Even though the road conditions were poor,I drove at my normal speed.I was angry with the more cautious drivers ahead of me that were delaying my drive.The exit ramp(坡道)to the highway was a tight spiral(急盘旋).It is a dangerous spot in good weather and totally scary when the weather is miserable or it is dark.But I didn’t want to slow down and arrive home any later than necessary.I drove down the ramp too fast.The road was wet and my car slid,landing face down on the passenger side.
I didn’t like to drive by myself at the time and had debated taking my husband and son with me on the trip.Thankfully,I was alone in the car.My accident was slight.In fact, I was lucky enough not to have a single scratch.I shuddered to think the injuries my son would have suffered had he been in the backseat of that car with no seatbelt when it rolled.After the ear rolled three times,I found my mobile phone was lost in a pile of small things that were all lying in the bottom of the car.A lady was kind enough to let me borrow her mobile phone,but with-out the numbers preprogrammed who could I call? I was lucky enough to remember my father’s mobile phone number,and fortunate that he hadn’t yet got on his plane.
You never know when an accident will happen.As a driver,I will keep safety in mind by obeying all traffic laws and have safe-driving habits,especially in bad weather.Insist your children always wear their seatbehs.Life is a journey and everyone should value it and enjoy the ride.
1. Why was the author angry with those drivers?
A.She thought they drove too slowly. |
B.They made much noise on the ramp. |
C.They didn’t pay attention to the safety. |
D.They tried to stop her car on the ramp. |
A.Ensured the safety. |
B.Remembered clearly. |
C.Trembled because of fear. |
D.Took control of the bad situation. |
A.The visibility was not clear. |
B.The author drove rather fast. |
C.It started to rain heavily then. |
D.It was an unsafe spot for driving. |
A.had just a single scratch |
B.called her father for help |
C.felt sorry because her son was injured |
D.found her mobile phone with the help of a lady |
P.S.116 Principal Jane Hsu wrote a letter to parents last month explaining that after more than a year of analyzing studies,the school had concluded that students’after-school time would be better spent on activities like reading at their own pace and playing rather than working on homework.
Hsu’s letter says that many studies indicate that there is no connection between homework and academic success.Indeed,there are some studies that show that the link between homework and success is doubtful at the primary school level.
An important 1989 study on homework by Professor Cooper found that doing homework led students to perform better in school as they grew older.In later grades,students who did homework performed increasingly better than students who did not.In 2006,Cooper published a study that analyzed 15 years’worth of data on the effectiveness of homework.He found that homework had a more positive impact on students as they aged,and identified stronger relations between homework and achievement for students in grades seven through 12 than for students in kindergarten through sixth grade.
A 2012 study from the Indiana University School of Education on 10th-graders found little relation between time spent on homework and better course grades,although it did find a positive relation between homework time and standardized test performance.
Some parents of P.S.116 students are not happy with the decision to
“I think they should have homework—some of it is about discipline.I want(my daughter)to have fun,but I also want her to be working towards a goal,”Daniel Tasman,the father of a second—grader at the schoo1.
“You have to do homework in order to gain;you have to do homework because they may not be able to comprehend everything in school,”Sharon Blake,a grandmother of a P.S.116 student.
1. Principal Jane Hsu wrote the letter to the parents to_________.
A.analyze the test results of the students |
B.suggest students’reading at their own pace and playing |
C.tell them about the conclusion of the research |
D.give them the reason for the decision of the school |
A.studies on the link between homework and academic success |
B.students’wish to spend their time on activities or playing |
C.Professor Cooper’s research on the effectiveness of homework |
D.the ideas of both school authorities and parents |
A.kindergarten students spent too much time doing activities |
B.doing homework made the kindergarten students cleverer |
C.only elderly students should be given homework to do |
D.students benefit more from doing homework as they grow older |
A.Refuse. | B.Cancel. | C.Increase. | D.Reduce. |
There are various kinds of apples, but a very few make up the majority of those grown for sale. The three most common kinds grown in the United States are Delicious, golden Delicious, and McIntosh.
Apples are different in colour, size, and taste. The colour of the skin may be red, green, or yellow. They have various sizes, with Delicious apples being among the largest. The taste may be sweet or tart (酸的). Generally, sweet apples are eaten fresh while tart apples are used to make applesauce (苹果酱).
Apple trees may grow as tall as twelve metres. They do best in areas that have very cold winters. Although no fruit is yielded during the winter, this cold period is good for the tree.
1. It can be learned from the text that Delicious apples are _______________
A.grown in France. | B.sold everywhere. | C.very big. | D.quite sweet. |
A.the growth of apple trees. | B.producing large apples. |
C.improving the taste of apples. | D.the increase of water in apples. |
A.be large producers of apples. |
B.be large producers of applesauce. |
C.have the longest history in apple production. |
D.have the coldest winter among apple producing countries. |
A.improved. | B.increased. | C.produced. | D.sold. |
Many students use the new system but opinions on it are divided. Some students say it is bad because bathing had become a sort of race. Many people using it for the first time are not sure how long they need to shower. Some might be embarrassed if their time is up and they’re still covered in soap. They have to ask the bathhouse worker to help them buy extra time.
“It’s aflawin the system that you can not buy extra time on the ID card,” said Ren, a freshman in Wuhan University. The university is also considering some students’ suggestions that they be allowed to pay after they’ve finished the shower. Not surprisingly, some are complaining about losing the hour shower. But many students say the move helps them develop a water-saving sense.
Without the time limits, most students tended to shower for 30 to an hour in the bathhouse.
Some even used the hot water to wash their clothes. “In my experience, 10—20 minutes is enough,” said Dai Zhihua, a third-year student who usually takes 8 minutes.
A similar system has been installed in other universities. Shanghai Normal University introduced it at its Fengxiang Campus in September. The bathing fee there is 0.2Yuanper minute. One male student responded by setting a record with a two-minute shower.
1. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
A.Students pay for the amount of time they want in the shower. |
B.The clock times all through while the student is bathing except when the bather paused for soap. |
C.If money runs out, there will be no water. |
D.Having finished bathing, the student has to pay for it. |
A.fault | B.advantage |
C.pity | D.perfection |
A.a quarter | B.one third |
C.one half | D.two thirds |
A.The new operation can raise students’ environmental awareness. |
B.the new operation can solve the water crisis. |
C.a similar operation has been set in other universities. |
D.The university has saved a lot of water by using the new system. |
A.People. | B.Society. |
C.Campus Life. | D.Lifestyle. |
Baseball is the most popular sport in the US. It is played throughout the spring and summer, and professional baseball teams play well into the fall.
Football is the most popular sport in the fall. The game originated as a college sport more than 75 years ago. It’s not the same as European football or soccer. In American football there are 11 players as well on each team, and they are dressed in padded uniforms and helmets because the game is rough and injuries are likely to occur. It is still played by almost every college and university in the country.
Basketball is the winner sport in American schools and colleges. Like football, basketball originated in the US, many Americans prefer it to football because it is played indoors throughout the winter and because it is a faster game. And the famous NBA games are considered the best of this game.
Other sports attracting a great many people include wrestling, boxing and horse racing. Although horse-racing fans call themselves sportsmen, the exactness of the term is questionable, as only the jockeys who ride the horses in the races can be considered athletes. The so-called sportsmen are the spectators, who do not come primarily to see the horses race, but to bet upon the outcome of each race. Gambling is the attraction of horse racing.
1. Baseball is so popular in America that some professional teams play it until ________.
A.spring | B.summer | C.fall | D.winter |
A.to avoid unexpected injuries |
B.to play it like European football |
C.to make the game rough enough |
D.to look like professional players |
A.NBA games are very popular |
B.it is originated in the US |
C.it is much faster than football |
D.it is played indoors throughout winter |
A.mainly stand and watch the races |
B.don’t ride horse in the races |
C.are only interested in the results |
D.don’t care who wins in the races |
A.the person who bets upon the the race |
B.the person who cares about horse-racing |
C.the rider who enjoys watching the race |
D.the rider who competes in horse-racing |
6 . “What’s in a name?” According to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, there is not too much. “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” But Shakespeare may have been wrong. In most cultures, names matter a great deal.
Americans choose names for their children with care. Parents usually think about the impression a name gives, not its meaning. Most Americans would consider a “Jennifer” more attractive than a “Bertha”, for example. The last name, or, surname, must also be considered when choosing a first and middle name. A name like Lester Chester Hester would sound poetic, but odd. Parents would avoid names that remind them of people they don’t like. On the other hand, people might name their children after a respected elderly relative or even a famous person. The popularity of certain names can change with each new generation. Names that were once common, like Fanny or Elmer, sound old-fashioned today. But other names-like John and David, Mary and Sarah-have stood the test of time and continue to be favorites.
People in America don’t always call their friends and relatives by their given names. Instead, they often use nicknames. Sometimes nicknames are short forms of a longer name. For instance, a girl named Elizabeth may be called Lisa, Beth or Betsy. As children grow up, they may decide for themselves which nickname they wish to be called. Some people just go by the initials of their first and middle names, like B.J. or R.C. And of course, people may call their children or their sweethearts other special nicknames. Often they have a “sweet” flavor, like Honey or Sugar.
What’s in a name? A world of significance. So if you’re choosing an English name for yourself, take care to choose a good one. A made-up name could sound strange to native English speakers. And a translation of your Chinese name may not make an appropriate name, either. But a good name can leave a positive and lasting impression. As an American politician once said, “In real life, unlike in Shakespeare, the sweetness of the rose depends upon the name it bears.”
1. What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 2 mean?A.People change names in order to be popular with the new generation. |
B.Names will change by themselves in order to be popular. |
C.Some names may no longer be popular among the new generation. |
D.No names can stand the test of time. |
A.the impression a name gives is more important than its meaning |
B.you can name after a well-known person |
C.surname should be paid attention to |
D.you can create a name that is special |
A.nickname | B.the first letter |
C.short form | D.title |
A.Bertha | B.Fanny |
C.Yunyun | D.Elizabeth |
A.Names have great significance to Americans. |
B.Names change when time goes by. |
C.Chinese people should be careful when choosing their English names. |
D.Roses smell sweet by any other name. |
It was a beautiful Sunday morning, and Maggie and I were returning from our walk through the woods. We were only a couple of blocks from home when I spotted a cellphone and credit card sitting on the road. We took them home. We find amazing things on the street. She looks upon it as a movable dinner. Chicken wings here and there.
I found another cellphone a few years back, too, and called a number in its phone book. I explained the situation to the guy who answered. He said it was his sister’s and that he'd swing by to pick it up, which he did.
And that was that. No verbal (口头的) thank-you, no written thank-you, no “here’s a box of chocolates” thank-you.
I didn’t have time to call anyone on my latest found cellphone. I was pouring myself coffee when it started to vibrate (颤动) and dance across the kitchen counter.
“Who’s this?” someone asked when I picked up.
“Who’s this?” I countered. “Sarah?”
She was taken aback until she realized her name was on the credit card I also had recovered. “Could you send it to me?” she asked.
She lives in Arlington, which is 2 miles from my house.
“Hmm, no,” I replied, adding that I thought she could come get them, and that if I wasn’t home, they would be in my mailbox.
A day later, when I was out for a run, someone retrieved them. But I got nothing. In this age of e-mail and cellphones, there’s really no excuse.
Years ago, I found something more precious than a $100 bill on the street: a driver’s license. I saw that its owner lived a couple of blocks from me, so I called him up. He asked whether I could slip the license through his front door.
“I guess I could,” I replied.
And that was that.
1. What would be the best title for the text?
A.Several Experiences of My Own |
B.“Thank You” Is Becoming More Priceless |
C.It’s Polite to Thank the Finders |
D.Only Losers Lack “Thank” for Finders |
A.the author’s wife | B.the author’s pet |
C.the author’s best friend | D.the author’s son |
A.it wasn’t worth to do | B.he wanted to keep it as his own |
C.he was busy then | D.he didn’t know its owner |
A.got back | B.returned | C.lost | D.threw away |
A.Disappointed. | B.Helpless. | C.Encouraged. | D.Hopeful. |