1 . On Saturday 24 August 1918, it was raining cats and dogs and thundering over a city called Sunderland on the northeast coast of England. The storm lasted for only about ten minutes. People were surprised to see that it was not just rainwater falling from the sky. There were fish falling down, too! People came out to find out what was happening. They could not believe their own eyes. There were thousands of fish—sand eels (沙鳗)—lying on the ground. They were about seven centimeters long, and all were frozen solid (冻成硬块).
Sand eels swim together in large groups, often in sandy water, and are often found in large numbers in the North Sea, which reaches out to the east of Sunderland. How was it possible for these sand eels to fall from the sky and land on Sunderland?
Scientists believed the heavy thunderstorm that afternoon may have caused a waterspout (水龙卷). Waterspouts can be formed when strong winds move quickly in a circle over water. They are so powerful that anything less than one meter in length can be taken into them and forced into the clouds. The clouds carry whatever has been taken into them for long distances —sometimes over 150 kilometers. It’s very cold up there and everything soon freezes solid.
For hundreds of years there have been reports of small animals being taken into the sky through waterspouts. In 2009, dead tadpoles rained down on the city of Nanao in Japan. In 2012, fifty kilos of prawns fell from the sky over Sri Lanka. In 2017, fish fell on the coastal city of Tampico in Mexico.
It must be a very strange experience to see fish raining down on you. It would probably hurt if one fell on your head! With climate (气候) change and many reports of terrible storms, will the time ever come when it may really begin to rain cats and dogs?
1. What do we know about the sand eels that landed on Sunderland?A.They were few in number. | B.They came in different sizes. |
C.They were still alive when landing. | D.They probably came from the North Sea. |
A.Clouds. | B.Waterspouts. | C.Strong winds. | D.The waters of the sea. |
A.raining sea animals is not new in history | B.the environment is not pleasant in Japan |
C.waterspouts can reach as far as Japan | D.different animals can fall in different countries |
A.Our health. | B.Our environment. | C.The wild animals. | D.The news reports. |
2 . Once upon a time, a daughter complained to her father that her senior high school life was unhappy and that she was tired of struggling with homework all the time.
Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Once the three pots began to boil, h placed potatoes, eggs and coffee beans in them. After 20 minutes, he took them out, putting the potatoes and eggs in a bowl and the coffee in a cup.
Turning to his daughter, he said, “Look closer, and touch the potatoes.” She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After puling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to taste the coffee. Its good smell brought a smile to her face.
“Father, what does this mean?” she asked. He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs and the coffee beans were in the same adversity (逆境)—the boiling water. However, each one reacted differently.
The strong and hard potato became soft and weak in boiling water. The egg was fragile, with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard. However, the coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water and created something new. “Which one do you want to be like,” he asked. “When adversity knocks on your door, how will you respond?”
In life, challenges happen to us all, but the only thing that truly matters is what happens within us.
1. Why did the girl complain to her father?A.Because of her tiring job. | B.Because of her hard school life. |
C.Because of her father’ s busy work. | D.Because of the food her father cooked. |
A.The girl liked the coffee best. |
B.The father was good at cooking. |
C.Different people have different reactions to adversity. |
D.The girl didn’t like the potatoes and eggs. |
A.thick | B.hard | C.strong | D.easily-broken |
A.Challenges and responses. | B.Adversities and a chef. |
C.A chef and coffee beans. | D.Father and daughter. |
3 . Now, a growing number of companies are offering subscriptions (订购) for something most people are used to owning: cars.
Car subscription plans are mainly aimed at drivers who do not want to have long-term agreements for one single car. Many people using the services say they like being able to use a number of different kinds of vehicles depending on their needs.
Steve Barnes uses a car subscription service in Atlanta, Georgia. He says that every time he orders a new car “it feels like New Year’s morning”. Barnes signed up for the service in 2018 to be able to use many kinds of vehicles for different purposes. He says for some activities with his children, he chooses a large SUV. But when he wants to have fun or go out at night, he chooses a Tesla or some other kinds of sports car. But the comfort of such services can come at a high cost. Barnes pays $1,400 a month for his subscription. This is much higher than the $ 900 a month he used to pay to hire an SUV with insurance. Sill, he has no desire to own or hire a car again. He says his subscription has allowed him to drive many different vehicles which would have cost more than $1 million to own.
Some of the world’s biggest automakers are currently offering subscription plans for vehicles. One of them is Ford Motor Company. The company signed a deal last year with the San Francisco-based Monthly subscription service-Canvas. Canvas offers several models, including used vehicles. Monthly subscriptions start at $379 for small cars and go up to $1,125 for large SUVs. But these plans limit drivers to 800 kilometers per month. For another $100, users can get unlimited travel.
Adela Spulber works at the U.S. -based Center for Automotive Research in Michigan. She said that the effects of vehicle subscription services remain unknown.
1. What is the main purpose of car subscription plans?A.To get people to buy cars more actively. |
B.To encourage people to own their own cars. |
C.To meet some people’s needs to drive different cars. |
D.To reach an agreement with people having a single car. |
A.He is satisfied with the car subscription service. |
B.He always likes to use different types of sports cars. |
C.He hopes to own another car some day. |
D.The cost of a month for his subscription is lower. |
A.Canvas doesn’t provide second-hand cars. |
B.There are different monthly subscriptions to choose from. |
C.A driver may drive Canvas cars without limitation. |
D.Now the subscription services are welcome in San Francisco. |
A.Hopeless. | B.Pessimistic. | C.Optimistic. | D.Uncertain. |
4 . Reading can be a social activity. Think of the people who belong to book groups. They choose books to read and then meet to discuss them. Now, the website Book Crossing.com turns the page on the traditional idea of a book group.
Members go on the site and register (登记) the books they own and would like to share. Book Crossing provides an identification number (识别码) to stick inside the book. Then the person leaves it in a public place, hoping that the book will have an adventure, traveling far and wide with each new reader who finds it.
Bruce Pederson, the managing director of Book Crossing, says, “The two things that change your life are the people you meet and books you read. Book Crossing combines both.”
Members leave books on park benches and buses, in train stations and coffee shops. Whoever finds their book will go to the site and record where they found it.
People who find a book can also leave a journal entry describing what they thought of it. E— mails are then sent to the BookCrossers to keep them updated about where their books have been found. Bruce Pederson says the idea is for people not to be selfish by keeping a book to gather dust on a shelf at home.
Book Crossing is part of a trend (趋势) among people who want to get back to the “real” and not the virtual (虚拟).The site now has more than one million members in more than one hundred thirty—five countries.
1. Why does the author mention book groups in the first paragraph?A.To explain what they are. | B.To introduce Book Crossing. |
C.To stress the importance of reading. | D.To encourage readers to share their ideas. |
A.An adventure. | B.A public place. |
C.The book. | D.The identification number. |
A.Keep it safe in his bookcase. | B.Mail it back to its owner. |
C.Meet other readers to discuss it. | D.Pass it on to another reader. |
A.Online Reading: A Virtual Tour | B.Electronic Books: A New Trend |
C.A Book Group Brings Tradition Back | D.A Website Links People through Books |
5 . I have dreamed of taking a trip to Hawaii since I graduated, but the best thing always needs waiting.
I took a trip with my friends to Haleakala National Park, which lies in Hawaii.
When we arrived at Haleakala National Park, we were advised to watch the early morning sunrise. I was lost in the sightseeing (观光) that afternoon, so I could hardly wait to see the sunrise. The next morning, we all got out of bed very early and got to the seaside at 3 o’clock. In the first half an hour, we imagined how wonderful it would be when the first light came out through the thick clouds and how soft it would be when the light touched our skin, so we waited and waited. However, another half an hour later, I gradually lost my patience since there was nothing but the chilly darkness, and I felt that I was frozen to death. (冻死) But my friends were still extremely cheerful.
Nearly another one hour later, “Amazing!” Judy burst out and we all shouted to welcome the light, which was really unbelievable. Until today, I dare say that it is the most impressive sunrise in my life. However, waiting in the morning darkness is also one memory I can’t forget forever.
Waiting sometimes is really a hard thing for most of us as it needs patience and strong-willed determination (决心) , but what about the result after that? It might turn out to be pleasing and unbelievable. So, it is really worth (值得的) waiting for the best.
1. What can we learn from the passage?A.he author’s friends and the author took a trip to China. |
B.Hawaii is a good place to enjoy the sunrise. |
C.Sometimes, it is worth waiting for the best. |
D.The author enjoyed the worst sunrise in his life. |
A.About 3 o’clock. | B.About 4 o’clock. |
C.About 5 o’clock. | D.About 6 o’clock. |
A.Total. | B.Cold. | C.Terrible. | D.Interesting. |
A.Excited all the time. | B.Afraid all the time. |
C.Firstly excited then afraid. | D.Firstly excited then impatient. |
6 . Before James Blunt became a musician, he served in the army. He spent four and a half years there, with six months in Kosovo as part of the peacekeeping force. Before leaving the army, Blunt had decided to achieve his dream of becoming a musician. In 2003, he was discovered by a music producer Linda Perry who signed him to her Custard label. However, the road to success never runs smoothly. It seemed that he would become another struggling singer trying to live from hand to mouth (现挣现吃地) when his first two singles failed to make an impact on the British charts. But everything changed when his third single You’re Beautiful made it all the way to No.1 on the UK singles charts, and remained there for five weeks. The album (专辑) Back to Bedlam soon followed and quickly became one of the biggest selling records of the year, remaining ten continual weeks at No. 1. Since then, he has sold more than three million records, making him the first British artist to top the American singles charts in nearly a decade.
Blunt, 34, a throwback (返祖者)to the 1970s soft rock golden age, has been quoted by Western media as saying that he will never get used to people screaming at him in the street.
His success proves a lasting theory: You spend years chasing the right song. Then, if you’re lucky, and if the song really takes off, you spend the rest of your life trying to escape it, or learning to live with it. A few years removed from You’re Beautiful, he can still fill stages worldwide with fans who stay until the end.
1. Which of the following can describe James Blunt’s life as a musician before he sang the song You’re Beautiful?A.Difficult. | B.Happy. | C.Boring. | D.Smooth. |
A.Blunt will never adjust himself to the noisy environment around. |
B.The popularity of Blunt has been gaining him an increasing number of fans out of his expectation. |
C.What Blunt sings disturbs people so much that they yell to him their anger. |
D.People in the street are rude civilians who are against any form of entertaining, including Blunt’s songs. |
A.Blunt is wellknown in the world for his talent |
B.Blunt’s fame as a musician came easily |
C.Blunt wasn’t lucky enough to win his fans’ support |
D.Blunt has to face the inconvenience his fame has caused |
7 . Confucius would be happy if he lived in the modern world. He would see his works and philosophies(哲学) still
In Changzhou No.2 Middle School, Jiangsu, all senior 3 students now
“Students’ attendance in this course will
Cheng Yun,18, didn’t like the”additional burden”
“I thought it would
A.useful | B.popular | C.helpful | D.hopeful |
A.age | B.alternative | C.email | D.opinion |
A.survey | B.welcome | C.conduct | D.take |
A.ancient | B.modern | C.unknown | D.magical |
A.consist of | B.make up | C.be made up of | D.account of |
A.discourages | B.disappoints | C.encourages | D.involves |
A.easy | B.interesting | C.inspiring | D.difficult |
A.worker | B.teacher | C.cook | D.librarian |
A.It | B.They | C.He | D.She |
A.across | B.in | C.on | D.through |
A.have | B.take | C.enjoy | D.advocate |
A.prepare | B.take | C.prepare for | D.have |
A.first | B.at last | C.last | D.at first |
A.who | B.that | C.where | D.why |
A.make up | B.take up | C.use up | D.pick up |
A.Confucius’ | B.Cheng Yun’s | C.Zhang Junzhuo | D.Cao Yongzhong |
A.that | B.what | C.which | D.they |
A.Due to | B.Despite | C.Though | D.Owing to |
A.so | B.very | C.too | D.that |
A.like | B.enjoy | C.appreciate | D.prefer |
8 . Different colors usually stand for different feelings. Red, for example, is the color of fire, heat, blood and life. People say red is an exciting and active color. They associate red with a strong feeling like
In general, people
A.sadness | B.anger | C.relief | D.smile |
A.roads | B.ways | C.danger | D.places |
A.lively | B.dark | C.noisy | D.frightening |
A.speak | B.say | C.talk about | D.tell |
A.calm | B.sleepy | C.active | D.helpful |
A.the other | B.another | C.other one | D.others |
A.What | B.Where | C.When | D.Which |
A.go round | B.go by | C.go off | D.go along |
A.factory | B.classroom | C.restaurant | D.hospital |
A.Different | B.Cool | C.Warm | D.All |
9 . Stress is everywhere in our daily life. And it is not just men who suffer from it, but women and young and old people, too.
The main causes of stress are: death, divorce, marriage, money, moving house, changing jobs, ending relationships and taking exams.
So how do you know if you suffer from stress? Do the Stress Test and find out!
Stress Test
Do you | Yes | No |
1. often sleep badly? | ||
2. get headaches a lot? | ||
3. find it difficult to relax? | ||
4. need alcohol or cigarettes to keep calm? | ||
5. usually hide your feeling? | ||
6. find it difficult to put your heart into something? | ||
7. take sleeping pills? | ||
8. get angry when things go wrong? |
If you answer Yes to more than two of these questions, you are one of many people who suffer from stress. So what can you do about it?
Doing yoga (瑜伽) or relaxation exercises, chewing gum and playing with worry beads (念珠) are all common ways of relieving (减轻) stress.
However doctors now say that there are simpler ways. Their advice is that people should laugh and smile more often. When you laugh and smile , your body relaxes. They also say that people--and especially men--ought to cry more frequently, because crying is the natural way of relieving stress.
1. What can you learn from the passage?A.Young people suffer from more stress than the old. |
B.Many social problems cause stress. |
C.If you answer YES to more than three of these questions, you are one of many people who suffer from stress. |
D.Doing yoga is the most useful way to relieve stress. |
(1) drink too much (2) often sleepy (3) usually hide your feeling (4) find it difficult to relax
A.(1) and (2) | B.(1) and (4) | C.(2) and (3) | D.(3) and (4) |
A.chewing gum | B.playing with worry beads | C.laugh and cry | D.above all |
A.Living with stress | B.Social problems | C.Ways of relieving stress | D.Stress Test |
10 . Plastic straws (吸管) have been a major problem in global discussions of environmental damage. Maybe because of their small size, the production cost of straws is low. In many countries, straws are offered freely after buying soft drinks. Therefore, plastic straws are one of the most used plastics and pollutants in the world.
The plastic straw is light and small. Due to their small size, plastic straws are often eaten by sea animals. Environmentalists have shown that the death of many sea animals is caused by eating plastic straws. The other damaging characteristic of plastic straws is that they are made of materials which cannot degrade. That means the materials cannot be changed into small harmless (无害的) ones.
The most effective way of dealing with the environmental pollution caused by plastic straws is the reuse or banning (禁止) the use of plastic straws. Being plastics, the straws can be made new items. Many organizations around the world change used straws into new products. In Africa, local communities collect used plastic straws and use them to make mats and bags. Another way of dealing with environmental pollution caused by plastic straws is placing a ban on their production and use. Experts advise governments to ban using plastic straws to save the environment. A few countries in the world such as Rwanda, Macedonia, China, Kenya have already banned the use of plastic bags and are expected to include plastic straws and bottles. But it will be a long way to do this effectively.
There are few environmentally friendly and biodegradable productions to take the place of plastic straws. These productions include paper straws, bamboo straws. However, such straws are usually expensive as their production cost is high. It’s still a question whether they can entirely take the place of plastic straws.
1. Why can people be free to use plastic straws?A.They are very cheap. | B.They are light and small. |
C.They are dangerous. | D.They are easy to use. |
A.Cut up. | B.Because of. | C.Go on. | D.Break out. |
A.It’s not difficult to ban using plastic straws. |
B.Many countries have stopped using plastic straws. |
C.Experts advise people to stop producing plastic straws. |
D.Some Africans change plastic straws into new products. |
A.It is a must to use them. |
B.It’s not easy to reuse them. |
C.There are still some problems to be solved. |
D.There are some other kinds of cheaper straws. |