It was a dark and stormy night. The ferocious wind shook the windows wildly, as though someone outside were beating on the glass. It was also New Year’s Eve. We were having our annual party and had a house full of people just starting to celebrate.
Suddenly, we heard loud explosions. Looking outside and up into the hills, we saw sparks(火花) flying from electrical transformers(变压器). One area after another went dark up in those hills. Then there was the loudest explosion of them all and our house went dark too. I tried to find every candle we had and lit them. The candles made everything look lovely. But we had problems. We had fifteen people standing around and we still had to cook dinner. How would we do that without electricity?
The barbecue! Why not cook on the barbecue? We men went outside, some holding flashlights and others cooking. We did a wonderful job. The women stayed inside and got the salads ready. Everything was delicious. There were still a few hours to go before the beginning of the new year, so we all sat around the dining room table and sang up until a few minutes before midnight. We couldn’t watch the ball drop in Times Square on television but that wouldn’t stop us from celebrating. I stood on a chair and, with the help of someone’s watch to tell us the time, we all counted down and I dropped a tennis ball! We all screamed Happy New Year. We didn’t need electricity for that!
Nowadays, we still get together with the same group to celebrate the New Year and we still talk about that special night. I don’t think we have ever laughed so much as we did on that New Year’s Eve.
1. What does the underlined word mean in Paragraph 1? (1 word)2. What made dinner preparation difficult according to Paragraph 2? (no more than 6 words)
3. How did the people celebrate on New Year’s Eve according to the passage? (no more than 10 words)
4. How does the author feel about that particular New Year’s Eve? (no more than 8 words)
5. What do you think is the most necessary quality when dealing with an unexpected difficult situation? Please explain why. (no more than 25words)
2 . Getting into college is a big step for high school graduates, and it comes with a lot of changes. For most students, it’s the first time they’re living away from home and managing their own life. Not surprisingly, adapting to this new lifestyle can be challenging. The following four tips will make high school graduates better prepared for college life.
Goal setting
When setting goals, whether they’re academic, career, or personal, re-member they should be attainable but not too easy, so that you really have to push yourself to achieve them, and feel rewarded when you do. Writing down your goals and breaking down each huge, long-term goal into smaller more practical ones can help make it feel more real, and writing out a plan for achieving it can give you a roadmap to success.
Interpersonal skills
At college, you will interact with fellow students, professors, librarians, and many others. Strong interpersonal skills will help you build relationships during this time, and get more out of them. If you feel that your interpersonal skills need some work, practice asking thoughtful questions and listening closely, develop your understanding by putting yourself in someone else’s shoes, and enhance your self-confidence.
Studying
With fewer in-class hours and more on-your-own learning, you’re required to really digest learning material rather than simply memorize facts. To be successful in college you’ll need to learn how to integrate large amounts of information obtained through reading, do research, and write papers. Organization is the key, so if you are not someone who is naturally organized, set up your study schedule.
Budgeting
Managing money is a critical life skill, and for many, it is at college that they develop it for the first time. Start by estimating your financial balance. Then give high priority to the expenses on basic needs and determine how much money to set aside every month to cover those costs. Don’t forget about savings…and the fun stuff(movies, dinners out), too.
1. Who is this passage most probably written for?| A．College teachers. |
| B．University graduates. |
| C．High school teachers. |
| D．Would-be college students. |
| A．Divide it into smaller, more achievable ones. |
| B．Reward oneself for each goal one has set. |
| C．Purchase a clear, updated roadmap. |
| D．Push oneself to an upper level. |
| A．prepare complicated questions |
| B．try on someone else’s shoes |
| C．listen to others carefully |
| D．take advantage of others |
| A．Being well-organized. |
| B．Being well-informed. |
| C．Effective reading skills. |
| D．Reliable research methods. |
| A．save money for financial investment |
| B．estimate one’s income and expenses |
| C．set aside money for fun activities |
| D．open a personal bank account |
| A．for which | B．with which |
| C．for whom | D．with whom |
| A．highlight | B．identify | C．ignore | D．prevent |
| A．cancels | B．will cancel |
| C．has cancelled | D．had cancelled |
| A．To be kept | B．Kept | C．To keep | D．Keeping |
| A．prepare | B．prepares |
| C．is preparing | D．are preparing |
| A．Although | B．Once | C．Since | D．Unless |
| A．distribute | B．distributed |
| C．are distributed | D．were distributed |
— It is running great! _____________. You were such a big help!
| A．It’s a pity | B．I couldn’t agree more |
| C．Forget it | D．I can hardly thank you enough |
