1. What did the speakers do last week?
A.They sent the Smiths to hospital. |
B.They visited the Smiths’ daughter. |
C.They expressed thanks to the Smiths. |
A.At the hospital. | B.At school. | C.At home. |
2 . There are many podcasts (播客) that teach English and you can listen to them anytime. Here is a list of some of the best podcasts that you must see.
Learn English Podcast
This podcast has three levels.The first is for beginners, the second is for intermediates (中级学生) and the third is for upper intermediates. If a person wants to learn Business English,then episodes are also made for him.Every podcast is short but very informative. Worksheets and vocabulary tasks are also included.
Speaking Broadly
This podcast is made for advanced learners. Explained through discussion and interviews, each episode has non-native English speakers and every recording also has expert feedback. You will see some common mistakes made by English learners and you can improve your English by learning from those mistakes.
The English We Speak
This podcast airs one episode daily and every episode is only three to four minutes, which talks about phrases and idioms.There are two people in each episode who communicate with each other. Whatever level you are,you will find it rewarding
Elementary Podcast
This podcast is mainly for beginners and intermediate level learners. The length of a podcast is around 25 minutes but you can pause it anytime and continue whenever you want. The hosts of each episode are different.
1. Which podcast provides exercises going with it?A.Learn English Podcast. | B.Speaking Broadly. |
C.The English We Speak | D.Elementary Podcast. |
A.It records just expert speakers. | B.It aims at beginners. |
C.It presents some typical mistakes. | D.It provides feedback from listeners. |
A.They have the same length. | B.They are both interactive. |
C.They share the same contents. | D.They are suitable for beginners. |
3 . Chinese cuisine is widely known and enjoyed all around the world. Who doesn’t long for a favorite Chinese dish? But there is one interesting concept concerning Chinese food which is almost unheard of in the West, and which is becoming increasingly ignored by the youth of the East—the ancient custom of “tonic food”.
Tonic food is food which is consumed to improve one’s well-being or avoid sickness. For instance, it was once the custom for new mothers to eat a sesame oil(麻油) chicken soup every day for the first month after giving birth. It was believed that this dish would benefit the muscles, reduce pain, improve circulation, stimulate sweating, and warm the body. Some foods, such as goat meat and spinach, are seen as “hot”, while others, such as Chinese cabbage and radishes, are seen as “cold”. One should be careful not to eat too much of either “hot” or “cold” food. However, how much “hot” or “cold” food one should eat depends on the time of the year, how the food is prepared and what it is prepared with, and the individual’s health.
The custom of employing tonic food for a healthier life also influences the catering industry. Chinese herbal medicines, such as wolfberry(枸杞子), can be found on many a restaurant menu, either added to fruit tea or as a beneficial addition to a dish. These herbs attract customers, such as overworked office staff, in need of a modest pick-me-up.
So, whether you need to boost your strength with a large helping of chicken soup, or increase your mental powers with a serving of fish soup, you may find that this ancient Chinese custom could be just the tonic you were looking for.
1. What is the present situation of tonic food?A.It is catching less attention. | B.It is enjoyed by many young people. |
C.It is well-known worldwide. | D.It is becoming increasingly popular. |
A.Chinese cabbage. | B.Fruit tea. |
C.Sesame oil chicken soup. | D.Fish soup. |
A.Medicine. | B.Restaurant. | C.Manufacture. | D.Agriculture. |
A.The Charm of Chinese Cuisine | B.The Popularity of Tonic Food |
C.An Introduction of Chinese Tonic Food | D.Differences Between “Hot” Food and “Cold” Food |
4 . Olly Neal grew up in Arkansas. He didn’t care much for high school. One day during his senior year, he cut class and walked into the school library. He discovered a book written by Frank Yerby. The book was The Treasure of Pleasant Valley and it attracted Neal’s attention. But there was one problem — if Neal took the book to the check out counter (收银台), his friends would know he was reading books.
“Then my fame (名誉) would be down,” Neal said. “I wanted them to know that all I could do was fight and cuss (咒骂).” Finally, Neal decided to steal the book.
A week later, Neal had finished the book. He brought it back to the library. But when he put it back, there was another book by Yerby. He took it as well. The same thing happened again. He read four of Yerby’s books that term — checking out none of them.
But Neal’s sneaky action turned out not to have been so sneaky after all. Attending his 13-year high school get-together, Neal met the school’s librarian, Mildred Grady. She saw Neal take that book. She said, “My first thought was to call him out, and then I realized what his situation was. So I decided that if Neal was showing an interest in books, I would find another one for him and put it in the same place where the one he had taken was.”
This was not an easy matter, because Frank Yerby’s books were not especially available. But the woman’s efforts paid off: Neal went on to attend law school and later became a great judge. When Grady died, Neal told the story and he said, “I thank Mrs. Grady for helping me get into the habit of enjoying reading, so that I was able to go to law school and survive.”
1. Why did Neal steal the book instead of checking it out?A.To prove he was a skillful thief. |
B.To show the book to his friends. |
C.To keep being known as a troublemaker. |
D.To avoid communicating with the librarian. |
A.Secret. | B.Dangerous. | C.Brave. | D.Illegal. |
A.She taught Neal how to survive. |
B.She persuaded Neal to be honest. |
C.She encouraged Neal to study law. |
D.She helped Neal develop reading habits. |
A.Reading changes people’s life |
B.A librarian changed a boy’s life |
C.A senior student became a judge |
D.Frank Yerby’s books attracted a boy |
5 . Musicians want to be heard. Making that happen involves time and effort that could be spent making music, however. Fortunately, Richmonders Elijah Hedrick and designer Rian Moses-Hedrick have started a platform to help. HearRVA shines a spotlight on Richmond musicians. “We’re basically trying to play matchmaker with music fans here in Richmond,” Rian says.
The promotion platform was created in July last year by the designer and her husband, Elijah. HearRVA’s website offers videos of local performances, a list of live music spots and playlists of songs from Richmond-based musicians. Musicians submit links to their work to be considered for promotion at no cost. The site is a passion project for the married couple and is supported by money donations from the natives.
One of the next steps is an interview series, “Liner Notes,” which highlights local musicians and the motivations behind their music. The series was launched in November with local singer Devonne Harris, who plays recorded popular music on the local radio. “It’s a great way for listeners to get a close look into what’s going on behind some of the creative forces in the city,” Harris says. “Sometimes having extra insight adds more of a connection, so people can really go back to listen to your music and be grateful for what you do and listen to it from a different angle.”
Rian and Elijah are looking ahead to season two of “Liner Notes”, which they plan to release next year. For them, everything ties back to providing exposure to local musicians. “People always want to go to LA or New York because they think they have a better shot there, and the market’s bigger,” Rian says, “but why don’t we grow the market here?”
1. What is the main purpose of HearRVA?A.To bring local artists close together. |
B.To build a useful source for musicians. |
C.To show how to appreciate local music. |
D.To connect local musicians with music lovers. |
A.The great local demand for it. |
B.Local musicians’ desire for fame. |
C.Local people’s financial support. |
D.The married couple’s gift for music. |
A.The comparisons between different musicians. |
B.Effective ways of composing or playing music. |
C.Different opinions on a certain kind of music. |
D.Reasons why local musicians create their music. |
A.Negative. | B.Positive. | C.Uncertain. | D.Indifferent. |
A.bills | B.expenses |
C.prices | D.charges |