1 . a little extra light throughout the day may do more than just lift your spirits.
| A．Letting in | B．Taking up | C．Sending out | D．Putting aside |
2 . My name is Nasilele and I am from Zambia. I’ve been working as a UN Peacekeeper in the Central African Republic for the past two years. Before this, I was a pilot in my country’s army and I enjoyed my work a lot. However, Zambia is a very peaceful country and I was aware that there are other countries in Africa, where there has been a lot of violent conflicts. I felt it was my duty to help innocent people who are caught in the middle of these conflicts, so I signed up with the United Nations.
The Central African Republic is a relatively small country of five million people. Since it got independence from France in the 1950s, there have been many violent conflicts between the government and rebels (反叛者) who do not want the leaders in power. Often the army has been in conflict with leaders, which has led to many problems. In 2012, a civil war began. Conflicts between different religions and ethnic groups (种族) were the main causes. Due to this civil war, over one million people were forced to flee their homes and there were many deaths and injuries. In response to this, in 2014, the United Nations established a peacekeeping mission in the country.
My fellow peacekeepers are from many different countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Rwanda and others. This is a good thing as it ensures that there are many different cultures and backgrounds all working towards the same goals. Our roles vary with many different tasks from one day to the next. We monitor cities and villages to ensure that no conflict is occurring, help bring supplies of food and medicine to those who need it and write reports on everything we do and see. Our role never involves violence against others. We are a barrier that can keep people in conflict apart.
As a woman, I am particularly valued by the United Nations Peacekeepers as I can act as a role model for many women and girls in the country. When they see my role and how others respect me, I hope they feel that they also deserve to be respected and treated equally to men.
My life is not glamorous (富有魅力的) in any way! It’s long hours in a very tough environment. I have basic accommodation with just a bed in a shared room and a small kitchen and bathroom. Of course, being away from my family and friends is also very hard at times. However, I know that the Central African Republic is safer because of the UN Peacekeepers, and that makes it all worthwhile.
1. What motivated the author to be a peacekeeper?| A．Helping ordinary people in ethnic conflicts. |
| B．Being a pilot in the United Nations Army. |
| C．Living in the Central African Republic. |
| D．Preventing racial conflicts. |
| A．It did not gain independence until the mid-19th century. |
| B．The mission of the peacekeeping force there is to end the civil war. |
| C．The UN has sent peacekeepers to the country since its independence. |
| D．More than one in five people were made homeless during the civil war. |
| A．Peacekeeping forces must ensure local cultural diversity (多样性). |
| B．Peacekeepers have many different jobs to do every day. |
| C．Peacekeepers are not required to record their daily work. |
| D．The job of the peacekeepers is to monitor the behavior of the local people. |
| A．Because she is a unique woman. |
| B．Because women are desperately needed in peacekeeping forces. |
| C．Because she can be a role model for local women. |
| D．Because she’s a respectable woman. |
| A．Puzzled. | B．Interesting. | C．Frightened. | D．Helpful. |
3 . Foxes in southern England have apparently developed a taste for automobiles. Instead of wanting to drive them, though, they’re eating vital components. The damage hasn’t just cost U.K. drivers thousands in repair bills. The foxes have also caused dangerous accidents when people have taken to the roads without realizing their brakes no longer work.
Already in 2009, police in the southern county of Kent warned drivers to check their cars’ wires and test their brakes before driving. Indeed, for some reason, the foxes seem to find brake lines particularly attractive. With their cars’ cables broken, drivers have had to get their vehicles fixed. That has resulted in occasionally sky-high bills. The damage has also resulted in accidents. Fortunately, we didn’t find any casualties linked to the foxes, but faulty brakes and cables connected to the animals have been behind crashes and stranded (抛锚) vehicles.
To stop the greedy beasts, motorists have tried all manners of techniques. Yet, the most effective way to keep the foxes away they’ve discovered is wrapping their cars in chicken wire. It’s a trouble to constantly have to take the wire off and put it back on, not to mention the potential scrapes and scratches on the paint. But suppose it’s better than having to get your brake lines repaired — again.
But why are the foxes so crazy about biting car cables? Nobody can say for sure, but it’s most likely a sum of multiple causes. First of all, the insulation materials (绝缘材料) on car cables in the U.K. were changed from petroleum-based materials to soy-derived substances some 15 years ago. Rodents (啮齿动物), from rats to squirrels, have been attracted to the vegetable-based coatings and it could be that foxes find them delicious as well. Another reason probably lies in England’s disappearing woodlands. With fewer wild places left, the foxes are increasingly driven towards cities to find food. And then there’s the issue of people feeding them.
“Foolish people have been feeding foxes and treating them as pets,” said animal psychologist Dr. Roger Mugford. “They normally avoid humans and anything’s been touched by humans but if they are getting food given to them, that’s changed.” If some drivers have been feeding foxes. they’ve brought this problem on themselves. Unfortunately, those same foxes will then proceed to haunt the entire neighborhood
1. What have the foxes in southern England done?| A．They have developed a good taste. |
| B．They have eaten drivers’ repair bills. |
| C．They have damaged some parts of the vehicles. |
| D．They have hit cars and caused some accidents. |
| A．The cost of each car repair is very high. |
| B．Police in Kent are helping drivers chase away foxes. |
| C．Foxes biting car cables have caused a number of rollover accidents and deaths. |
| D．Drivers in some areas were warned years ago about the damage caused by foxes. |
| A．It may cause damage to the car. |
| B．It may trap the drivers sometimes. |
| C．It’s easy to be removed and put back on. |
| D．It can be used to repair the brake lines. |
| A．Changes in car cable insulation materials. |
| B．The area of forestland continues to decrease. |
| C．Some people like to feed foxes |
| D．Foxes and rodents are similar in appearance. |
| A．Praising. | B．Supportive. | C．Grateful. | D．Opposed. |
(1)应聘本地新闻(local events)记者一职；
(2)个人基本情况、相关特长；
(3)你做出该决定的具体理由。
注意：
(1)词数不少于100；
(2)可适当加入细节，使内容充实、行文连贯；
(3)开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Editor,
I am writing to apply for a position at Student Post, which I saw advertsed in the school newspaper last week.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
Li Jin
— .
| A．It doesn’t matter | B．It’s settled | C．Take your time | D．Do it please |
| A．need | B．will | C．must | D．can |
Hi there, Aunt Joan!
How are you? Mum said you asked how I was doing, so let me tell you about my life here.
As you know, I’ve been in China for around a month now. I want to study in a local university, which is why I took those after-school Chinese classes. I decided on China because it’s a fast-developing country with trade links all over the world. Studying here could be useful in finding a good job in trade or business. What’s more, Chinese culture is really interesting, so choosing to come here was a no-brainer for me! Having said that, China isn’t like I thought it might be. I thought it would be quite old and traditional, but in many ways, the cities are just as modern as back home in Vancouver, only with lots more people! There’s so much more food to try, too, and it’s all delicious! Everywhere I go, I see restaurants and snack stalls — it seems to be a big part of their culture. Food here is very reasonably priced, so it’s great for my budget. The people I meet are all very welcoming towards me as a foreigner, and I even seem to be a point of interest! However, hardly anyone speaks English in my area, so it can be a bit overwhelming at times. But I guess that’s why I’m here — to learn.
Right now, I’m studying every day for my HSK exam (a Chinese language qualification). But I also get a chance to explore the city. I usually get up extra early each morning to enjoy a freshly made breakfast on the street, and then I often visit a park. There’s a lot of traditional culture still alive in China. The parks are full of people playing traditional instruments, playing Chinese chess, and even writing calligraphy on the ground with giant paintbrushes!
My long-term plan is to take a degree course here. But it all depends on my expenses, so I intend to find some work first. I’m staying in a hostel (招待所) dormitory right now, but I’ve put an ad online to find a friendly Chinese family for a home-stay. That way, my Chinese will improve much faster, especially my written Chinese, which I find the most difficult to grasp.
Well, that’s all for now. I hope you guys can visit China sometime!
Take care!
Jim
1. What is the author’s purpose in taking after-school classes?(no more than 6 words)2. Why did the author decide on China? Give two of the reasons.(no more than 18 words)
3. What does the underlined word mean in Paragraph 2?(1 word)
4. Why is Jim looking for a home-stay?(no more than 5 words)
5. What kind of person do you think the author is? Please explain.(no more than 20 words)
8 . Bill Johnson was walking along the banks of the Niagara River, trying to find a good place to take a photo. Finally, he found the
Tired and gasping for breath, he paddled his hands, trying to stay afloat. Finally, he found himself being
| A．poor | B．perfect | C．unique | D．wet |
| A．beyond | B．into | C．from | D．over |
| A．blew | B．landed | C．flew | D．stressed |
| A．site | B．distance | C．reach | D．measure |
| A．stretched | B．jumped | C．ran | D．went |
| A．strong | B．weak | C．light | D．heavy |
| A．Automatically | B．Casually | C．Properly | D．Desperately |
| A．put out | B．swept away | C．driven away | D．pulled over |
| A．drawing | B．dropping | C．leaving | D．climbing |
| A．fell | B．lasted | C．got | D．stood |
| A．pouring | B．crying | C．moving | D．turning |
| A．part | B．machine | C．way | D．hand |
| A．puzzled | B．embarrassed | C．realised | D．sacrificed |
| A．risked | B．struggled | C．relieved | D．frustrated |
| A．waste | B．hold | C．lose | D．shorten |
| A．bringing up | B．shooting up | C．cutting up | D．breaking up |
| A．lifted | B．followed | C．pushed | D．ranked |
| A．washed | B．wound | C．trapped | D．wrapped |
| A．humble | B．reliable | C．capable | D．panicked |
| A．column | B．advertisement | C．headline | D．journalist |
| A．bought | B．buying | C．having bought | D．being bought |
When my husband Ash told me he was planning to turn down some perfectly good job offers and start his own business, I was surprised. I advised against it. But Ash’s mother, who had run her own business, said: “Why not give it a go?”
My mother-in-law was right. Ash started Present Model Management. He loves it: the pressure (压力) he has now is lower. Plus, he can take the kids to school if he wants.
Watching him succeed inspired me to take my own leap. After 12 years of working as a childminder, I knew that something had to change. I loved the kids, but I’d been singing “Twinkle Twinkle” for 12 years. I only became a childminder in order to be home with my own children. Now that they are more independent, I have time to try something more exciting.
I set up @family_feasts to record what our family eats: healthy, tasty meals on a sensible budget (开支). From there, I started a WordPress blog to hold the recipes (食谱). When I started sharing weekly meal plans, the feedback (反响) was amazing. That’s what people want: inspiration.
At first I wanted to teach workshops for parents. To prove that I could teach, I started a cooking class for 8-10-year-old children at my daughter’s primary school.
It sold out overnight. A year later, I have a long waiting list. It’s so meaningful to watch the kids learn: they’ve burnt and cut themselves, but they’re really starting to understand flavors.
The next thing that took off was children’s cookery birthday parties. People have booked those through word of mouth. From the strength of my blog, I’ve published recipes with the BBC and Co-op Food Magazine. My final dream is to write a family cookbook one day.
I’m so glad that Ash and I took this leap. We plan our work around the kids. We pay ourselves less than before, but we also spend more sensibly. I love the freedom of our life, the time we have together, and the excitement of building a community of kids who will be able to feed themselves.
1. What was Ash’s mother’s attitude towards his plan? (no more than 5 words)2. Why did the author want to change her job as a childminder? (no more than 10 words)
3. What was the author’s third business? (no more than 15 words)
4. What does the underlined words probably mean in the last but one paragraph? (1 word)
5. What benefits has the author gained from setting up her own business? Please explain. (no more than 20 words)
