1 . Over the last few weeks, I have been back and forth to the hospital and working with my doctors and medical technicians. I feel very
With everything I
Some inventions were accidental
A.regretful | B.grateful | C.severe | D.pure |
A.ignoring | B.concerning | C.curing | D.swapping |
A.painfully | B.specially | C.frequently | D.particularly |
A.devices | B.antiques | C.curtains | D.manuals |
A.gathered | B.threatened | C.relieved | D.detected |
A.suffered from | B.set down | C.packed up | D.went through |
A.inventions | B.shadows | C.editions | D.proofs |
A.pure | B.complex | C.adorable | D.contradictory |
A.wheel | B.train | C.airplane | D.car |
A.structures | B.labels | C.vehicles | D.assumptions |
A.Drafting | B.Reviewing | C.Adapting | D.Seizing |
A.switched | B.pirated | C.leaked | D.found |
A.hard | B.steady | C.funny | D.safe |
A.mean | B.expand | C.include | D.indicate |
A.discoveries | B.statistics | C.patents | D.observations |
A.principles | B.policies | C.minds | D.effects |
A.distinct | B.strange | C.legal | D.common |
A.current | B.product | C.powder | D.criterion |
A.challenges | B.directions | C.privacies | D.conclusions |
A.puzzle | B.frighten | C.annoy | D.surprise |
2 . Want to travel to some wonderful places? Here are just a just a few recommendations to eco-destinations:
Africa Madagascar
Home to a huge group of animals found nowhere else on the planet. Madagascar is a must-go destination for anyone impressed with, or even slightly interested in, the natural world. Some of the unique flora and fauna can be found on this wonderful island.
America St John (US Virgin Islands)
Though it’s the smallest of the US Virgin Islands, St John has surprisingly varied scenery. Virgin Islands National Park makes up two-thirds of its land, where visitors can hike in deep valleys, over mountains and across dry coastal areas.
Europe Iceland
As one might expect from a country whose name is “ice”, Iceland’s scenery is rough. Take a hike past lava fields, glaciers and waterfalls and feel amazed at the wildlife and natural wonders. Visit between fall and spring to catch a sight of the Northern Lights.
Asia Laos
Visit Laos for a look at Southeast Asia before the tourism industry exploded. Laos is slowly paced so visitors can view the varieties of historic sights and explore the jungle and mountain scenery away from the madding crowds. Bird-watching is excellent here.
Oceania Australia
Visit here and you’ll find the Great Barrier Reef, which is one of the seven wonders of the natural world. It is larger than the Great Wall of China and the only living thing on earth visible form space. Discover more about Australia’s greatest natural wonder,. Here you can also see great coral.
1. The purpose of the passage is to ________.A.tell you how to get to some places |
B.suggest tourists going to some wonderful places |
C.remind you of some places of interest |
D.discuss the scenery in Asia and Europe |
A.Madagascar | B.St John | C.Iceland | D.Laos |
A.Africa | B.America | C.Laos | D.Australia |
A.St John has wide-ranging scenery. |
B.It’s better to watch Northern Lights in Iceland in summer. |
C.Laos is a country in Southeast Asia. |
D.Oceania Australia enjoys one of the seven wonders. |
3 . It all happened one afternoon in Carl's backyard a few years ago. We had just finished playing stickball, and I was about to go home.
“Wait a minute,” Carl yelled. He ran into his house and came back with a book for me to take home and read. All he said was, “See if you like it.”
I said absolutely nothing. I kept the book for a couple of weeks and then returned it unread. Carl never asked me if I liked it or not. During the following two years Carl lent me three more books. Each time I returned them unread.
A few days after graduating from high school, Carl asked, “Benny, which college are you going to?”
“I'm not going to college.” I said.
“Why not?” he asked.
“Because my father can't afford the tuition (学费).” I answered.
“Is that it?” Carl asked. “Yes,” I said.
I lied. I had no intention of going back to school now that I was out. The following day, Carl knocked on my door and handed me a check for seventy-five dollars from his father along with the book Martin Eden. “I think that should do it.” he said.
Once again I was in shock. I was working full-time in my brother's bakery. I attended two classes at Wayne University part-time at night. Halfway through the semester, after receiving failing grades on exams and essays, I decided there was no way I would ever become a good student and get satisfactory grades. I dropped out of college.
One day, curious, I picked up the book, thinking Carl was trying to tell me something. Despite difficulty, I pressed on. By the time I finished the book, I understood why: the main character, Martin Eden, had my own poor educational background, but managed to educate himself and become a published author.
1. What do we know about the author?A.He often told lies. |
B.He quit school unwillingly. |
C.He had thought little of education before. |
D.He became a published author. |
A.Caring. | B.Emotional. | C.Stubborn. | D.Cautious. |
A.Reading makes a rich man. |
B.Reading is the journey of the soul. |
C.Reading makes a person better known. |
D.Reading opens up new opportunities. |
A.A strong desire for college | B.A wish for better education |
C.A wise friend | D.A wise book |
4 . According to the study posted on ScienceDirect, gardening just two to three times a week increase the benefits of better well-being as much as possible and lower stress levels.
The research explored why residents engaged with gardening and the extent to which they recognized any health benefits from the activity.
A questionnaire was handed out electronically within the UK, with 5,766 gardeners and 249 non-gardeners responding. Data was collected on factors including garden typology(类型学), frequency of gardening and individual awareness of health and well-being.
"This is the first time the dose response(剂量效应)to gardening has been tested and the evidence from the survey strongly suggests that the more frequently you garden, the greater the health benefits," said Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) lead author Dr Lauriane Chalmin-Pui. In fact, gardening every day has the same positive impact on well-being than undertaking regular and powerful exercise like cycling or running.
When gardening, our brains are pleasantly entertained by nature around us. Gardening takes our attention away from ourselves and our stresses, therefore, it helps restore our minds and reduce unfavorable feelings.
Improving health, however, was not the main motive power to garden, but rather the direct pleasure gardening brought to the participants.
"Gardening is like effortless exercise because it doesn't feel as exhausting and hard as going to the gym, for example, but we can expend similar amounts of energy," Chalmin-Pui added.
Most people say they garden for pleasure and enjoyment, so people who like gardening may be easy to be addicted to it. However, this sometimes may become a piece of good news, from the aspect of mental health. "We hope all the millions of new gardeners will be getting their daily gardening and feeling all the better for it. " Chalmin-Pui said in the interview.
1. What can be inferred about gardening from the survey?A.Improving health is the aim of the participants. |
B.Gardening makes no difference to health. |
C.Health benefits from frequent gardening. |
D.Too much gardening always does harm to health. |
A.Consume. | B.Make use of. | C.Increase. | D.Save. |
A.It isn't exhausting. | B.It is good for health. |
C.It brings pleasure. | D.It is like going to the gym. |
A.Carefree. | B.Supportive | C.Tolerant. | D.Indifferent. |
5 . The 15-day Spring Festival is the biggest holiday of the year for many Chinese to leave from their jobs to travel home and see their loved ones. But along with gathering come a lot of traditions aimed at making sure the year ahead is lucky and happy.
Here are some key dos and don’ts that many Chinese follow before and after the Lunar New Year.
DOs
Set off fireworks
The more fireworks or firecrackers you set off, the better.
Not only do you light up the night sky with a symphony of color, but the loud banging sounds are thought to scare off evil spirits.
Eat dumplings
Eating dumplings is a popular tradition in northern China because dumplings not only taste good but also look like pieces of gold.
Clean your home
Sweep, mop, vacuum, steam-do anything and everything to make sure your home is clean before the midnight on Lunar New Year eve. The aim here is to free your home from any bad luck that’s accumulated over the past year.
DON’Ts
Wash or cut your hair
Leave your hair as it is on the first day of the New Year.
The Chinese character for hair is the same first character in the word for prosperity(发达).
This means washing or cutting it off is seen as washing your fortune away.
Clean post-New Year
Cleaning of any kind on the first day is strictly forbidden.
You clean your home to avoid any bad luck before the New Year - now you want to be sure not to wipe, sweep or wash away any of the good luck that arrives after midnight.
Buy books
It’s bad luck to buy them during the 15-day Spring Festival.
The Chinese word for "book" (shū) sounds exactly the same as the word for "lose’"-so buying a book is considered an invitation to bad luck.
Also, avoid giving books as gifts to anyone, because it’d be like wishing bad luck upon them.
1. Why is the Spring Festival the best time for many Chinese people according to the text?A.They can enjoy a lor of delicious dishes. |
B.They can get together with their family members. |
C.It’s time for them to say good-bye to the past year. |
D.The festival will bring them good luck and happiness. |
A.setting off fireworks | B.enjoying tasty dumplings |
C.cleaning your home | D.leaving your books untouched |
A.Advertisement. | B.Literature. |
C.Culture. | D.Travel. |
6 . When other nine-year-old kids were playing games, she was working at a petrol station. When other teens were studying or going out, she struggled to find a place to sleep on the street. But she overcame these terrible setbacks (挫折) to win a highly competitive scholarship and gain entry to Harvard University. And her amazing story has inspired a movie, “Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story”, shown in late April.
Liz Murray, a 22-year-old American girl, has been writing a real-life story of willpower and determination. Liz grew up in the shadow of two drug-addicted parents. There was never enough food or warm clothes in the house. Liz was the only member of the family who had a job. Her mother had AIDS and died when Liz was just 15 years old. The effect of that loss became a turning point in her life. Connecting the environment in which she had grown up with how her mother had died, she decided to do something about it.
Liz went back to school. She threw herself into her studies, never telling her teachers that she was homeless. At night, she lived on the streets. “What drove me to live on had something to do with understanding, by understanding that there was a whole other way of being. I had only experienced a small part of the society,” she wrote in her book Breaking Night.
She admitted that she used envy to drive herself on. She used the benefits that come easily to others, such as a safe living environment, to encourage herself that “next to nothing could hold me down”. She finished high school in just two years and won a full scholarship to study at Harvard University. But Liz decided to leave her top university a couple of months earlier this year in order to take care of her father, who has also developed AIDS. “I love my parents so much. They are drug addicts. But I never forget that they love me all the time.”
Liz wants moviegoers to come away with the idea that changing your life is “as simple as making a decision”.
1. The main idea of the passage is ________.A.how Liz managed to enter Harvard University |
B.how Liz struggled to change her life |
C.why Liz loved her parents so much |
D.the hard time Liz had in her childhood |
a. Her mother died of AIDS.
b. She worked at a petrol station.
c. She got admitted into Harvard.
d. The movie about her life was put on.
e. She had trouble finding a place to sleep.
A.b, e, a, d, c | B.a, b, c, e, d | C.e, d, b, a, c | D.b, a, e, c, d |
A.Both Liz’s father and mother are AIDS-infected patients. |
B.Liz lived a hard time in her childhood. |
C.Liz’s story is an inspiration to many people. |
D.Liz hated her father because he got addicted to drugs. |
A.Envy and encouragement. | B.Willpower and determination. |
C.Decisions and understanding. | D.Love and respect for her parents. |
7 . Years ago when Sam was nine, a television advertisement caught his attention. Procter & Gamble started an advertisement campaign with “the Cheer Man”, a character who visited
Sam was
Young Sam made a sign with the Cheer logo(标志) and
Time went by and the ad was not on
The next summer when Sam was ten, he
Sam watched
Young Sam learned a valuable
A.classrooms | B.companies | C.surroundings | D.neighborhoods |
A.raise | B.spend | C.receive | D.save |
A.convinced | B.pleased | C.doubted | D.accused |
A.informal | B.impossible | C.unexpected | D.unusual |
A.visit | B.advertisement | C.wait | D.party |
A.hung | B.threw | C.hid | D.spread |
A.curious | B.stressful | C.ready | D.puzzled |
A.believed in | B.relied on | C.laughed at | D.responded to |
A.inviting | B.encouraging | C.forcing | D.requiring |
A.newspaper | B.television | C.radio | D.book |
A.only | B.yet | C.already | D.still |
A.changed | B.ruined | C.celebrated | D.attended |
A.ignored | B.kept | C.heard | D.suggested |
A.closer | B.faster | C.nicer | D.better |
A.peacefully | B.excitedly | C.sadly | D.slowly |
A.whispered | B.begged | C.climbed | D.rushed |
A.dreamed | B.planned | C.organized | D.written |
A.combination | B.pace | C.description | D.manner |
A.speech | B.lesson | C.experience | D.conclusion |
A.birth | B.business | C.gift | D.future |
8 . OSCAR THEATRE
BOOKING - in person The Box Office is open Monday to Saturday, 10 am-8 pm. - by post Stating the performance and choice of seats, enclosing a cheque, postal order, or your credit card details to Oscar Theatre Box Office, PO Box 220, Main street. All cheques should be made payable to Oscar Theatre. - by telephone Ring 0844 847 2484 to reserve your tickets or to pay by credit card (Visa, MasterCard accepted). - on-line Complete the on-line booking form at www.oscartheatre.com. DISCOUNTS Saver: $2 off any seat booked any time in advance for performances from Monday to Thursday inclusive, and for all matinees (下午场). Savers are available for children up to 16 years old, over 60s and full-time students. Supersaver: half-price seats are available for people with disabilities and one companion. It is advisable to book in advance. There is a maximum of eight wheelchair spaces available and one wheelchair space will be held until one hour before the show (subject to availability). Standby: best available seats are on sale for $6 from one hour before the performance for people eligible(有资格的) for Saver and Supersaver discounts and thirty minutes before for all other customers. Group Bookings: there is a ten per cent discount for parties of twelve or more. Schools: school parties of ten or more can book $9 tickets in advance and will get every tenth ticket free. Please note: we are unable to exchange tickets or refund money unless a performance is cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. |
1. When booking by post, you can pay for a ticket by ________.
A.visiting the website of a post office | B.going to your local bank in person |
C.enclosing your MasterCard in an envelope | D.providing your credit card information |
A.A group of ten adults going to a performance can claim a discount. |
B.A school party of 15 persons that book in advance pay $135 in total for a performance. |
C.Someone accompanying a wheelchair user to a performance receives a discount. |
D.An 18-year-old teenager is eligible for Saver discounts. |
A.65-year-olds buying tickets an hour and a half before a performance begins |
B.full-time students buying tickets 45 minutes before a performance begins |
C.Theatre-goers who are unexpectedly unable to be present at a performance |
D.Anyone who buys tickets an hour before a performance begins |
9 . I used to be a very self-centered person, but in the past two years I have really changed. I have started to think about other people
I think my
A bigger cause of my new
I think I am a much
A.since | B.before | C.or | D.unless |
A.famous | B.simple | C.different | D.skilled |
A.education | B.career | C.tour | D.change |
A.balance | B.homework | C.degree | D.interest |
A.talked | B.wrote | C.lied | D.reported |
A.careful | B.lonely | C.curious | D.guilty |
A.argument | B.game | C.experiment | D.defence |
A.dared | B.offered | C.hesitated | D.happened |
A.dream | B.problem | C.duty | D.step |
A.us | B.which | C.them | D.whom |
A.attitude | B.hobby | C.hope | D.luck |
A.friend | B.partner | C.guide | D.guest |
A.polite | B.happy | C.strange | D.confident |
A.bothered | B.answered | C.visited | D.trusted |
A.explain | B.guess | C.declare | D.see |
A.homeless | B.heart broken | C.bad-tempered | D.hopeless |
A.quieter | B.busier | C.better | D.richer |
A.forget | B.face | C.improve | D.analyze |
A.forced | B.preferred | C.ordered | D.taught |
A.miss | B.like | C.wonder | D.expect |