1 . One of my wonderful memories is about a Christmas gift. Unlike other gifts, it came without wrap (包装).
On September 11th, 1958, Mum gave birth to Richard. After she brought him home from hospital, she put him in my lap, saying, “I promised you a gift, and here it is.” What an honour! I turned four a month earlier and none of my friends had such a baby doll of their own. I played with it day and night. I sang to it. I told it stories. I told it over and over how much I loved it!
One morning, however, I found its bed empty. My doll was gone! I cried for it.Mum wept and told me that the poor little thing had been sent to a hospital. It had a fever. For several days, I heard Mum and Dad whispering such words as “hopeless”, “pitiful”, and “dying”, which sounded ominous.
Christmas was coming. “Don’t expect any presents this year,” Dad said, pointing at the socks I hung in the living room.“If your baby brother lives, that’ll be Christmas enough.” As he spoke, his eyes filled with tears. I’d never seen him cry before.
The phone rang early on Christmas morning. Dad jumped out of bed to answer it. From my bedroom I heard him say, “What? He’s all right?” He hung up and shouted upstairs. “The hospital said we can bring Richard home!”
“Thank God!” I heard Mum cry.
From the upstairs window, I watched my parents rush out to the car. I had never seen them so happy. And I was also full of joy. What a wonderful day! My baby doll would be home. I ran downstairs. My socks still hung there flat. But I knew they were not empty; they were filled with love!
1. What happened to the author on September 11th, 1958?A.He got a baby brother. |
B.He got a Christmas gift. |
C.He became four years old. |
D.He received a doll. |
A.Impossible. | B.Boring. |
C.Difficult. | D.Fearful. |
A.Excitement. | B.Happiness. |
C.Sadness. | D.Disappointment. |
A.A sad Christmas day. |
B.Life with a lovely baby. |
C.A special Christmas gift. |
D.Memories of a happy family. |
2 . Foreign visitors to the UK might be disappointed when they learn that not everyone there speaks like Harry Potter and his friends. Usually, there’s an assumption by many non-Brits that everyone in Britain speaks with what’s known as a Received Pronunciation (RP,标准发音) accent, also called “the Queen’s English”. However, while many people do talk this way, most Britons speak in their own regional accents (口音).
Scouse, Glaswegian and Black Country — from Liverpool, Glasgow and the West Midlands — are just three of the countless non-RP accents that British people speak with. There are even differences in accents between towns or cities just 30 kilometers apart. What is even more disappointing is that not speaking in a RP accent may mean a British person is judged and even treated differently in their everyday life.
In a 2015 study by The University of South Wales, videos of people reading a passage in three different UK accents were shown to a second group of people. The group then rated how intelligent they thought the readers sounded. The lowestrated accent was Brummie, native to people from Birmingham, a city whose accent is considered working class.
However, there is no need to be disappointed though you are not speaking in a RP accent. In fact, doing the opposite may even give you strength.
Kong Seongjae, 25, is an Internet celebrity from Seoul. After studying in the UK, he picked up several regional accents. He’s now famous for his online videos, where he shows off the various accents he’s learned. “British people usually get really excited when I use some of their local dialect words, and they become much friendlier. I think it makes a bit of bond between local people and foreigners to speak in their local accent,” he said.
So if you’re working on perfecting your British accent, try to speak like someone from Liverpool, Glasgow or Birmingham. You may not sound like Harry Potter, but you are likely to make more friends.
1. What can we infer from Paragraph 1?A.Non-Brits usually hold that all Britons speak in a RP accent. |
B.Only “the Queen’s English” is accepted in the UK. |
C.Foreign visitors are disappointed at their on spoken English. |
D.Any Received Pronunciation around the world is also called “the Queen’s English”. |
A.Favored by foreign visitors to the UK. | B.Closest to the RP accent. |
C.Smart and easy to understand. | D.Spoken by people of lower class. |
A.Speaking in a RP accent. | B.Speaking in regional accents. |
C.Speaking the Brummie accent. | D.Speaking like Harry Potter. |
A.A study about the most intelligent accent in Britain. |
B.A comparison between different British accents. |
C.How much British people value the RP accent. |
D.The influence of regional accents on people’s lives. |
3 . Afroz Shah, a lawyer in Mumbai, hasn’t had a weekend off in four years. But he hasn’t spent this time preparing for
His mission? Saving the world’s oceans from
It’s a calling he found in 2015 after moving to a community in Mumbai called Versova Beach. He had played there as a child and was
“The whole beach was like a
In October 2015, Shah began
For Shah, the work has always been a
He’s now spent 209 weekends on this mission,
“This world talks too much. I think we must talk
A.teaching | B.court | C.housework | D.cleaning |
A.river | B.soil | C.plastic | D.oil |
A.upset | B.excited | C.delighted | D.hesitant |
A.grown | B.changed | C.reserved | D.protected |
A.pure | B.golden | C.shiny | D.visible |
A.carpet | B.curtain | C.painting | D.photograph |
A.temporary | B.permanent | C.ugly | D.pretty |
A.sticks to | B.keeps off | C.gives back | D.ends up |
A.killer | B.cleaner | C.guest | D.decoration |
A.sweeping | B.attacking | C.visiting | D.beautifying |
A.pulling | B.thinking | C.picking | D.looking |
A.came | B.failed | C.went | D.spread |
A.involved | B.lived | C.stuck | D.paid |
A.easy | B.tough | C.personal | D.general |
A.known | B.regarded | C.decided | D.honored |
A.cause | B.case | C.position | D.fame |
A.requiring | B.rejecting | C.inviting | D.inspiring |
A.originally | B.finally | C.politically | D.theoretically |
A.fewer | B.less | C.better | D.worse |
A.honor | B.beauty | C.hope | D.love |
4 . What are scientists?They are often described as gray-haired white-coated dull scholars.
But the world has changed.Young scientists are making their voices heard and releasing their powers on the world stage.
This is also true in China.Rising stars include new materials expert Gong Yongji,university professor Liu Mingzhen,and biologist Wan Ruixue.At the age of 28 in 2018,Wan Ruixue received the 2018 Science & SciLifeLab Prize for Young Scientists.This is a global prize to reward outstanding scientists at an early stage of their careers.
She focuses mainly on biomedicine (生物医学) and artificial intelligence.“Both are cutting-edge (前沿) technologies at an early stage of development,” she said.
“So,I think they have great potential to be developed.I think in the study of cutting-edge technologies,China and other leading countries in the world are standing on the same starting line.And in the study of structural biology,China is likely to become the leader.”
She felt it was her fate to become a biologist.“I grew interested in the natural world,when I was very young,” she said.In 2009,she entered Sun Yat-sen University.
In her third year at the university,she realized that she wanted to do something related to biomedicine.So she emailed China’s top biologist Shi Yigong,hoping to join his lab at Tsinghua University.
Shi recognised her talent and welcomed her.Years of efforts at the lab have paid off.Her research on the high-definition 3D structure of spliceosome led to a scientific breakthrough.
Unlike many of other young scientists who choose to pursue further study abroad,Wan currently has no plan to go overseas.
“The whole ecosystem for scientific research is continually improving in China,” she said,adding that the country has great science facilities.
1. What does the underlined word “releasing” in paragraph 2 mean?A.Giving out. | B.Getting over. |
C.Finding out. | D.Taking over. |
A.Anxious. | B.Confident. |
C.Disappointed. | D.Satisfied. |
A.Her teacher led her into the field. |
B.She finds it’s easier than she thought. |
C.Her contribution has been recognised. |
D.She thinks it’s boring but worth trying. |
A.China’s Breakthrough in Science |
B.Rising Young Scientists in China |
C.Wan Ruixue:A Successful Young Scientist |
D.New Image of Chinese Scientists |
5 . Do you have a talented young artist, photographer, or designer in your life? It’s never too early to start helping them get their work out there! We’ve rounded up the top art contests for kids and teens that can help these young creators share their first masterpieces with the world. Best of all? Most of them are totally free to enter!
Global Canvas Art Competition
Ages: 16 and under
Mediums: Drawing, painting
Global Canvas is all about the environment. Launched by the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, this art competition wants to inspire the next generation to be more mindful of how we take care of the earth. The judges are looking for artists to capture the wonderful places that wildlife call home.
Toyota Dream Car Art Contest
Ages: Four to 15
Mediums: Drawing, painting
Time to design a dream car! Toyota wants to get junior artists thinking about what the future of transportation might look like. Prizes include cash and a chance to tour one of the Toyota manufacturing plants.
Advena World’s art Competition
Ages: 15 and under
Mediums: Drawing, painting
Advena World’s art competition aims to promote creativity and self-expression. Instead of a theme, they ask the participating artists to simply express their feelings — anything from sadness or joy to anger or excitement — through their chosen medium,.
Progressive Young Artist Awards
Ages: 13 to 19
Open to: All international applicants
Mediums: Painting, drawing, photography, mixed media, sculpture
Cost to enter: $5 USD
PYAA is all about expressing and celebrating progressive values. So, if there is a creative teen in your life who wants to do good in the world, sign them up for this art contest for teens. The prize is a scholarship which they can put toward their post-secondary schooling.
1. Which focuses on the environment?A.World Wide Kids Drawings. | B.Global Canvas Art Competition. |
C.Toyota Dream Car Art Contest. | D.Progressive Young Artist Awards. |
A.dream car. | B.A scholarship. |
C.A plant tour. | D.Cash crops. |
A.It has no fixed theme. | B.It has entrance fee. |
C.Its entry can be photos. | D.Anyone can join it. |
6 . It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80s came to the hospital. I heard him saying to the nurse that he was in a hurry for all appointment(约会)at 9:30. The nurse had him take a
Now I
A.breath | B.test | C.seat | D.break |
A.persuading | B.promising | C.understanding | D.telling |
A.if | B.before | C.since | D.after |
A.taking off | B.fixing | C.looking at | D.winding |
A.very | B.also | C.seldom | D.not |
A.turn up | B.show off | C.come on | D.go away |
A.needed | B.forgot | C.agreed | D.happened |
A.daughter | B.wife | C.mother | D.sister |
A.late | B.well | C.around | D.there |
A.lonely | B.worried | C.doubtful | D.hungry |
A.so far | B.neither | C.no longer | D.already |
A.recognize | B.answer | C.believe | D.expect |
A.moved | B.disappointed | C.surprised | D.satisfied |
A.only | B.then | C.thus | D.still |
A.curiosity | B.tears | C.words | D.judgment |
A.realize | B.suggest | C.hope | D.prove |
A.agreement | B.expression | C.acceptance | D.exhibition |
A.necessarily | B.completely | C.naturally | D.frequently |
A.learn | B.make | C.favor | D.try |
A.Adventure | B.Beauty | C.Trust | D.Life |
7 . Steve was a seventh grader, a big boy, looking more like a teenager than a 12-year-old. Yet, he went unnoticed — he had been
In the middle of the first semester of school, the entire seventh grade was
“You all did pretty well,” Miss Wilma told the class after going over the
After that, Steve still wouldn’t do his homework. Even if Miss Wilma
“Steve, please! I care about you!”
One Monday a couple of weeks later, Miss Wilma gave a
Miss Wilma’s face was in
From that moment, nothing was the same for Steve. He discovered that not only could he remember and understand
A.missing | B.failing | C.passing | D.skipping |
A.tested | B.classified | C.separated | D.dismissed |
A.questions | B.effects | C.lessons | D.results |
A.fills | B.presses | C.breaks | D.destroys |
A.shouted | B.hesitated | C.interrupted | D.laughed |
A.dropped | B.raised | C.covered | D.closed |
A.strangely | B.steadily | C.severely | D.secretly |
A.helpless | B.stubborn | C.flexible | D.crazy |
A.Commonly | B.Unwillingly | C.Particularly | D.Suddenly |
A.quiz | B.chance | C.speech | D.presentation |
A.slept | B.looked | C.lived | D.hurried |
A.disappointment | B.surprise | C.satisfaction | D.inspiration |
A.better | B.total | C.precious | D.ridiculous |
A.down | B.away | C.out | D.back |
A.homework | B.grades | C.knowledge | D.subjects |
A.outstanding | B.lazy | C.rough | D.troublesome |
A.tiring | B.ordinary | C.hardworking | D.successful |
A.relied on | B.looked after | C.believed in | D.turned to |
A.competition | B.choice | C.change | D.campaign |
A.waited | B.listened | C.wished | D.cared |
8 . After I entered high school, I attended advanced classes and I had a teacher who made me think I was stupid.
In my freshman year, I had trouble writing essays for that teacher. She was strict. She made fun of me, sometimes in front of the class. It didn’t help that my friend was a genius (天才) who would text me the night before our essay was due (到期) and ask, “ What is the essay about again?” She would receive a 97 and I would receive an 80 even though I had revised (修正) and edited that piece for two weeks. Once I got a 97 on a project that took me two and a half weeks to complete, and I was asked how much help my mom had given to me. In the second grade, I had trouble with my essay writing once again. Besides, I had problems in Maths even though I understood the concepts.
Now I am in a new school and taking many subjects and I am doing well. Actually in the beginning, I was nervous. I thought I would fail all of my classes because my previous teachers had failed me and made me ashamed to try. I thought I was just going to get another 80 on an essay. It is hard indeed. They are fast-paced courses and it isn’t easy to keep up with all the readings and when my next lab will be. But with so much adjustment (调整) to the stress, I have become confident. Now I know how much time I need to perfect that essay, and when to set aside time to meet with my tutor (老师) before my next biology exam.
I am writing this blog to the kids that have gotten lost in the mix---any adjusting freshmen, any lost kids in advanced classes, and the hidden genius in everyone. I went through two years in high school, thinking I was a little slower than the other kids in advanced classes. But in this new environment, with the experience I have received and my new-found confidence, I can say, “I’m Anne Hilker and I am smart!” We are all smart.
1. What did the author want to show by mentioning her friend?A.She faced a lot of competition. |
B.Her friend was a great help to her. |
C.Her friend made her feel even worse. |
D.Her teachers loved students like her friend. |
A.She felt very happy for the author. |
B.She praised the author in front of the class. |
C.She wasn’t pleased with the author’s mother. |
D.She didn’t believe it was finished by the author alone. |
A.Hard work doesn’t pay off. |
B.She isn’t as stupid as she feared. |
C.Fast-paced courses don’t benefit her. |
D.Advanced classes aren’t suitable for her. |
A.To show students should study very hard. |
B.To tell teachers to believe in their students. |
C.To show teachers should be kind to their students. |
D.To tell students to learn to face stress and have confidence. |
A.Inspired | B.Disappointed | C.Moved | D.Anxious |
9 . Exercise and I had never had a good relationship due to my fear of sports. From a young age, my dad
When I entered the University of Regina, my dad
The spring semester came. A friend of mine
I went, and that was it. Zumba became my
A.expected | B.allowed | C.forced | D.invited |
A.therefore | B.though | C.instead | D.besides |
A.avoided | B.risked | C.regretted | D.kept |
A.in shape | B.for fun | C.at ease | D.on business |
A.refused | B.happened | C.bothered | D.decided |
A.hardly | B.merely | C.constantly | D.gradually |
A.eager | B.content | C.embarrassed | D.disappointed |
A.cheated | B.comforted | C.asked | D.annoyed |
A.happy | B.proud | C.careful | D.sure |
A.cup | B.part | C.share | D.mouth |
A.curiosity | B.passion | C.fear | D.confidence |
A.perfect | B.positive | C.adorable | D.official |
A.accept | B.feel | C.display | D.compare |
A.witness | B.separate | C.discourage | D.save |
A.trouble | B.sense | C.peace | D.contact |
10 . Close to the king’s palace stood a little house. In it lived a
The king wondered, “I wish I could be as happy as him.”
One evening the king found the gardener packing up his tools after
“Why should I be unhappy when I get two meals a day and have a
“But what if tomorrow you fall sick! Shouldn’t you think of the future too?” the king asked.
“And start
“You said it. Thank you,” the king nodded and
A.silly | B.lazy | C.cheerful | D.rich |
A.rarely | B.immediately | C.uncomfortably | D.jokingly |
A.starting | B.finishing | C.missing | D.studying |
A.shot | B.arrested | C.ignored | D.approached |
A.secret | B.use | C.price | D.goal |
A.exchange | B.divide | C.appreciate | D.share |
A.garden | B.palace | C.bed | D.kitchen |
A.money | B.strength | C.time | D.company |
A.sad | B.weak | C.tired | D.hungry |
A.get up | B.roll over | C.lie down | D.break out |
A.carefully | B.instantly | C.occasionally | D.painfully |
A.energy | B.hate | C.meaning | D.ambition |
A.chance | B.day | C.dream | D.meal |
A.sings | B.listens | C.matters | D.prefers |
A.respectfully | B.awkwardly | C.shyly | D.humorously |
A.celebrating | B.arguing | C.learning | D.worrying |
A.love | B.lose | C.change | D.forget |
A.afford | B.fail | C.decide | D.plan |
A.refused | B.pretended | C.threatened | D.determined |
A.power | B.wealth | C.present | D.talent |