1 . 24 Solar Terms: 5 things about Major Snow
Major Snow, the 21st solar term of the year, which falls on Dec 7 this year. During Major Snow, the snow becomes heavy and begins to accumulate on the ground. The temperature drops significantly. Here are 5 things you should know about Major Snow.
Snowy winter
The snow in North China may last a whole day, breaking tree branches and blocking the road. In the south, snowflakes fall and the world turns white. A proverb about the snow says, "A timely snow promises a good harvest".
The red plum blossoms (梅花) in contrast with the white snowy world is a feast for the eyes and have inspired many great poems. The plum blossom, which originated in China, is respected in Chinese culture for its bravery against severe winters.
Eating lamb
Lamb is a favorite food for Chinese people during Major Snow.
Making sausages
During Major Snow, people in southern China make sausages, an important part of preparation for the Spring Festival.
Preventing respiratory (呼吸道的) illness
During this period, Chinese people watch for outbreaks of respiratory illness, which can be prevented by wearing a warm scarf to protect the neck and properly drinking water.
| A．Writing poems about snow |
| B．Appreciating plum blossoms |
| C．But you should not drink too much water at a time |
| D．Drink as much water as you can whenever possible |
| E．The best meat for this delicacy comes from the bottom of the pig |
| F．As the snow covers the ground, the low winter temperature kills pests |
| G．It promotes blood circulation and provides protection against the cold |
2 . “Your playful days are over,” my brother said to me when he knew I was going to be a Senior One student. Then he continued telling me that senior school life was boring because I had to do a large amount of homework every day. The subjects were much more difficult than those of junior school.
I stepped into the school gate with a nervous heart. However, I was surprised to find what I experienced there was completely different from what my brother had told me.
The teachers gave excellent lessons in their own special way. They talked with me in a natural and fair way, as if I was an adult. All of them are so knowledgeable (学识渊博) and they not only explained the contents of textbooks but also provided extra information from other sources. Every word they said in classes made me so excited and interested that I had a strong desire to take in as much as I could.
In fact, my playful days were not over at all in senior school. There were many kinds of activities I could take part in. For example, sports meetings, the art festival, English corner, outing and so on. Best of all, generally, students organized the activities rather than teachers. Through this process, I improved my leadership abilities and communication skills. I've become mature (成熟的). I am not a kid any more.
Now if anyone asks me: “Through your process of growing up, which part is most impressive up till now?” Well, the answer will absolutely be my “senior high school life”.
1. How did the writer feel when he started his senior high school?| A．Very excited. | B．A little worried. |
| C．Quite relaxed. | D．Embarrassed. |
| A．Strict and organized. | B．Modest and hardworking. |
| C．Learned and easy going. | D．Helpful and kind-hearted. |
| A．Reading and writing skills. | B．The understanding of textbooks |
| C．Leadership and social skills. | D．Doing housework. |
| A．His senior school life is the most memorable. |
| B．Senior school life was boring and tiring. |
| C．He will no longer believe in his brother. |
| D．The writer did well in all his subjects. |
3 . Some high school students think it useless to receive higher education. Therefore, they choose not to go to college. If you're one of them, think again. Here are some reasons why you should go to college and receive a good education there.
Schools and universities are the first places to get knowledge. We take that knowledge later on to build our careers after graduation. More knowledge will be gained after you start working, but without education, that job will not be within easy reach. Knowledge leads to knowledge.
While limited within the walls of the educational places, we openly explore other cultures of the world! We come to know that ours is not the only culture. Other cultures have valuable things to share, enriching our own. Education also makes us want to travel and exchange with various cultures, getting more experience.
When there's a recession in the economy（经济）, those who attended college will be more likely to find a new job than those who only finished high school and have a limited skills set. The more education you have, the more chances you will get to improve the quality of your life as you have a better job and earn a higher salary.
When you're skillful and knowledgeable, you gain access to people of similar backgrounds and tastes. It means a good education leads to excellent networking. Good networking can benefit you a lot in your later life.
A good education makes you a more interesting person. You can talk about ideas and events instead of just other people and what's on sale in stores. An educated person doesn't gossip（说闲话）, having a preference to discuss ideas and listen to what other people have to say.
1. What can we learn about college education from Paragraph 2?| A．It offers you a chance to study abroad. | B．It can allow you to gain more knowledge. |
| C．It can improve the quality of your daily life. | D．It encourages you to travel around the world. |
| A．change. | B．drop. | C．growth. | D．support. |
| A．You can gossip about others’ affairs. | B．You are likely to study well at school. |
| C．You can work well with your coworkers. | D．You get to know excellent people with similar interests. |
| A．The benefits of attending college. | B．The exchange with other cultures. |
| C．The access to good networking. | D．The ways of college education. |
5 . The Biggest Stadiums in the World
People have been pouring into stadiums since the days of ancient Greece. In around 80 A.D., the Romans built the Colosseum, which remains the world’s best known stadium and continues to inform contemporary design. Rome’s Colosseum was 157 feet tall and had 80 entrances, seating 50,000 people. However, that was small fry compared with the city’s Circus Maximus, which accommodated around 250,000 people.
These days, safety regulations-not to mention the modern sports fan’s desire for a good view and comfortable seat — tend to keep stadium capacities (容量) slightly lower. Even soccer fans tend to have a seat each; gone are the days of thousands standing to watch the match.
For the biggest stadiums in the world, we have used data supplied by the World Atlas list so far, which ranks them by their stated permanent capacity, as well as updated information from official stadium websites.
All these stadiums are still functional, still open and still hosting the biggest events in world sport.
·Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, Pyongyang D.P.R. Korea. Capacity: 150,000. Opened: May 1,1989.
·Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan, U. S. Capacity: 107,601. Opened: October 1, 1927.
·Beaver Stadium, State College, Pennsylvania, U. S. Capacity: 106,572. Opened: September 17, 1960.
·Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio, U. S. Capacity: 104,944. Opened: October 7,1922.
·Kyle Field, College Station, Texas, U. S. Capacity: 102,512. Opened: September 24, 1927.
1. How many people could the Circus Maximus hold?| A．104,944. | B．107,601. | C．About 150,000. | D．About 250,000. |
| A．Michigan Stadium. | B．Beaver Stadium. | C．Ohio Stadium. | D．Kyle Field. |
| A．They host big games. | B．They have become tourist attractions. |
| C．They were built by Americans. | D．They are favored by architects. |
Wrinkles of confusion spread across Holly’s forehead as she unwrapped the gift from her best friend, Susan. “I...I thought you could use it for something.” Susan’s explanation did nothing to help us understand why a carpet remnant（零料，布头）was being presented as a birthday gift.
My heart went out to my daughter. Starting over at a new school had been a difficult adjustment. Until she met Susan, Holly had experienced little success making new friends.
The whispered “thanks” was barely audible（听得见的）as Holly tried not to allow her disappointment to show. She laid the carpet on the kitchen counter, and they headed outside to play. The extent of Holly’s disappointment didn’t become evident until the following evening when she came downstairs to say good night. “Well, I guess we know how much my best friend thinks of me, huh, Mom?” she said in tears. “I’m so sorry, honey” was all I could manage to say.
The next morning, I carried the kitchen rubbish outside. My heart sank as I lifted the lid of the trash can and saw Susan’s carpet lying there. Hesitating only for a moment, I took it out and brought it into the house.
“Susan invited me to come over to her house tomorrow,”Holly announced a week later. Although her voice carried a so-what attitude, I sensed she was pleased by the invitation. Susan had visited us many times, but our invitations were never returned and it would be the first time for Holly to go.
The next day I drove Holly to the destination. A tall woman stood in the doorway to greet us. The house was shabby but neatly decorated with used furniture. From the chat with the woman we knew Susan had long been separated from her parents and that she was Susan’s stepmother.I came to respect this generous-hearted woman who had opened her home to a young girl.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
As daylight began to fade, I picked Holly up from Susan’s home.
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I placed the carpet on the table in front of her.
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The first time we set eyes on the beautiful dress “big Red.”father, mother and I were walking slowly through the freshly fallen snow on our way to Hubble's Hardware store on Main Street.
The colorfully decorated window display held the best toys ever and some other things. And hey were all placed pleasantly beneath the breathtaking dress of Big Red. Mother’s eyes were glued to the massive flame of red satin(绸缎)，dotted with twinkling stars.
“My goodness,"she managed to say in dreamlike wonder."Would you just look at that dress!"Then,totally out of character, mother unexpectedly danced on the slippery sidewalk. Beneath the heavy,grey wool coat that she had worm every winter for as long as I could remember,mother lost her balance and fell clumsily. Father quickly caught her.
Her cheeks redder than usual, mother blamed dad for laughing."Oh,stop that!" she ordered, as my father swept the snow from her coat."What a silly dress to be displayed there in the window of Eaton's!" she shook her head in disbelief. "Who on earth would want such a brightly-colored dress? It is too expensive."As we continued to walk down the street, mother turned back for one more look."My goodness! You'd think they'd display something that a person could use!”
Christmas was around the corner and the red dress was soon forgotten.Mother was not the one to wish for, or spend money on,things that were not practical."There are things we need more than this,"she'd always say, or,"There are things we need more than that."
Father,on the other hand, liked to buy things whenever the budget allowed. Of course,he'd get a scolding for his occasional spending like this,but it was all done with the best intention.
On our last trip to town before Christmas,we were driving up Main Street when mother suddenly exclaimed in surprise, “Would you just look at that!"She pointed excitedly as Dad drove past Eaton's."That big red dress is gone,” she said in disbelief. “It's actually gone."
注意:
1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Dad looked quickly and smiled,"Yes,it is not there!”
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I'll never forget that Christmas morning when father handed mother a box.
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8 . Are you interested in Chinese traditional arts? Do you want to learn how to make them by hand? If so, come and join our clubs this weekend in our school.
Sky Lantern Club
Introduction:Sky Lanterns are made of bamboo and covered with paper. They were first used to ask for help when people were in trouble. Today, they are used to show happiness and good wishes.
Time:Saturday 8:30am— I0:30am
Place:Building 3 Room 501
Paper Cutting Club
Introduction:Paper Cutting turns a simple thing like a piece of paper into a beautiful piece of art. Pictures about flowers, animals and so on are put on windows, doors and walls as symbols of good wishes and good luck.
Time:Saturday 9:00an_11:00am
Place:Building 3 Room 502
Chinese Knot Club
Introduction:Chinese Knots are usually made of red and yellow ropes. They are used to express good wishes, including happiness, love, peace and so on.
Time:Sunday 2:30p.m —4 :30p.m
Place:Building 3 Room 603
1. What are Sky Lanterns made of?| A．Clay and paper | B．Cloth and steel. |
| C．Red and yellow ropes | D．Bamboo and paper. |
| A．Building 3 Room 501 | B．Building 3 Room 502 |
| C．Building 3 Room 603 | D．Building 3 Room 520 |
| A．A notice. | B．A story |
| C．A fiction. | D．A piece of news |
| A．Have a swim. | B．Camp in the mountains. | C．Go hiking. |
10 . Simple ways to improve your written English
Many people think it is really difficult to improve (提高) their writing in English. Don’t worry, though. Here are some simple steps that you can take to improve your written English.
● Increase your vocabulary.
To express yourself clearly, you need a good active vocabulary. That’s not just being able to know lots of words — it means actually being able to use them correctly.
Tip: When you learn a new word, try to learn all the forms of that word.
●
People often say that we learn to write best by reading. Reading in English is useful in many ways. It is a great way to get an idea of the different styles of writing and see how to use words properly.
Tip:
● Improve your grammar.
Grammar is very important because it improves the quality (质量) of your writing.
Tip:
● Just do it!
The best way to improve your writing is to get a pen and paper and write. Be prepared to write several versions (版本) of each text.
| A．Know your readers. |
| B．Read widely and often. |
| C．Always check your writing twice. |
| D．Remember, practice makes perfect! |
| E．Choose books or articles that interest you. |
| F．Use simpler language and shorter sentences to show your ideas. |
| G．Do this by learning new words with example sentences, not just word lists. |
