1 . Antarctica (南极洲) is the coldest place on Earth. It's also the driest. With annual rainfall close to zero, Antarctica is technically a desert. Covering about 14 million square kilometers around the South Pole, it is the fifth largest continent in the world. A high mountain range, the Trans-Antarctic range, runs from east to west, cutting the continent in two. There are volcanoes too, but they are not very active. Antarctica holds 90% of the world's ice, and most of its fresh water (70%) is in a frozen state, of course. 98% of the surface is covered permanently in the ice cap. On average it is two kilometers thick, but in some places it reaches a depth of five kilometers. Strong winds driven by gravity blow from the pole to the coastline, while other winds blow round the coast. It is difficult to imagine a more inhospitable (不宜居的) place.
Yet Antarctica is full of wildlife, which has adapted to its extreme conditions. There are different types of penguins, flying birds, seals, and whales. But the long Antarctic winter night, which lasts for 182 days (the longest period of continuous darkness on earth) , as well as the extreme cold and lack of rainfall, means that few types of plants can survive there. Only two types of flowering plants are found, while there are no trees on the large continent. The rest of the plants are made up of mosses, algae and lichen. Some forms of algae have adapted to grow on ice.
Most of the ice has been there for thousands of years. As a result, it has become a window on the past, and can give researchers lots of useful information. Gases and minerals, in the form of volcanic dust trapped in the ice, can tell us a lot about what the world's climate was like in past ages. Antarctic rocks are also very important for research. Most of them are meteorites (陨石) from outer space. One rock, known as the “Alien” rock, may contain evidence of extra-terrestrial (外星人) life.
Antarctica was the last continent to be discovered. But more than two thousand years ago Greek geographers believed that there was a large land mass in the south which balanced the land in the north. They called it Anti-Arktikos, or Antarctica: the opposite of Arctic (北极) . When Europeans discovered the continent of America in 15 century, the great age of exploration began. However, progress to the South Pole was slow. Not until the late 18h century did the British explorer James Cook cross the Antarctic Circle, but he never saw land. Then in 1895, a Norwegian called Carstens Borchgrevink became the first man to set foot on the Antarctic mainland. The race to the pole had begun. It was finally reached on 11th December, 1911 by the Norwegian Roald Amundsen.
1. In writing Paragraph 1, the author aims to _________.| A．tell us about the history of the discovery of Antarctica |
| B．tell us that Antarctica is completely covered in thick ice |
| C．introduce the distribution of fresh water in Antarctica |
| D．introduce the basic information about Antarctica |
| A．All Antarctic plants grow on ice. |
| B．Animals can't survive the Antarctic polar night. |
| C．Antarctica has a great variety of plants. |
| D．Despite the extreme conditions in Antarctica, many plants and animals live there. |
| A．There are aliens in Antarctica. | B．Meteorites all contain evidence of alien existence. |
| C．There's a lot to study in Antarctica. | D．Rocks are rare in Antarctica. |
| A．The Greek geographers found the Antarctica. |
| B．James Cook was the first explorer who reached the South Pole. |
| C．A Norwegian reached the South Pole first. |
| D．Humans first set foot on the Antarctic mainland in 1911. |
| A．A Race to the South Pole | B．Antarctica: the Last Continent |
| C．The wildlife of Antarctica | D．Antarctica: A desert |
| A．have fallen | B．have been fallen | C．had fallen | D．had been fallen |
| A．Having devoted | B．Devoted | C．To be devoted | D．Being devoted |
4 . The disease that is going around is thought in the southwest.
| A．to have originated | B．to originate |
| C．to have been originated | D．to be originated |
7 . Humor is so much more than silly situations and funny words. It is about the places we live in, the people who are with us, the events we experience and the problems we face. These humorous English stories will make you laugh first, then think. Here are some funny stories in English to get you started!
“Hunting the Deceitful Turkey” by Mark Twain
Good for: Intermediate to advanced students
Considered one of the funniest turkey tales in American literature, Twain tells a true incident where he tries to shoot a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner.
The story is a humorous account of his failure. It also relates to the American holiday of Thanksgiving, where turkey is the main dish in the feast (宴会).
Since the story was written in 1906, you might read some words which are not commonly used anymore. For instance, the word “swindler” means “cheat” or “fraud.” It might be helpful to have access to a good English dictionary while you read this.
“Let’s Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir” by Jenny Lawson
Good for: Mature intermediate learners
Have you ever felt that you did not fit in, or that you were strange or awkward? The author of this book felt like that throughout her life.
There are tales about her sister going to school in a bird costume, her “message-board” cat, her relationship and more. Her story is equal parts funny and enlightening (something which makes you aware).
The core message is that the moments that embarrass us are really the ones that define (界定) us. If you are still unsure about the book, you can read this article by The Washington Post.
“The Woman Who Went to Bed for a Year” by Sue Townsend
Good for: Intermediate learners
Eva, the main character, is disappointed with her family. When her children leave home, she climbs into bed and stays there.
She refuses to be a dutiful wife to her indifferent (漠不关心的) husband, and she stops being an ideal mother to her careless children. Soon, unexpected things start happening. The true face of every person in the household starts to come out.
The novel is funny but also seeks to question traditional family roles. For a more detailed overview, read this review by The Guardian.
1. Which book is for intermediate learners?| A．Let’s Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir. |
| B．The Woman Who Went to Bed for a Year and Let’s Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir. |
| C．Hunting the Deceitful Turkey and Let’s Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir. |
| D．Hunting the Deceitful Turkey and The Woman Who Went to Bed for a Year. |
| A．It is not a real story. |
| B．Twain failed to catch the turkey in the end. |
| C．The language in this story is simple and easy to understand. |
| D．You can use this book as a good English dictionary. |
| A．The writer’s sister always goes to school in a bird costume. |
| B．The writer always fails to fit in with society. |
| C．The writer is always unsure whether she will overcome an embarrassing moment. |
| D．In difficult or uncomfortable situations, people may reveal their true selves and learn and grow from them. |
| A．To make fun. | B．To describe Eva’s bad family life. |
| C．To question traditional family roles. | D．To expect the unexpected. |
| A．An English stories site. | B．A residency contract. |
| C．A library brochure. | D．A technical instruction book. |
— OK, I will.
| A．facilitate | B．complicate |
| C．compensate | D．conserve |
One kind of creative writing task is to write an ending for someone else’s story. What you write should match the original story so that it is believable. To finish a story, you should:
Fully understand the content of the original story. This is not just understanding the language used and the basic plot, but also the feelings and motivations of the characters.
Use your creative imagination. Sometimes your creative imagination can be activated (使激活) through brainstorming different ideas and then choosing the best one.
Keep the content consistent with the original story. You are not trying to write a new story; you are trying to write an ending for a story that already exists.
Keep the language consistent with the original story. Your story should match the tone (语气) and style of the original story.
Recycle some of the language from the original story, if you have trouble coming up with the right words to use.
Keep in mind that an ending should wrap up the story and bring it to a close. When working on an ending you should therefore think about what has happened to the main character and how that character has changed or grown because of the events in the story.
1. What is author’s purpose in writing the passage?(no more than 8 words)2. Why do we need creative imagination when writing an ending?(no more than 10 words)
3. Why should we keep the content consistent with the original story?(no more than 18 words)
4. What does the underlined phrase in Paragraph 7 mean?(1 word)
5. What else do you think should be noted when writing an ending? Please give your reason(s).(no more than 20 words)
| A．motivating | B．motivated | C．being motivated | D．to be motivated |
