For the Travel section, writers and editors selected special items to profile from a dozen cities.
Brussels: Chocolate.
Nearly half the chocolate consumed in the world is eaten in Europe, and Belgium—with average consumption of 14.99 pounds per person a year—certainly covers its fair share. While Brussels, the country’s capital, is home to hundreds of chocolate makers, what makes a visit necessary is the rich heritage of traditional chocolate makers.
Budapest: Paprika(红辣椒)
The job of preparing Hungarian paprika was once considered too dangerous for mothers to do. A woman who touched her children upon returning from work risked burning them, so only the elderly and unmarried were allowed the delicate task of separating the skin from the flesh. But by the early 20th century, sweeter varieties and a machine turned paprika into a common feature of all Hungarian cuisine.
Lisbon: Tiles(瓷砖)
Is there a bluer country than Portugal? The blue sky and Atlantic Ocean embrace the land. The blue moods of Fado, the dark folk music, form the national soundtrack. And all across Portugal, the typically—blue designs of azulejos—ceramic tiles—are spread across churches, castles, palaces, university halls, parks. The result is a beautiful land of Christian saints, Portuguese kings, historical glories, aristocrats(贵族) at leisure, seascapes and so on.
Madrid: Guitars
Walking into one the Madrid’s storied guitar makers’ workshops can feel like stepping into the past. Curly wood shavings, from the palest pine to ebony, fall onto the floor as artisans(工匠) turn some humble wood into works of art. It’s painstaking work—all done by hand—with classical guitar models and the methods of making them changing little over the last century.
1.What does the job of preparing Hungarian paprika suggest?
A. The popularity of Hungarian peppers.
B. The difficult of processing peppers.
C. The unique tradition in Budapest.
D. The hot level of Hungarian peppers.
2.Which city can be a splendid setting for a film?
A. Brussels. B. Budapest. C. Lisbon. D. Madrid.
3.What’s the similarity of the four items?
A. They’re all treasures of a city.
B. They all date back several centuries.
C. Their production processes are all painstaking.
D. They all win popularity in most European countries.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
The best family vacation that ever had was going on a road trip to Myrtle Beach. The trip was for 2 weeks during the March break from school. This trip was probably about 20 years ago so it was before the time of things like portable video games and being able to watch movies in the back seat.
So to pass the many hours of travel my brother and I had to entertain ourselves and each other. My mum would set the back set up so that it was out own little playroom. She would pack everything up in the feet well so that we had a big level area to play in. We would play cards and board games.
When it got to the point that we were at each other’s throats we would be sent back to out own side of the seat and would be forced to either nap or read by ourselves until we could be friendly to each other again. I can remember us playing for quite some time when we turned the back seat into a spaceship and travelled around the earth.
Another time we turned it into a kitchen and had a bake-off（食品烘烤赛）. But the thing that I remember the most and that gave us many hours of enjoyment was using each other’s faces as silly Plasticine(普萊斯蒂辛橡皮泥) and making funny faces. We would see how far we could stretch each other’s mouth open, see how thin we could make the other’s eye by pulling on it. We would keep going until one of us begged for mercy because we had to give our faces a rest.
So while I can remember us having a great time on the beach, laughing a lot trying to put the tent up in the rain, what I remember the most of that trip and what always makes me smile the most is remembering the pain that our faces would be in after the trip.
1.What did the author do when traveling to Myrtle Beach?
A. Watch movies.
B. Play video games.
C. Have fun with his brother.
D. Pack things up to amuse himself.
2.What does the author mean by saying “we were at each other’s throats”?
A. We were fighting with each other.
B. We used up our skills.
C. We were quite out of breath.
D. We were about to fall asleep.
3.What impressed the author most during the trip?
A. Playing cards and board games.
B. Pulling each other’s faces and eyes.
C. Having a cooking competition.
D. Playing with silly Plasticine.
4.Which of the following titles would best suit the passage?
A. An Unforgettable Family Travel
B. What Is the Most Meaningful Journey
C. The Good Old Day Never to Be Forgotten
D. How to Kill Time while Traveling in the Past
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Mayor Bill de Blasio designated(指定) the Lunar New Year an official public school holiday in New York City in June, 2015.
The move came after de Blasio in March, 2015 declared school holidays on the most-observed holiday in Islam, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. De Blasio, making good on a promise made during his 2013 mayoral campaign, said students would also have a day off on the Lunar New Year, and not long ago the Asian holiday took place on February 8, 2016.
"About 15% of the city’s school system is of Asian descent(血统), and many student, have been taking the day off as a sick day” said State Senator Daniel Squadron. “It’s a big deal,” he said, whose district includes Manhattan’s Chinatown. “Families have had to choose between their most important cultural celebration and missing a day of school.”
The city’s Department of Education had been working on the practical arrangements for adding another holiday while maintaining the legal 180 school days. The problem was solved by combining two half days that previously did not count towards the total to form a single full day that can be counted towards the total. After San Francisco, New York is the second major urban school district to add the Lunar New Year to the official school calendar.
“This holiday is not about kids just getting a day off from school,” said Assemblyman Ron Kim. “It’s about the City of New York telling hundreds of Asian-American societies that America is a cultural melting pot.” Kim said recognizing the holiday is one way of pushing back against feelings of isolation and marginalization(边缘化) felt by the Asian-American community.
1.What does the underlined party in Paragraph 2 mean?
A. Make use of. B. Stand by. C. Keep up with. D. Go against.
2.How does New York make the Lunar New Year an official public school holiday?
A. By cancelling a legal 1-day holiday.
B. By copying the way of San Francisco.
C. By adding a new full day to the school calendar.
D. By changing the legal 180 school days.
3.What do we know from Ron Kim’s words?
A. He’s opposed to the new school holiday.
B. Asian culture is valued most in New York.
C. Asian culture is part of the American society.
D. The holiday wipes out Asian Americans’ isolation.
4.What’s the best title for this passage?
A. A new public school holiday in New York
B. A promise made by the mayor of New York
C. Cultural differences between America and Asia
D. A revolution of the Lunar New Year in New York
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Earlier this week, I wrapped up (圆满完成) a 5-day trip in San Francisco. I woke up a few hours before sunrise, drove through the darkness and out of the city, hiked for 30 minutes to the top of a hill overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, and snapped(拍摄) this photo. As I stood there soaking in the early morning light, I was reminded of an important lesson.
When I arrived in San Francisco, I told myself, “Just take photos as you do other things.” My primary goal was to meet with friends and so I figured I could take pictures as we walked around the city. This resulted in exactly zero photos worth sharing. I had vague ideas like, “I’d like to do some street photography,” but I never went out with the intent of photographing something specific. Finally, on the last morning, I went out with the intent of capturing a specific picture and I ended up with something worth sharing. My mistake was that I assumed that because I wanted to take photos, I would end up getting a desirable result.
How often do you do this in your own life? We go to the gym to “work out” without trying to become better at something specific. We wish that we were more creative, but never work on a particular project. When you commit to a task, however, then the next step is obvious. You want to take a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge at sunrise? Next step: find a good spot. You’ve found a good spot? Next step: wake up early and drive there.
This is perhaps the most shocking thing: if box yourself in, then you’ll begin to break out and achieve something greater than you ever imagined.
1.What’s the author’s original purpose of the trip?
A. To take pictures. B. To attend lessons.
C. To visit friends. D. To enjoy sunrise.
2.What lesson did the author learn?
A. A given task leads to achievement.
B. Stick to your own decision.
C. Get ready for challenges.
D. Hard work pays off.
3.What are you advised to do first when you want to get stronger physically?
A. Make a detailed outline.
B. Go to work out immediately.
C. Discuss the ways with coaches.
D. Choose a certain muscle group.
4.What’s the function of the last paragraph?
A. To introduce a new topic.
B. To draw a conclusion.
C. To make a suggestion.
D. To ask readers to reflect on something.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Kids with special needs refer to any kid who might need extra help because of a medical, emotional(情感的), or learning problem. For example, kids who can not walk need wheelchairs. They not only need equipment that helps them get around, but they might need to have ramps(坡道) or elevators available. 1.
Kids with an illness would have special needs, too. 2. . Kids with sight problems might need Braille books to read. Kids with hearing problems might need hearing aids.
3. . It might be harder to do normal things—like learning to read or just getting around the school. The good news is that parents, doctors, nurses, teachers, and others can help. The goal is to help kids be as independent as possible.
Other kids also can be a big help. How? By being a friend. Kids who use a wheelchair or have lots of health problems want friends just as you do. But meeting people and making friends can be difficult. 4. . Be sure to tell a teacher if you see someone being bullied (欺辱）or teased.
Also, try to be helpful if you know someone with special needs. 5. As you get to know them, they may help you understand what it's like to be in their shoes. And you'll be helping fill a very special need, one that everybody has—the need for good friends.
A. Some kids might laugh at or make fun of them.
B. They also might need to get a special bus to school.
C. Life can be challenging for a kid with special needs.
D. It is good manners to offer help to kids with special needs.
E. Being friendly to kids with special needs is one of the best ways to be helpful.
F. They might need medicine or other help as they go about their daily activities.
G. Someone could have trouble with anxiety, but you wouldn't know it unless told about it.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
Be aware of those who use the truth to deceive(欺骗). When someone tells you something that is ________, but leaves out important information that should be ________, he can create a false impression.
For example, someone might say, “I just ________ a hundred dollars on the lottery. It was great. I took that dollar ticket back to the store and ________ it in for one hundred dollars!”
This guy is a winner, ________? Maybe, maybe not. We then discover that he bought two hundred ________, and only one was a winner. He’s really a big ________!
He didn’t say anything that was ________, but he deliberately left out some important ________. That’s called a half-truth. Half-truths are not technically ________, but they are just as not ________.
Untrustworthy candidates in ________ campaigns often use this tactic(手段). Let’s say that during Governor Smith’s last term, the state lost one million jobs and ________ three million jobs. Then she ________ another term. One of her opponents runs an ad ________, “During Governor Smith’s term, the state lost one million jobs!” That’s true. ________, an honest statement would have been, “During Governor Smith’s term, the state had a net gain of ________ million jobs.”
Advertisers will sometimes use half-truths. It’s ________ the law to make false claims so they try to mislead you with the ________. An ad might boast, “Nine out of ten doctors recommend Yucky Pills to cure nose pimples.”It ________ to mention that they only asked ten doctors and nine of them work for the Yucky Corporation.
This kind of deception happens too often. It’s a sad fact of life: Lies are lies, and sometimes the truth can lie as well.
1.A. false B. true C. interesting D. boring
2.A. included B. contained C. ignored D. referred
3.A. lost B. found C. donated D. won
4.A. changed B. took C. turned D. made
5.A. right B. well C. really D. thought
6.A. books B. papers C. tickets D. balls
7.A. winner B. loser C. fighter D. thinker
8.A. true B. real C. doubtful D. false
9.A. details B. information C. mistakes D. errors
10.A. stories B. truth C. messages D. lies
11.A. pleasant B. exciting C. honest D. clever
12.A. political B. commercial C. personal D. public
13.A. stopped B. found C. avoided D. gained
14.A. seeks B. gets C. achieves D. searches
15.A. writing B. telling C. saying D. speaking
16.A. Otherwise B. However C. Meanwhile D. Because
17.A. one B. two C. three D. four
18.A. for B. to C. against D. in
19.A. words B. facts C. data D. truth
20.A. fails B. tries C. manages D. plans
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
A triathlon(三项全能运动) is a sports event which combines three sports,1. (typical) running, biking, and swimming. During a triathlon, athletes finish all three sports without stopping 2. (beat) the clock. People of all ages and sizes can compete in triathlons. But much like other sports events, a lot of professional 3. (compete) rule the triathlon world. In addition, many triathlon 4. (hold) to benefit charity, much like marathons.
The modern triathlon appeared in California in 5. 1970s. It usually begins with the swimming, 6. (follow) by cycling, and finally running. A triathlon tests the endurance(忍耐力) and speed of an athlete, as well as his or her ability to keep energy and focus 7. the race as a whole. A triathlon competes against a clock, rather than against other athletes. A variation of the triathlon is a relay triathlon, 8. a different athlete completes each stage.
The swimming stage takes place in a lake or the open ocean. As soon as athletes come out from the water, they change into cycling at the 9. (fast) speed to save time. After cycling, the athletes change shoes to run. The course is considered complete once the athletes 10. (cross) the finish line.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
假定英语课上英语老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中至多有两处。错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
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（﹨）划掉。
修改：在错的词下画一横线，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限一词。
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
This morning I saw off my aunt at railway station. There were many passenger in the waiting room. I saw an old lady crying sad because she had lost her ticket and not able to afford another one. I was thinking about helping her when a man come up to comfort her. Then he bought her a ticket with his own money. The old Lady was so moving that she could hardly say a word. She grasped his hand and asked for his name or address. But he only smile and said, “It’s my pleasure.” Then he left away quickly. I was greatly moved by such a man he warmed others with his love.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
书面表达
假定你是李华。你想买一本适合中学生使用的英语词典，但拿不定主意该买哪一种。请你用英语给在北京学习中文的美国笔友Peter写封信，征询他的意见。要点包括：
1.请他推荐一种；
2.如果可能，请他代购一本。
3.下周，哥哥李明要去北京，可以让他捎回。
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.开头和结尾已为你写好，不计入总词数。
Dear Peter,
How are you doing?
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难度: 中等查看答案及解析