1 . The cost of living in countries like the US, Britain, Australia or France has skyrocketed in recent years. However, if you’re willing to leave your country and explore life in other areas, there are many countries boasting an extremely cheap and low cost of living. Check out the following countries when planning your next move.
Ecuador
Ecuador is similar to the United States in many ways, and as a result has become a popular American getaway. They even use the US Dollar for their currency. In this country, it’s cheaper to eat out every day than cook for yourself on a budget in the US. You can even buy a building for around $ 50, 000 and hire someone to look after it while you’re away.
Mexico
Although the country is known for its poverty ridden streets, there $are many wealthier areas that provide every facility you might need. You can live off a mere $ 700 to $ 800 a month in Mexico, and this includes rent for a nice place, facilities, food, and any sightseeing.
Argentina
Argentina has been a popular tourist destination for many years. It has great restaurants, a rich history, and many places to explore. Not to mention, it’s not very expensive to live here. A decent sized home can cost around $ 139, 000, which is relatively cheap in relation to homes in the United States.
Vietnam
Vietnam has also become a popular tourist destination in recent years. There are many million-dollar luxury homes by the beach, but you can find a modest flat or a small home for around $ 25,000 to $ 50,000 if you search in the right areas.
1. In which country is the US Dollar used for its currency?| A．Argentina. | B．Mexico. |
| C．Ecuador. | D．Vietnam. |
| A．About $ 7,000. | B．About $ 8,000. |
| C．About $ 8,800. | D．About $ 12,000. |
| A．They have great restaurants. |
| B．The cost of living is expensive. |
| C．The middle-sized homes cost around $ 139,000. |
| D．Tourists enjoy travelling in the two countries. |
2 . Teenagers’ fitness is now a major concern，and physical exercise is very important. It reduces stress and improves fitness. Exercise makes your body strong，and helps you to keep the right body weight. Sports scientist Dr. Helen Lopez offers the following advice to teenagers：“First，you need to find out your present level of fitness. Then you can design a programme that will help you become healthier.”
Dr. Lopez suggests that there are three levels of fitness that need a change of lifestyle.“Overweight”means that the person gets very little exercise and often has a serious weight problem. “Inactive” means that the person does not join in many physical activities，but is not seriously overweight.“Active”refers to people who take part in sports and other physical activities，but do not have a high fitness level.
According to Dr. Lopez，overweight teenagers should work out to keep healthy.“Ride a bike，play volleyball or basketball for a while，and go for a twentyminute walk each day. All these will help to burn calories.”Inactive teenagers should do similar activities, but add some bending and stretching exercises, such as pushups and situps, starting with twenty of each a day.“Inactive people can take a little more exercise than overweight people because their bodies are stronger，”Dr. Lopez said. The same rule applies to active teenagers.
Dr. Lopez suggests one hour a week or more on running and other forms of intensive exercise，together with fifteen minutes a day spent on stretching and bending activities.“These are really important in order to prevent injuries,” Dr. Lopez said. Some weighttraining and other bodystrengthening exercises could also be planned in the programme in order to increase the person’s strength.
1. What can we learn from the passage?| A．Active people always have a high fitness level. |
| B．Overweight people always take more exercise. |
| C．Keeping fit means changing teenagers’ lifestyle. |
| D．Inactive teenagers are not seriously overweight. |
| A．Physical exercise can make the teenagers grow taller. |
| B．Physical exercise can help teenagers become healthier. |
| C．Physical exercise can help to burn up calories. |
| D．Physical exercise can increase teenagers’ strength. |
| A．walking exercises | B．streching and bending |
| C．riding | D．weighttraining |
| A．Doing Exercise |
| B．Teenagers’ Fitness |
| C．Different Lifestyles |
| D．Overweight Teenagers |
Liu Ruying,
“Sometimes I was tired,“ she said. ”I had to balance my studies and other
When Liu got the news that her region would have a cultural exchange with other countries, she had the idea of
“I
4 . One day when I was 5, my mother scolded (责骂) me for not finishing my breakfast and I got angry. I wanted to play outside and not to be made to finish eating my breakfast. When angrily opening the screen door with my foot, I kicked back about a 12-inch part of the lower left hand corner of the new screen door. But I had no remorse, for I was happy to be playing in the backyard with my toys.
Today, I know if my child had done what I did, I would have scolded my child, and told him about how expensive this new screen door was, and I would have delivered a spanking (打屁股) for it. My parents never said a word. They left the corner of the screen door pushed out, creating an opening, a breach (裂缝) in the defense against unwanted insects.
For years, every time I saw that corner of the screen, it would constantly make me think about my mistake. For years, I knew that everyone in my family would see that hole and remember who did it. For years, every time I saw a fly buzzing (嗡嗡) in the kitchen, I would wonder if it came in through the hole that I had created with my angry foot. I would wonder if my family members were thinking the same thing, silently blaming me every time a flying insect entered our home, making life more terrible for us all. My parents taught me a valuable lesson, one that a spanking or stern (严厉的) words perhaps could not deliver. Their silent punishment for what I had done delivered a hundred stern messages to me. Above all, it has helped me become a more patient person and not burst out so easily.
1. When the author damaged the door, his parents ________.| A．gave him a spanking |
| B．left the door unrepaired |
| C．scolded him for what he had done |
| D．told him how expensive it was |
| A．regret | B．joy | C．anger | D．notice |
| A．to hide his anger away from others |
| B．not to go against his parents’ will |
| C．to have a better control of himself |
| D．not to make mistakes in the future |
| A．Adults should ignore their children’s bad behavior. |
| B．Parents are the best teachers of their children. |
| C．Patience is the key to becoming a better person. |
| D．One learns most when shown the result of his/her action. |
Christmas Day was coming. I was just a kid then, and my big sister told me there was no Santa Claus. I fled to my Grandma because she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told me the truth. Grandma was home, and I told her everything. “No Santa Claus?” She shouted. “Ridiculous! Don’t believe it. “Now, put on your coat, and let’s go.”
“Go where, Grandma?” I asked. “Where” turned out to be Kerby’s General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. “Take this money, and buy something for someone who needs it. I’ll wait for you in the car.” Then she turned and walked out of Kerby’s.
I was only eight years old. I’d often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people competing to finish their Christmas shopping. For a few moments I just stood there, confused, holding that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy and who to buy it for. I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker, who was a kid with bad breath and messy hair. He sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock’s grade-two class. Bobby Decker didn’t have a coat. I knew that because he never went out for break during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn’t have a cough, and he didn’t have a coat. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat! I chose a red one, which looked really warm, and he would like that.
“Is this a Christmas present for someone?” the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid ten dollars down. “Yes.”
The nice lady smiled at me, put the coat in a bag and wished me a Merry Christmas.
注意：1.续写词数应为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:
That evening, Grandma helped me wrap (包裹) the coat in Christmas paper.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph2:
Grandma and I waited breathlessly for Bobby Decker’s front door to open.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Last year at Christmas time, my wife, three children and I were on our way from Paris to Nice. Somehow everything went wrong. Our hotels were “tourist traps” and our rented car broke down. On Christmas Eve, when we checked into a dirty hotel in Nice, there was no Christmas spirit in our hearts.
It was raining and cold when we went out to eat. We found a small restaurant poorly decorated for the holiday. Only five tables in the restaurant were taken. There were two German couples, two French families, and an American sailor, by himself. They were eating in stony silence except the sailor. He was writing a letter, and a half-smile lighted his face. In the corner a piano player was listlessly (无精打采地) playing Christmas music.
All of us were interrupted by an old French flower woman through the front door. She had a worn overcoat and her old shoes were wet. Carrying her basket of flowers, she went from one table to another. No one bought any. Exhausted and sad, she sat down at a table.
The sailor finished his meal and got up to leave. Putting on his coat, he walked over to the flower woman’s table.
“Merry Christmas,” he said, smiling and picking out a handful of flowers. “How much are they?”
“Two francs, sir.”
The sailor put a twenty franc note in the woman’s hand.
“I don’t have change, sir,” she said. “I’ll get some from the waiter.”
“No, ma’am,” said the sailor, leaning over and kissing the ancient cheek. “This is my Christmas present for you.”
注意：1．所续写短文的词数应为80左右；
2．续写部分的开头语已为你写好；
Then the sailor headed for our table with the flowers in his hand.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A few years ago, the company I worked for sent my wife and me to live in New York for a year. I’ve always loved running, so I was really happy when I found out I lived next to Central Park. This meant that every morning I could go for a run before I went to work.
Because a lot of people had told me to be careful of robbers in the park, so usually I didn’t take anything with me. How could they rob me if I didn’t have anything? But one morning, my wife gave me a S 10 bill and asked me to buy some bread on the way.
It was a beautiful morning and the park was quiet with very few people walking or jogging (慢跑) around. While I was running through the park, another jogger knocked into me. He apologized and continued running. For a while, I didn’t think too much of it. However, when I noticed the wide path where I was running, I thought was kind of strange. The warning of robbers in the park occurred to me. ”It could have been a robber!” I suddenly became alarmed, so I checked my pocket and found that the money was missing. Without thinking twice, I ran after that jogger. I finally caught up and held him by the arm. I shouted, “Give me the $10 bill! Now!” I am not usually a hot-headed (性急的) person, but I got really angry this time. I couldn’t believe the robbery was actually happening to me. Filled with anger, I shook my fist at him. This seemed to frighten him. He quickly put his hand in his pocket and gave me the money. Then he ran away as fast as he could.
I bought the bread and went home. As soon as I got home, I couldn’t wait to tell my wife my story. “You won’t believe what happened to me,” I started with pride. She immediately stopped me, “I know, you left the money for the bread on the kitchen table.”
注意：1. 所续写短文的词数应为80左右；
2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
Looking at the money on the table, I stood there, shocked.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________8 . It can be tough to pull kids away from their computers and mobile devices these days. While they’re playing games, wouldn’t it be great if they could be learning at the same time? Good educational apps offer fun challenges that teach specific grade-level skills. Here are four that combine fun and learning.
Understanding Math($3.99; iOS)
Understanding Math goes beyond basic comprehension to gain a deeper understanding of the whys and hows of math. The app tracks your child’s progress to determine strengths and weaknesses in different skill areas, and you can customize(订制)your child’s learning experience to suit the needs.
Word Creativity Kit($2.99; iOS)
Word Creativity Kit aims not only to make creative writing fun but also build up grammar rules. The app presents a series of words from seven categories, such as space or fantasy. Kids add their own words to finish the complete thoughts that these words have inspired.
Barefoot World Atlas($4.99; iOS)
Barefoot World Atlas helps kids learn about geography and world cultures with a touch of the screen. Each region features a set of sub-topics, from wildlife and natural features to native people, landmarks, and architecture. These facts and illustrations are delivered in photographs, sounds, and hundreds of mini videos.
My Grades & Homework($0.99; iOS)
A combination of grades and homework tracker, My Grades & Homework can help your child stay organized and on top of the progress in school. A convenient calendar and course list format and offer a glance at your child’s assignment schedule that he or she might not normally get from standard homework planners.
1. Which app is beneficial to children’s writing skills?| A．Understanding Math. | B．Word Creativity Kit. |
| C．Barefoot World Atlas. | D．My Grades & Homework. |
| A．They need purchasing when downloaded. |
| B．They help children improve their grades. |
| C．They make studies fun because of mini videos. |
| D．They inform parents of their children’s progress. |
| A．To wish readers to bring in more similar apps for children. |
| B．To encourage parents to allow their students to play apps. |
| C．To design the educational apps to combine fun and learning. |
| D．To introduce four educational apps for readers to buy and use. |
9 . As a young boy my family was very poor. I would often help do something for the neighbors to
One day I
I put my hands in the jar and
I was twelve years old when I moved from that neighbourhood. I will never forget the huge
| A．save | B．give | C．earn | D．change |
| A．turned | B．knocked | C．worked | D．looked |
| A．how | B．when | C．why | D．if |
| A．school | B．time | C．trouble | D．bed |
| A．bag | B．carpet | C．coat | D．sofa |
| A．allowed | B．forced | C．helped | D．stopped |
| A．punished | B．tested | C．praised | D．paid |
| A．set up | B．took out | C．talked about | D．put away |
| A．boring | B．new | C．fine | D．terrible |
| A．keep | B．make | C．remove | D．buy |
| A．visit | B．forgive | C．welcome | D．serve |
| A．recognize | B．reward | C．understand | D．protect |
| A．goals | B．stories | C．marks | D．ideas |
| A．room | B．money | C．food | D．time |
| A．grabbed | B．lost | C．borrowed | D．charged |
| A．rare | B．special | C．simple | D．enough |
| A．promised | B．discovered | C．knew | D．admitted |
| A．asked | B．required | C．showed | D．wrote |
| A．decision | B．progress | C．mistake | D．difference |
| A．courage | B．kindness | C．honesty | D．happiness |
After college I wanted to make a difference in the world, so I became a volunteer teacher and
Schools were quite bare, and the students
This was my first time
However, I could end each day with a
