1 . A housewarming party is a special party to be held when someone buys or moves into a new apartment or house. The person who bought the house or moved is the one who throws the party. The party is a chance for friends and family to congratulate the person on the new home.
Housewarming parties get their name from the fact that a long time ago people would actually bring firewood to a new home as a gift.
| A．This isn’t usual though. |
| B．It is traditional to bring a gift to a housewarming party. |
| C．You can also bring food or drinks to share with the other guests. |
| D．If you’re lucky enough to receive gifts, keep them in a safe place. |
| E．It also gives people a chance to see what the new home looks like. |
| F．The best housewarming parties encourage old friends to get together. |
| G．This was so that the person could keep their home warm for the winter. |
2 . Washington, D.C. Bicycle Tours
Cherry Blossom Bike Tour in Washington, D.C.
Duration: 3 hours
This small group bike tour is a fantastic way to see a world-famous cherry trees with beautiful flowers of Washington, D.C. Your guide will provide a history lesson about the trees and the famous monuments where they blossom. Reserve your spot before availability — the cherry blossoms—disappear!
Washington Capital Monuments Bicycle Tour
Duration: 3 hours (4 miles)
Join a guided bike tour and view some of the most popular monuments in Washington, D.C. Explore the monuments and memorials on the National Mall as your guide shares unique facts and history at each stop. Guided tour includes bike, helmet, cookies and bottled water.
Capital City Bike Tour In Washington, D.C.
Duration: 3 hours
Morning or Afternoon, this bike tour is the perfect tour for D. C. newcomers and locals looking to experience Washington, D.C. in a healthy way with minimum effort. Knowledgeable guides will entertain you with the most, interesting stories about Presidents, Congress, memorials, and parks. Comfortable bikes and a smooth tour route(路线) make cycling between the sites fun and relaxing.
Washington Capital Sites at Night Bicycle Tour
Duration: 3 hours (7miles)
Join a small group bike tour for an evening of exploration in the heart of Washington, D.C. Get up close to the monuments and memorials as you bike the sites of Capitol Hill and the National Mall. Frequent stops are made for photo taking as your guide offers unique facts and history. Tour includes bike, helmet, and bottled water. All riders are equipped with reflective vests and safety lights.
1. Which tour do you need to book in advance?| A．Cherry Blossom Bike Tour in Washington, D.C. |
| B．Washington Capital Monuments Bicycle Tour. |
| C．Capital City Bike Tour in Washington. |
| D．Washington Capital Sites at Night Bicycle Tour. |
| A．Meet famous people. | B．Go to a national park. |
| C．Visit well-known museums. | D．Enjoy interesting stories. |
| A．City maps. | B．Cameras. |
| C．Meals. | D．Safety lights. |
3 . 假定你是李华，你的新西兰朋友Terry将去中国朋友家做客，发邮件向你询问有关习俗。请你回复邮件。内容包括：
（1）到达时间；（2）合适的礼物；
（3）餐桌礼仪。
注意：
1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
4 . Good Morning Britain’s Susanna Reid is used to grilling guests on the sofa every morning, but she is cooking up a storm in her latest role — showing families how to prepare delicious and nutritious meals on a tight budget.
In Save Money: Good Food, she visits a different home each week and with the help of chef Matt Tebbutt offers top tips on how to reduce food waste, while preparing recipes for under £5 per family a day. And the Good Morning Britain presenter says she’s been able to put a lot of what she’s leant into practice in her own home, preparing meals for sons, Sam,14, Finn,13, and Jack, 11.
"We love Mexican churros, so I buy them on my phone from my local Mexican takeaway restaurant," she explains. "I pay £5 for a portion(一份), but Matt makes them for 26p a portion, because they are flour, water, sugar and oil. Everybody can buy takeaway food, but sometimes we’re not aware how cheaply we can make this food ourselves. "
The eight-part series(系列节自), Save Money: Good Food, follows in the footsteps of ITV’s Save Money: Good Health, which gave viewers advice on how to get value from the vast range of health products on the market.
With food our biggest weekly household expense, Susanna and Matt spend time with a different family each week. In tonight’s Easter special they come to the aid of a family in need of some delicious inspiration on a budget. The team transforms the family’s long weekend of celebration with less expensive but still tasty recipes.
1. What do we know about Susanna Reid?| A．She enjoys embarrassing her guests. | B．She has started a new programme. |
| C．She dislikes working early in the morning. | D．She has had a light budget for her family. |
| A．He buys cooking materials for her. | B．He prepares food for her kids. |
| C．He assists her in cooking matters. | D．He invites guest families for her. |
| A．Summarize the previous paragraphs. | B．Provide some advice for the readers. |
| C．Add some background information. | D．Introduce a new topic for discussion. |
| A．Keeping Fit by Eating Smart | B．Balancing Our Daily Diet |
| C．Making yourself a Perfect Chef | D．Cooking Well for Less |
5 . Rock music consists of many different styles. Even though there is a common spirit among all music groups, they make very different music.
After they were given an invitation to appear live on BBC, the Beatles quickly became famous in Britain with nationwide tours. By mid-1963, the Beatles had been extremely popular in England.
| A．They decided on a tour to the United States in 1964. |
| B．Even their hairstyles became major trends at that time. |
| C．Rock music developed in the 1950s and the early 1960s. |
| D．However, their songs changed the lives of generations to come. |
| E．Many rock bands were able to follow in the footsteps of the Beatles. |
| F．They appeared in the films A Hard Day's Night(1964)and Help！(1965). |
| G．They performed their first concert in America at CBS television’s 53rd street studio. |
6 . In the long history of about 5,000 years, numerous Chinese traditional festivals were celebrated in memory of gods or some significant days, some of which are passed down from generation to generation and people always practice special traditional activities in each festival.
Qingming Festival
Qingming Festival is on the 15th day after Spring Equinox, round April 4 or April 5 every year.
Double Ninth Festival
Winter Solstice(冬至)
Winter Solstice is on around December 22 or 23 of solar calendar each year. From Winter Solstice on, the daytime will be longer and longer.
In China, this festival is in late January or early February, the last day of the Lunar year. People celebrate it by having a family reunion dinner, setting off fireworks and staying up late. Breaking the dishes and bowls is a thing all the people scare, but if you did it, you have to say: “sui sui ping an”.
| A．New Year’s Eve |
| B．Spring Festival |
| C．People will go to worship their ancestors. |
| D．People always visit their friends and relatives. |
| E．That day people in different regions eat different food. |
| F．It is a pun(双关语), meaning you will be healthy every year. |
| G．It is celebrated on Sept. 9th of the Lunar Calendar, around October. |
The sheepskin raft (羊皮筏), the oldest means of transportation along the Yellow River, has a history of nearly 2,000 years. The airbag of the raft is made of
It is said that the largest sheepskin raft in old times
In the early 20th century, before the 1950s,
However, with the rapid development of society, the sheepskin raft has largely played its historical role
8 . It can be really hard to learn a language well without living in a country full of native speakers! You have to find something interesting! Here’s the solution: TV Series.
Game of Thrones
You should really start watching it. The language is beautiful and easy to understand. Drama, love and good characters mark the show and there are actors from all around the world. You won’t know what’s going to happen at the ending. This is a must-see!
Sherlock
A British masterpiece. Is there any language learner who has not heard of Sherlock Holmes and his friend John Watson? The writers placed the stories into London in the 21st century, so it’s basically a modern version of the original stories. Here you have everything that an English language learner could wish for: British accents, good acting, long and interesting conversations with a lot of humour.
Friends
Everybody knows Friends, which couldn’t be missed off of this list. With many different accents to be heard and lots of dialects, this is the perfect show for English learners. The plot is relatively simple to understand. Six friends battle with tough jobs, complicated relationships and life in Manhattan, New York. In parts of the show there are also British accents to listen to and learn.
How I Met Your Mother
It is one of the most successful situation comedies in the United States, attracting the audience all around the world. Ifs about the life of five friends that live in New York, focusing on their work and their favorite free time activity: sitting in their favorite bar. You get to know many modern American expressions and can enjoy a lot of dialects that make the show even more interesting.
1. Which of the following has an unexpected ending?| A．Friends. | B．Sherlock. | C．Games of Thrones. | D．How J Met Your Mother. |
| A．British accents. | B．Humorous conversations. |
| C．American dialects. | D．Wonderful performances. |
| A．It is about five American students. |
| B．It attracts audience from all over the world. |
| C．There are many formal expressions in the show. |
| D．It’s the only successful sitcoms in the United States. |
9 . China is a colorful country with amazing places and cultures. In this blog, we will introduce five most attractive places that you can’t miss if you are planning to go for a travel in China!
Beijing
Beijing, the capital of China for over 850 years, is the first choice for many travellers. A perfect combination of classic elegance and modernity, it is the best Chinese destination to give you a better understanding of the country. You can wander around the Forbidden City to feel the dignity of the city; or you can walk along the criss-crossing hutongs and enjoy yourself in everyday local life.
Xi’an
If you want to feel the history of China over the past 1,000 years, you can go to Beijing; however, if you want to experience the 5,000 years’ history of this ancient, oriental land, Xi’an is the best travel destination in China. As one of the four major capitals of ancient civilisation (together with Athens, Cairo, and Rome), Xi’an is the home of Chinese civilisation. The Silk Road starts from here, stretching through West China to the Mediterranean.
Guilin
Guilin, a peaceful city lying in the hilly south-western area of the country, is among the top Chinese destinations for its extraordinary natural scenery. The unique karst landscape with its four features, namely green hills, clear water, fantastic caves, and oddly-shaped rocks, makes it a famous tourist attraction.
Chengdu
Visiting the lovely giant pandas must be on everyone’s to-do list when planning a tour of the best Chinese destinations. Many cities have zoos with space for pandas, but the best place to get close to them is Chengdu for sure! Visiting Chengdu is also a treat for food lovers. Jin li Street is a great place to have a taste of well-known Sichuan food. Besides, you can also enjoy the comfortable atmosphere.
1. What can you do in Beijing?| A．Enjoy the oddly-shaped rocks. | B．Have a taste of Sichuan food. |
| C．Walk around the Forbidden City. | D．Learn the history of the Silk Road. |
| A．Beijing. | B．Xi’an. | C．Guilin. | D．Chengdu. |
| A．Another attractive place in China. | B．The introduction to karst landscape. |
| C．Tips for travelling around the world. | D．The contact information of a museum. |
Joe and I had been looking forward to our retirement. However, when he suffered a heart attack last spring, he was forced to leave his job as a truck driver earlier than we had planned. As the medical bills increased, we realized I would have to continue working full-time while Joe stayed home and took over the housework.
This new arrangement was a disaster. One night, when I dragged myself to bed, I was horrified to discover Joe had turned our white sheets blue. He told me he had found out how to save on water, soap and electricity. He patted his blue trousers and announced proudly washing everything together was the secret.
When I awoke to the deafening rain the next morning, all I wanted was a hot home-cooked meal. However, what greeted me at the table was a microwave package. I knew my husband had his faults, but I thought he at least knew how to cook! I knew if I didn’t leave the house soon I would lose my temper with him. As the heavy rain thundered down outside, Joe offered to drive me to work. I ignored him as I struggled into my jacket and seized my bag with my teaching plans inside.
He insisted that he would take me and reached for his boots. I looked at the piles of newspapers and the dirty dishes still on the table. “Don’t you have enough to do? I can take care of myself.” I stormed out, not even kissing him goodbye. Joe shouted after me not to take the shortcut (捷径).
Ten minutes later, I ignored Joe’s warning and turned off the main route to take the shortcut. I thought it hadn’t rained enough to flood the road, but as I rounded the corner, water rushed across my path. After a few feet, the car got stuck. I opened the door and water poured in. I hurriedly closed the door. I couldn’t risk walking in this. Almost 20 minutes passed. The car began to shake. 1 got the fright of my life when I heard three long honks (喇叭声).
注意：
1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右;
2. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。
Paragraph 1:
Looking over my shoulder, I stared into the flashing lights of a familiar truck.
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Paragraph 2:
After getting to our warm home, Joe held my hand tight.
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