The Children’s Book-Show Competition is a chance for young readers to be writers.
Reading, it seems, is coming back in fashion, if a survey by the famous National Literacy Trust (the NLT) is true. It shows that the percentage of children who admit enjoying reading has grown for the first time in the past 8 years.
So it’s a good time to launch a competition that includes a shed-load of new books for schools as prizes. The Children’s Book-show Competition, backed by The Independent, is taking to the roads again from the start of next term, with a nation-wide tour of 15 big cities, featuring a line-up of a dozen children’s writers and illustrators (插图画家) aiming to persuade pupils to follow their footsteps.
The competition, launched by the children’s writer and illustrator Jessica Souhami, has two categories: the under-nine’s and nine to 13-year-olds.
Children are asked to choose their favorite fairy or folk tale and set it in an extraordinary place.
Then they are to retell it with the aid of drawings and writings—whether it is set at sea, on a distant planet, in the future or in the past. The closing date for the competition is 30th November.
“Tell your tale in pictures and in words, ”say the organizers of the competition. “It can be in a picture book or comic-book format.”
The winner of each competition will receive a signed copy of a book by each of the 12 authors involved in this year’s tour, plus £150 worth of books for their school. The runners-up will receive a signed copy of Souhami’s new book.
1.What can we know about the Book-show Competition?
A. It will be held by the famous NLT. B. It will be held in different cities.
C. It has never been organized before. D. Children of all ages will join in it.
2.The underlined word “backed” in Paragraph 3 means ________.
A. started B. promoted
C. supported D. reported
3.Which of the following sentences is TRUE?
A. The survey by the NLT is definitely true.
B. The winner of each competition will receive a signed copy of Souhami’s new book.
C. 12 children’s writers and illustrators are involved in this year’s tour.
D. The survey by the NLT shows that the number of children who enjoy reading is much larger than before.
4.The author’s purpose of writing this passage is to ________.
A. encourage young readers to become writers
B. persuade all children to join in the competition
C. promote children’s books by famous writers
D. introduce the Children’s Book-Show Competition
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Being the head of a high school for many years, I grew tired of budget meetings, funding cuts, and many other administrative chores. I started to dream of retirement. Sitting in traffic on a weekday morning, I would find my mind wandering. I would imagine spending time with my grandchildren, quiet evenings with my wife, traveling, or rediscovering some great books. I told myself that I wouldn’t sign myself up for any committees, any classes, or anything requiring a schedule.
My first day of retirement came at last! I cooked a great breakfast for my wife and me, leisurely read the paper, cleaned a bit of the house, and wrote a few letters to friends. On the second day, I cooked breakfast, read the paper … On the third day, … This is retirement? I tried to tell myself that it was just the transition, that those golden moments were right round the corner, and that I would enjoy them soon enough. But something was missing.
A former colleague asked a favor. A group of students was going to Jamaica to work with children in the poorest neighborhoods. Would I interrupt my newly found “happiness” and return to the students, just this once? One trip. That’s all. My bags were packed and by the door.
The trip was very inspiring. I was moved not only by the poverty I saw but also by the sense of responsibility of the young people on the trip. When I returned home, I offered to work one day a week with a local youth organization. The experience was so positive that I was soon volunteering nearly full-time, working with students across North America to assist them in their voluntary work.
Now, it seems, the tables have turned. Some days I am the teacher, other days I am the student. These young people have reawakened my commitment to social justice issues by challenging me to learn more about the situation in the world today, where people are still poor and suffer because of greed, corruption and war. Most importantly, they have given me the opportunity to continue to participate in helping to find solutions. In return, I help them do their charitable projects overseas. I’ve gone from running one school to helping oversee the construction of schools in twenty-one countries!
1.What did the writer expect to do after he retired?
A. To stay away from busy schedules. B. To write some great books.
C. To teach his grandchildren. D. To plan for his future.
2.Why did the writer decide to go to Jamaica?
A. He missed his students in that country. B. He couldn’t refuse his colleague’s favor.
C. He was concerned about the people there. D. He was not satisfied with his retired life.
3.What does the writer think of his retired life now?
A. Disappointing. B. Troublesome.
C. Relaxing. D. Meaningful.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
The origins of football
If I ask whether you want to come out and play Pasuckaukohowog or Aqsaqtuk, will you know what I am talking about? I don’t think you will, but they are very old names for a sport which is extremely popular today. 1. The origins of football can be found in every corner of the world.
Civilizations throughout history all played ball games and many of these can be considered forerunners of the modern game. 2. However, there is scientific evidence that suggests that ball games were played even earlier in ancient China with the name of cuju. There is evidence to show that ball games in Egypt were linked to agriculture and religious ceremonies.
Did you know that the Native American Indians played football? 3. It was quite often that players would finish the game with broken bones and other serious injuries. In fact the game was almost a war with up to 500 players on each side!
4. So they would often disguise themselves with lots of paint to avoid being recognized.
The game was normally played on a sports field that was often one mile long with goals at either end. The game could last for hours and was often carried on from one day to the next.
During the Mid-19th century, football was played at the public schools of England with totally different rules. To unite the widely different forms of football, they came up with the rules that were known as the Cambridge Rules. 5. They allow goal kicks, throw-ins as well as forward passes and prevent running while you are holding the ball!
So next time when you’re playing football, be thankful that there is one universally accepted rule for playing!
A. Football was considered a male sport.
B. They are really a set of football rules.
C. The players understood the violent nature of the game.
D. Ball games were first played in Egypt as early as 1800 BC.
E. The sport is football.
F. This game was incredibly violent at that time.
G. These records prove that the sport has a long tradition throughout history.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
I felt like a good mother on that summer morning. I’d _________ up early, made a picnic lunch, _________ my three- and five-year-old daughters into the car, driven to my friend’s house, packed her and her _________ into the car, and driven the hour and a half to the shore where we _________ our towels on the sands by 10 a.m.
Soon the girls began running. About 50 yards from us, a man, maybe _________ his late 50s, was fishing. The girls stood next to him and watched with their mouths open _________ he cast the lines. He smiled at them. They all ran back to us except my three-year-old Drew, who, ___________, just seated herself next to the white bucket where the man was ___________ planning to put the fish he caught.
However, suddenly a ___________ came to my mind. Is it dangerous for Drew to stay there with the stranger? Good moms should also teach daughters that the world is dangerous. Then, I watched them like there was a hidden ____________ in the lifeguard chair filming the man as America’s Most Wanted. Every few minutes, I looked to my five-year-old to make sure she hadn’t been __________ out to sea, then back to Drew to make sure there was no __________ between her and the stranger.
When I looked at Drew again, she had started __________ with the man. She was probably telling him where we lived and how her father was away on ____________. He nodded. She kept talking. He nodded again, then they laughed.
A few seconds later, she ran back to us, with a toy fish in her hand. It must have been something ____________ he used for bait(饵). The three other girls were ____________, so they didn’t try to ________ how eager they were to have one.
Just when I was at a loss, there he was: the man, standing right next to us. He was holding three more toy fish. He handed them to each of the girls. By their __________, I realized that he was ________ a warm-hearted man, meaning no harm at all.
“Thank you”, I said, realizing that yes, there is evil in this world…but there is also good, and ________ in strangers, and lessons for mothers to learn that only three-year-olds could teach them.
1.A. settled B. woken C. risen D. turned
2.A. combined B. loaded C. divided D. gathered
3.A. daughters B. sons C. nieces D. nephews
4.A. expanded B. covered C. spread D. increased
5.A. in B. on C. at D. of
6.A. while B. as C. though D. if
7.A. otherwise B. therefore C. instead D. besides
8.A. reasonably B. hardly C. merely D. probably
9.A. feeling B. warning C. greeting D. saying
10.A. recorder B. radio C. camera D. computer
11.A. swept B. left C. dropped D. worn
12.A. treatment B. contact C. agreement D. link
13.A. quarreling B. arguing C. debating D. chatting
14.A. vacation B. business C. leave D. show
15.A. what B. which C. that D. where
16.A. moved B. disappointed C. frightened D. interested
17.A. hide B. tell C. express D. explain
18.A. faces B. fingers C. arms D. tongues
19.A. usually B. specially C. actually D. finally
20.A. care B. devotion C. faith D. kindness
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假如你是李华，请你代表学校给刚被学校聘任的英语教师 Mr. Brown 写一封信，欢迎他来你校任教，写作要点如下：
1. 表示欢迎；
2. 学校概况；
3. 工作安排；
4. 表达祝愿。
注意：1. 词数80左右；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 不允许写真实校名；
4. 开头语和结束语己为你写好，不计入总词数。
Dear Brown,
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Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
The eight-year-old Carol lived with her father David, Mother May and elder brother Rob. The little family happily lived in a beautiful village surrounded with beautiful nature. The village was at the foot of a mountain, with beautiful views of the snowy mountain. The family survived on growing seasonal plants and trees. Their life is totally surrounded by nature and beauty.
While they lived a very happy life, Carol did not love the beautiful atmosphere of the village. She really wanted to move into the city and enjoy the city life. She wanted to shop, move around the city, watch movies, and eat in fantastic restaurants and cafes, etc.
However, there was hardly any chance that Carol’s family moved to the city as they had everything in the village.
One day, Carol fell asleep during the early noon and she had a sound sleep. Of course, she had a strange dream. She saw her grandmother in her dream as a fairy and her deceased grandmother granted her a wish. Carol requested her that she should love to enjoy the city life as she always desired.
Grandmother understood the desire of Carol, but still wanted to convince her that the peaceful village life is better than the city life.
She told Carol, “Baby, you cannot have access to fresh fruits and vegetables from plants as you have at your home. You cannot breathe fresh air. You cannot play with animals. You can hardly find any trees. You will not find peace as you see here! Do you still want to go to the city?”
Without hearing the concerns, Carol asked her grandmother to grant the wish. Grandmother granted her wish, but with a condition. Carol was told that she would only have 6 hours to spend in the city. Later, she would return to the village. Carol agreed.
注意:
1. 所续写短文的词数应为 150 左右；
2. 至少使用 5 个短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4. 续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:
Carol then found herself in the city with her friends.
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Paragraph 2:
Carol’s brother Rob was calling her for lunch and Carol woke up.
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难度: 中等查看答案及解析