrs. Fern, speaking from the kitchen at the corner of the house.
1. Why was Tidwell walking along the path behind Dugby Hall road?A.He usually discovered something suspicious along that way. |
B.He knew he would get home quicker that way. |
C.He chose to go that way by chance. |
D.He had an appointment with a man at number 29 there. |
A.he had lost his way in the dark |
B.he had suddenly fallen ill that night |
C.Nottingham was too far for him to drive that night |
D.there was something wrong with his lorry |
A.Because he had no occasion to remember the money thing. |
B.Because he had put the money under the pillow. |
C.Because he trusted the landlady. |
D.Because he was in such a hurry that morning. |
A.take Crane back to his office |
B.accuse Crane of misbehaving |
C.just let Crane go |
D.force Crane to pay Mrs.Fem some money |
【推荐3】The Adventures of Tom Sawyer changed the course of children’s literature in the United States as well as of American literature generally, presenting the first deeply-felt description of boyhood. Mark Twain published the novel in 1876, which centered on a smart naughty young boy living in a town along the Mississippi River. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer marked the further development of Mark Twain realism.
An orphan, Tom Sawyer lived with his Aunt Polly and half brother, Sid, in St. Petersburg, Missouri; the fictional town was based on Hannibal, Missouri. The first few chapters highlighted Tom’s troubled tendencies. He angered his aunt by eating jam, and then he got in a fight with another boy. As punishment for his various misdeeds, Aunt Polly ordered him to whitewash the fence. However, Tom managed to convince other children that whitewashing was fun, and they ended up giving him various items for a turn at the fence. Later in the book Tom went to the cemetery with Huckleberry Finn, a wanderer whose father was a heavy drinker. They came across three grave robbers, including Injun Joe and Dr. Robinson. The two men got into a fight, and Injun Joe murdered the doctor. Although Tom and Huckleberry promised never to tell anyone what they had seen, Tom eventually charged the escaped Indian Joc.
At one point, Tom, Huckleberry, and a third boy decided to run away from home and became pirates (海盗). While on an island in the Mississippi River, they discovered that people thought they had died. The three dramatically reappeared during their funeral services. Tom and Huckleberry then decided to look for buried treasure in an abandoned house. The boys were forced to hide when Injun Joe and a partner arrived to bury their own treasure there. However, the two men then came across a gold storage in the house and decided to hide it elsewhere. One night Huck followed them, hoping to find the gold. When he overheard their plan to attack the Widow Douglas, Huck got help, and the crime was prevented. Tom later went on a picnic with his classmates. While exploring a cave, they became lost, and Tom later realized that the gold was likely to be in the cave, and he and Huckleberry discovered it.
1. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?A.The story outlines the Adventures of Tom Sawyer. |
B.The story describes Mark Twain’s childhood. |
C.The story tells the story of Huckleberry. |
D.This passage comments on Mark Twain’s novels. |
A.Tom’s helpfulness. | B.Tom’s honesty. | C.Tom’s friendliness. | D.Tom’s naughtiness. |
a. Huck followed those two.
b. Then Tom and Huckleberry found gold.
c. Tom and Huckleberry decided to search for buried treasure.
d. Tom, Huckleberry and another boy ran away from home.
A.a-c-b-d | B.d-c-a-b | C.b-a-d-c | D.c-b-a-d |
A.An interesting adventure novel. | B.The most humorous story of children. |
C.The greatest works of children’s literature. | D.The most popular historical novel. |
【推荐1】I was born in the city of York, in England, in 1632. My father was a man of some wealth, able to give the me a good home and send me to school. It was his wish that I should be a lawyer but my head began to be filled very early with thoughts of travel, and I would be satisfied with nothing but going to sea. One day, being at Hull, met one of my friends who was about to sail for London in his father’s ship, and he invited me to go with him. Without telling my father, I went on board.
On the way to London, our ship was destroyed by a storm, and we almost lost our lives. I went on foot to London, where I met with the master of a large ship which did business with countries on the coast of Africa. He offered me a chance to go with him, which I gladly accepted.
A great storm came up, and the ship was tossed (颠簸) about for many days, until we did not know where we were. Suddenly we hit a bank of sand, and the sea broke over the ship in such a way that we could not hope to have her hold many moments without breaking into pieces. So we used a boat instead. After we had been driven four or five miles,a mountainous wave (波浪) hit us so hard that it overturned the boat at once. I swam well but the waves were so strong that I was pushed against a rock with such force, and left unconscious. But I recovered a little before the waves returned, and, running forward, got to the mainland safely. I never regretted my decisions.
1. What the author want to do most when he was young?A.To visit Africa. | B.To sail the seas. |
C.To practice law. | D.To move to London. |
A.alone | B.hungry |
C.sleepy | D.senseless |
A.what he did on the ship | B.what he went through at sea |
C.how he became a man of wealth | D.how he got to know a ship owner |
A.He could not swim at all. | B.He made his father very proud. |
C.He was not afraid of taking risks. | D.He did business with African countries. |
【推荐2】I was 16 years old the day I skipped school for the first time. It was easily done: both my parents left for work before my school bus arrived, so when it showed up at my house on that cold winter morning, I simply did not get on. The perfect crime!
And what did I do with myself on that glorious stolen day, with no adult in charge and no limits on my activities? Did I get high? Hit the mall for a shoplifting extravaganza(狂欢)?
Nope. I built a warm fire in the wood stove, prepared a bowl of popcorn, grabbed a blanket, and read. I was thrilled and transported by a book-it was Hemingway's The Sun Also rises-and I just needed to be alone with it for a little while. I ached to know what would happen to Jake Barnes and Lady Brett Ashley and Robert Cohn. I couldn't bear the thought of sitting in a classroom taking another biology exam when I could be traveling through Spain in the 1920s with a bunch of expatiates(异乡客).
I spent that day lost in words. Time fell away, as the room around me turned to mist, and my role--as a daughter, sister, teenager, and student--in the world no longer had any meaning. I had accidentally come across the key to perfect happiness: I had become completely absorbed by something I loved.
Looking back on it now, I can see that some subtle things were happening to my mind and to my life while I was in that state of absorption. Hemingway’s language was quietly braiding itself into my imagination. I was downloading information about how to create simple and elegant sentences, a good and solid plot. In other words, I was learning how to write. Without realizing it, I was hot on the trail of my own fate. Writing now absorbs me the way reading once did and happiness is their generous side effect.
1. What did the author think is the source of true joy?A.Reading by the fire. | B.Travelling in Spain |
C.Breaking the regulations | D.Being occupied by one's passion |
A.Entering | B.Destroying |
C.Mending | D.Blocking. |
A.I was tired of my real-life roles. |
B.I learnt how to write on the Internet. |
C.Hemingway’s style influenced me a lot. |
D.Becoming a writer was my childhood dream. |
【推荐3】We went deep into the earth through dark, narrow caves. When I got used to the light, I stood amazed.
A vast lake or even an ocean, spread far beyond where the eye could see. The shore was lined with shining sand, being softly lapped by waves. It was covered with small shells once inhabited by the first living beings. Around this sea stood a huge rock wall being worn away by the endless action of the waves.
I could see far over this great sea because it was being lit up by a strange light. Not sunlight, of course, as we were deep below the surface. Under the “sky”, if it could be called so, being made of rock, were also vast clouds. The light gave no heat, so the place felt rather gloomy (幽暗的). We were shut up inside a vast cave which must have been several miles high.
My imagination was powerless before such wonders. I felt like I was on some distant planet, and was both amazed and rather scared. However, I was energetic by the breezy salty air supplying more oxygen to my lungs. After many days in much narrower spaces, it was a great relief.
We began to walk following the shore. Soon in front of us appeared a tall, dense forest, composed of trees formed like umbrellas. “Mushrooms!” said my uncle. And he was right! There were mushrooms in their thousands, and each at least thirty feet high.
“Now look under your feet!” cried my uncle and I noticed many bones being crushed under our feet as we walked. Might some monsters still roam (漫步) through these gloomy forests? I anxiously surveyed the landscape, but we were the only living creatures here. Thankfully!
Eventually we returned to the cave we had entered from, and I fell asleep with strange thoughts.
— Journey to the centre of the earth
1. What does the underlined word “lapped” in Paragraph 2 mean?A.Caught in. | B.Sought for. | C.Sheltered from. | D.Beaten against. |
A.Huge, strange and amazing. | B.Sunny, windy and wonderful. |
C.Salty, narrow and comforting. | D.Cloudy, gloomy and embarrassing. |
A.A high and thick forest composed of tree-shaped umbrellas. |
B.Lots of bones belonging to monsters that might have disappeared. |
C.Thousands of mushrooms measuring no more than thirty feet high. |
D.A couple of roaming creatures living in the gloomy and distant planet. |
A.The author kept awake in the cave they had entered from. |
B.The author thought it strange that he fell asleep in such a cave. |
C.The author enjoyed the experience though he felt scared sometimes. |
D.The author encountered with a monster before he returned to the cave. |