1 . I have always loved the Arthurian legend (传奇), as there is something quite special about King Arthur, and of course Merlin, my favourite character from the stories.
Death of an Empire is the second volume in MK Hume’s “Merlin” series which details Merlin’s life from birth. Merlin travels across the Roman Empire in search of his father, a voyage of discovery to understand just who he was. Eventually Merlin gets involved in the fight against the Hun’s invasion (入侵) of Europe at the Battle of the Catalaunian Plain.
Serving under the General Flavius Aetius, Merlin builds a reputation by saving the lives of thousands of soldiers. When he finally reaches Rome, he saves many more. But a far deadlier conflict between Emperor Valentinian and Senator Petronius Maximus is around the corner and Merlin must use all his strength to carry out his work.
If I had to choose just one word to describe this novel, there would be no other choice than “immersive (身临其境的)”. There has clearly been a serious amount of research carried out by the author. Combined with the descriptive prose and imaginative story, the book really does attract you from almost the very start. The story really does feel like you are a part of it as Merlin travels across the Roman Empire.
The author does a great job of mixing the rich history with established Arthurian legend. The battle scene is handled very effectively. The author employs a very effective form to show the main fight and this not only adds a degree of tension and a good level of excitement but almost makes you feel like you are right there hearing about what happened.
Death of an Empire is a very fine novel, a wonderfully rich tale and a rewarding story.
1. Why does Merlin travel across the Roman Empire?| A．To visit King Arthur. | B．To enjoy a nice view. |
| C．To get a well-paid job. | D．To find out his origin. |
| A．It is a mixture of history and legend. |
| B．It features difficult language. |
| C．It speaks highly of an emperor. |
| D．It is a masterpiece of Merlin. |
| A．An effective description. | B．A long-running battle. |
| C．A wonderful feeling. | D．A well-known legend. |
| A．A news report. | B．A history story. |
| C．A book review. | D．A science fiction. |
2 . Exploring Wildlife Conservation in Kenya
Day 1: Nairobi, Kenya
Arrive at the airport in Nairobi, where our staff will be on hand to drive you to the hotel. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.
Accommodation: Tamarind Tree Hotel
Day 2: Lewa Wildlife Conservancy
A charter flight (包机) brings us to Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, a 62,000-acre grassland on the north of Mount Kenya. Considered a model in the conservation field, this healthy wildlife habitat is home to a number of rare species, including the giraffe, the Grevy’s zebra, and African wild dogs. Lewa and the neighboring Borana Conservancy also harbor roughly 15 percent of Kenya’s entire rhino population.
Accommodation: Elewana Lewa Safari Camp
Day 3: Amboseli National Park
Fly by private charter to Amboseli National Park, where vast grasslands are irrigated by underground runoff streams from Mount Kilimanjaro. These landscapes provide a habitat for hundreds of elephants, making the park one of the best places in Africa to spot these large creatures. The travel begins on the drive to Tortilis Camp, set within view of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Accommodation: Tortilis Camp
Day 4: Masai Mara National Reserve
At first light, head out to track the animals that crossed the area during the night. This area has one of the highest concentrations of large predators (捕食性动物) in all of Africa. Then watch large groups of hippos in the Mara River and crocodiles sunbathing on the shore.
Accommodation: Kichwa Tembo Camp
1. On which day will you visit Lewa Wildlife Conservancy?| A．Day 1. | B．Day 2. | C．Day 3. | D．Day 4. |
| A．Tamarind Tree Hotel. | B．Kichwa Tembo Camp. |
| C．Amboseli National Park. | D．Borana Conservancy. |
| A．It provides the best sunbath. |
| B．It features the Grevy’s zebra. |
| C．It is located near an airport. |
| D．It is home to large predators. |
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
1. One of the best player had been injured.
2. At about 3:00 a.m. in 28 July 1976, bright lights were seen in the sky outside the city of Tangshan.
3. Thousands of children was left without parents.
4. China is wide known for its ancient civilization.
5. Go from junior high school to senior high school is really a big challenge.
6. I am amazed to see such an bad accident.
7. Obvious, I was unhappy, but I won’t quit.
8. Tom is looking forward to meet the new exchange student.
9. The maths homework looks easily.
10. We are very proud from him.
Image waking up one morning
6 . On the 25th of December, my mother expected her children to be present, exchanging gifts and eating turkey. But as an artist and daughter, my heart seemed to be more in my work as an artist. As for my mother and my family, I thought we would have more time to spend Christmas together. I was going to do my own thing.
I made plans for my winter adventure in New Hampshire. The MacDowell Colony (麦道尔艺术村) was everything I could have wished for. About 20 to 30 artists were present, and it was as captivating as I had imagined. Snowy New England, sledding (滑雪橇) and whisky! It felt like my life had become an unexpected independent film.
By Christmas Eve, I had been at the colony more than a week. The fresh feelings were wearing off, but I would never admit it. Everyone around me was having too much fun—drinks and deep conversations by the fireplace. It seemed so amazing! What was wrong with me? This was the holiday I’d always dreamed of. No plastic reindeer. Not a Christmas sweater anywhere in sight. People here didn’t even say “Christmas”, but they said “holiday”. Then why was I so down?
Finally, I called home. My dad answered. He told me that my mother was out shopping with my brothers. I found there was a fire in my heart. They were having a fine Christmas without me? Didn’t they miss me? How could they?
Despite a serious snowstorm, a large package with my mother’s beautiful handwriting showed up near my door at the artist colony on Christmas morning. I seized it as if I had been five years old. Inside was my favorite cake.
As I sliced (切) the cake, everyone gathered around —young and old. My mother had sent a real homemade gift. It was a minor Christmas miracle that one cake managed to feed so many. We ate it from paper towels with our hands, satisfying a hunger we didn’t know we had and reminding us of our dear families, who must be missing us too.
1. Why was the author unwilling to spend Christmas at home?| A．She met some trouble at work. |
| B．She wanted to focus on her career. |
| C．She had disagreements with her mother. |
| D．She was tired of staying at a familiar place. |
| A．Attractive. | B．Tough. | C．Strange. | D．Simple. |
| A．It attracted many sports lovers. |
| B．It was suitable for holiday parties. |
| C．It lacked the Christmas atmosphere. |
| D．It gave the author some artistic ideas. |
| A．She learned to be open to others. |
| B．She enjoyed bringing kindness to strangers. |
| C．Her mother was good at taking care of her family. |
| D．Her mother’s cake cured the artists of their homesickness. |
7 . It is never too late to develop great study habits. However, starting making some changes is hard. Even if you want to do well enough in school and improve your grades, you’re probably having trouble getting started in the first place!
Plan your time carefully. Make a list of your weekly tasks. Make a schedule of your time. Then decide on good, regular time for studying.
Find a good place to study. Choose one place for your study area. It may be a desk or a chair at home or in the school library, but it should be comfortable and quiet. When you begin to work, you should be able to concentrate on the subject.
Skim before you read.
Develop a good attitude to tests. The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about a subject.
There are other skills that might help you with your study. Share with your classmates some of the skills you have found to be helpful.
| A．Study regularly |
| B．Make good use of your time in class |
| C．There are several ways that can help you |
| D．Develop a positive attitude by setting realistic goals |
| E．This weekly schedule may not solve all of your problems |
| F．The world won’t end if you don’t pass a test, so don’t worry too much about a test |
| G．This means looking over a passage quickly before you begin to read it more carefully |
A robot is any machine that can work
In 1954, Unimate, a large robotic arm, became the world’s first
For a long time, robots were only found in factories or laboratories. But later, robots found
Some people fear that robots will take too many jobs away
| A．leave; alone | B．leave; in | C．put; alone | D．put; in |
