My Favourite Travel Books
The Old Patagonian Express by Paul Theroux
Choosing my favorite Paul Theroux book is like picking my favorite place in the world: It’s impossible to settle on just one. But The Old Patagonian Express, which is about a train journey Theroux made from Boston, USA to southern Argentina, is right up there at the top of my list. Theroux has a wicked sense of humor. He brings so much wisdom and experience to his travels.
Walden by Henry David Thoreau
If he were alive today, Thoreau would probably frown if he heard someone refer to Walden as a travel book. But I regard it as a travel-writing masterpiece. I went into the woods, he writes, because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. That’s the same spirit of discovery that defines so many great contemporary travel records.
The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac
Like so many people, I fell in love with Kerouac’s novels in my late teens and early 20s. On the Road gets all the press, but I always love The Dharma Bums. Kerouac beautifully captures the romance of California trains, Berkeley, and backpacking in the Sierras. It’s hard to read this book without wanting to leave for the mountains to brainstorm bad haikus on the trail and cook canned macaroni and cheese over a crackling campfire.
Confucius Lives Next Door by T. R. Reid
This is sort of A Year in Provence in Japan, only the cross-cultural differences are much greater. Reid and his family moved to Tokyo when he became the chief for The Washington Post, enabling him to uncover truths about the country. Among the highlights are his observations about Japanese schools, including Yodobashi No. 6 Elementary School, where his daughters were greeted by the whole school staff.
1.Which book enables readers to experience great cross-cultural differences?
A. Confucius Lives Next Door.
B. The Old Patagonian Express.
C. On the Road.
D. Walden.
2.What will people feel after reading Jack Kerouac’s The Dharma Bums?
A. A strong desire to follow.
B. A love for novels.
C. A wish to learn cooking.
D. An excitement to write poems.
3.What is the feature of most modern travel books according to the author?
A. Experience.
B. Observation.
C. Culture.
D. Discovery.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
Steven Spielberg never fails to blow us away with his imagination.
The US director’s latest film Ready Player One, which was released in Chinese mainland cinemas on March 30, is a story set in the year 2045, when people escape their hopeless everyday lives by putting on a VR mask and entering a virtual (虚拟的) world named Oasis. This fantasy land is filled with characters and settings right out of classic films and videogames like The Shining and Overwatch. It’s a feast both for the eyes and mind. And at the age of 71, Spielberg is still “at the top of his game”, wrote reporter Rafer Guzman on Newsday.
Indeed, Spielberg has always been a gamer himself or rather a game changer. When his thriller Jaws came out in 1975, it struck a chord (引起共鸣) with audiences all over the world and kept people from going swimming for fear. The film was also the first example of what we now know as summer blockbusters.
“Jaws invented that form of pleasurable entertainment, wrote Stephen Marche on Esquire. It also turned sharks, in the popular imagination, from fish into monsters.”
And again, in his 1982 film E. T. the Extra-Terrestrial Spielberg challenged people’s beliefs that aliens are something to be feared by telling a story about a loving friendship between a space creature and a little boy. “Spielberg redefined popular sci-fi”, wrote Marc Lee on The Telegraph. “Extra-terrestrials no longer had to be a threat to humanity: the universe, he was saying, is also full of awe and wonder.”
Now comes Ready Player One. When Wade Watts, the film’s teenage protagonist (主角), finally prevents Oasis from falling into the wrong hands, he’s given ownership of the virtual world by its late designer James Halliday. But Watts makes a decision that he hopes will make people want to appreciate their real lives, instead of spending all their free time escaping reality in Oasis, which is a real-life message that Spielberg is trying to deliver to the audience.
1.What is the article mainly about?
A. Spielberg’s suggestions for other film directors.
B. Spielberg’s new film and his achievements.
C. The secret to Spielberg’s success.
D. The life journey of Spielberg.
2.Which film is considered the first example of a “summer blockbuster”?
A. The Shining
B. E. T. the Extra-Terrestrial
C. Jaws
D. Jurassic Park
3.Why is E. T. the Extra-Terrestrial special among all alien films?
A. It was the first film about aliens.
B. It questions the existence of aliens.
C. It describes aliens as something friendly.
D. It points out that aliens are a threat to humanity.
4.What message does Spielberg want to deliver with Ready Player One?
A. People should enjoy their real lives as much as they can.
B. People can find much pleasure in virtual worlds.
C. It’s difficult for people to escape reality.
D. People should have the right to choose whether to enter virtual worlds.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
The similarities between elephant and human behavior has been a curiosity to scientists worldwide. These huge beasts are not so different from us. Their devotion to their family is just as powerful as the friendships between humans. In order to prevent future elephant attacks, people must first understand the similarities between elephants and themselves.
Because deaths are felt so deeply in elephants, memories of people harming or killing other members are not forgotten. Due to the Uganda-Tanzania War in Africa, poaching (偷猎) elephant increased during the 1970’s and continued, despite government restrictions. However, ecologists like Eve Abe did not see this as simple poaching; they saw it as a “mass destruction. “Elephants that have witnessed the murder of a matriarch, are more likely to become violent and attack humans. Many aggressive elephants do not act without reason; they are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). At a young age, humans invade their life, kill their parents, and ultimately destroy their peaceful environment. More and more calves live neglected lives without a mother figure, and have to become a parent early for survival. Humans that had a difficult childhood or early family life also suffer from aggression and pain. Young elephants have been known to have “nightmares,” waking up suddenly and screaming. These are clearly signs of stress, as males grow up to be increasingly hostile (敌对的) humans and target certain villages where painful experiences had occurred.
Although many see elephants as massive, violent, and simple-minded animals, their social structure is not unlike many human societies. Humans and elephants have been on parallel paths. However, if people continue practicing ignorance over the cruel treatment of these creatures, then collision will become inevitable. Cruel treatment of elephants still goes on, but by understanding the similarities between us, it can be stopped.
1.In order to stop the hostile behavior of elephants, people should lay emphasis on ________.
A. stopping harming or killing the group members of elephants
B. understand the similarities between elephants and humans
C. taking good care of the young elephants
D. carrying out the government restrictions
2.What does the underlined word “matriarch” mean?
A. young elephant.
B. male elephant.
C. strong elephant.
D. mother elephant.
3.What can we infer from the passage?
A. Young elephants will grow up to be violent easily.
B. Humans and elephants have the same social structure.
C. Sometimes young elephants are forced to grow up.
D. Elephants attack villages when painful experiences occur.
4.Why should we take good care of the young kids?
A. Because early family life counts.
B. Because they will be aggressive when grown up.
C. Because humans and elephants are on parallel paths.
D. Because signs of stress have to be stopped.
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
It is OK not to be OK
This is the simple encouragement people often use for themselves or others. But for professional athletes, this can be the hardest sentence to say.
On March 6, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love posted an article titled “Everyone is Going Through Something” on the website The Players’ Tribune. In the article, the 29-year-old showed how he suffered from his first panic attack on Nov 5 in a game against the Atlanta Hawks and why he was so worried about sharing his story with the public.
Love identified that what keeps people from speaking up about their mental health challenges is the fear that many people see them as a weakness. “Growing up, you figure out really quickly how a boy is supposed to act. You learn what it takes to ‘be a man’. It’s like a play book: Be strong. Don’t talk about your feelings. Get through it on your own,” he wrote.
And being an NBA player made his situation even more difficult. Love was afraid to share his struggles because he didn’t want his Cavaliers teammates to think that he was unreliable.
However, as it turned out, Love’s teammates understood and supported him. Cleveland superstar LeBron James even wrote on social media that Love is “even more powerful now than ever before”.
For Love, it was a journey of empowerment to accept and address his mental illness and share his experience with millions of people who face the same problems. In fact, he was inspired to talk about his situation by Toronto Raptors shooting guard DeMar DeRozan, who had also opened up about his mental health issues.
Last month, the 28-year-old told the Toronto Sun that despite being a top-performing and wealthy NBA player, he still deals with constant blues. “It’s one of the things that no matter how indestructible (坚不可摧的) we look like we are, we’re all human at the end of the day, ”he said. “Sometimes…it gets the best of you, when everything in the whole world’s on top of you, ” But other times, by admitting who we are, we can get what we want. As Love told Advance Ohio Media, “You have to let some of that stuff bleed out in order to fully recover from it.”
1.What problem did Love have?
A. He faced pressure communicating with public.
B. He was troubled by mental health issues.
C. He had a bad relationship with his teammates.
D. His injuries prevented him from playing well.
2.According to Love, why was it more difficult for him to speak up about his problem?
A. He thought he should get through it on his own.
B. He didn’t want others to know his weaknesses.
C. He was afraid to lose the trust of his teammates.
D. He needed to keep a good public image.
3.What happened after Love shared his story?
A. DeRozan was inspired to talk about his mental problems.
B. Love was asked by his team to take a long break.
C. Love received many letters from people with the same problem.
D. Love’s teammates showed their support for him.
4.Which of the following would Love probably agree with?
A. We should be strong when facing problems.
B. It is very difficult to recover from mental illness.
C. Facing bad feelings can help you get over them.
D. NBA players are more likely to suffer from mental illness.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Snowblind—it’s a frightening word. Thankfully, it’s a condition that is totally preventable.
Snow blindness is a painful, temporary loss of vision due to overexposure to the sun’s UV rays. Essentially, snow blindness is caused by a sunburned eye.
1. Though it is commonly called snow blindness, the condition can (and often does) occur in the absence of snow.
The terms “snowblind” and “snow blindness” have become popular because snow is highly reflective of ultraviolet radiation. 2. Also, skiing, mountain climbing and snowboarding usually take place at relatively high altitudes, where the sun’s UV rays are stronger. Combined, these factors can double your risk of getting sunburned eyes, compared with being outdoors at lower altitudes in the summertime.
3. Television journalist Anderson Cooper experienced snow-free snow blindness first-hand a few years ago when he spent a couple hours on a boat in Portugal without sunglasses and ended up “blind for 36 hours,” according to his report of the incident.
Not only can you become snowblind without snow—it can happen without sunlight, too! 4. For example, sun lamps can cause temporary “snow” blindness if proper eye protection is not used.
5. To relieve pain or discomfort from snow blindness, stay indoors and wear sunglasses. Keep your eyes well-moistened with artificial tears. For additional relief, use over-the-counter pain relievers. Be sure to use only pain relievers you know you can take without worry of an allergic reaction. You also may find that placing a cool, dampened washcloth over your closed eyelids is comforting.
A. You don’t need snow to become snowblind.
B. It will likely affect those traveling in snowy conditions.
C. To prevent snow blindness on the slopes, wear sunglasses.
D. Sometimes it occurs from mail-made sources of ultraviolet radiation
E. In fact, snow can reflect over 80 percent of the UV rays that fall upon it.
F. Snow blindness is scary, but usually it’s temporary, and there are ways to relieve the discomfort.
G. But water and white sand also are highly reflective of the sun’s UV rays, thus increasing the risk.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Jay Ruckelshaus won a full scholarship to Duke University. Then, just weeks before he was __ to arrive on campus, he broke his neck in an accident.
At the Shepherd Center, Jay had eight hours of exercise a day, __ his muscles and working on his __. “Before, was __ setting goals and achieving them. But this was not what you could achieve.”
__ the breakthrough came: He was able to __ on his own, eat, and use an iPad. “The iPad was great, ”he said, “That gave me __ to the world.” To stretch his mind further, he __ for courses online.
Most people, he said, __ he would change his plans to study after his accident. But throughout his __ his place at Duke University was what kept him going. For Jay, there was never any __ he would go to Duke. “There was also no doubt from the university, which was wonderful, and wouldn’t have been the __ at some other schools.
Finally getting into Duke a year later than planned, __ being in a wheelchair, he was __ to have a fun college life. He needed __, but soon made great friends. In __ studying for a degree and sitting co-editing a journal, he was able to hang out with friends.
Also, he thought of other wheelchair users and decided to help them. “I __ I was having an amazing time and meeting amazing people,” he said. The feeling was almost __. Therefore, he started a charity called Ramp Less Traveled to spread the __ that college is __ for students with spinal cord (脊髓) injuries.
1.A. devoted B. hoped C. believed D. scheduled
2.A. forcing B. strengthening C. expanding D. spreading
3.A. movement B. skills C. studies D. speech
4.A. accustomed to B. nervous about C. conscious of D. consistent with
5.A. Actually B. Eventually C. Initially D. Regularly
6.A. operate B. breathe C. sleep D. break
7.A. access B. equipment C. approach D. reference
8.A. signed up B. made up C. showed up D. putup
9.A. assumed B. respected C. confirmed D. prepared
10.A. studies B. illness C. treatment D. life
11.A. surprise B. fear C. worry D. doubt
12.A. view B. scene C. case D. state
13.A. in front of B. in place of C. in case of D. in spite of
14.A. uncertain B. determined C. surprised D. unable
15.A. communication B. contribution C. assistance D. assessment
16.A. among B. beyond C. between D. upon
17.A. guessed B. declared C. realized D. insisted
18.A. happiness B. guilt C. envy D. admiration
19.A. code B. lesson C. knowledge D. message
20.A. reliable B. favorable C. responsible D. attainable
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
What might life be like if you looked very different from others? Most of us are lucky to be born with “normal” faces. 1., the movie Wonder shows us that there is no such thing as being normal and that beauty is more than skin-deep.
2. (base) on a bestselling novel, the movie is about a boy named Auggie. He has a facial deformity (畸形) and has spent most of his life being home schooled. But as he enters middle school, his parents decide to send him to a private school. There, Auggie must deal with judgmental classmates and learn to accept 3.(he) as he is.
In the US, most kids 4. (teach) that it is OK to be different. Most people in the US celebrate being unique.
But some kids have difficulty 5.(accept) uniqueness. It’s easy to pick on someone who’s different, 6.(especial) if you have your own problems to deal with. This is another 7. (center) theme from the movie—even the kids 8. pick on Auggie have their own personal struggles.
As Auggie’s classmates get to know him better, they come to find that he’s a nice kid 9. a great sense of humor. They start to change their attitude toward him. In real life, it may take longer to see such changes happen. But if we give people10.chance, their hearts and minds may change in the end.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假如英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌的以下作文，文中共有10 处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每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；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
Many people are fond of Chinese cuisine. In China, cooking regarded not only as a skill, but also as an art. All well-preparing Chinese dishes are all tasty and good-looking. The cooking skills vary in different region of China. Therefore, good Chinese cuisines always share nothing in common, that is, color, fragrance and taste. As for food is important to one’s health, a good chef is always try to seek a balance among grain, meat and vegetables. That’s because Chinese cuisine is tasty and health.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
假如你是李华，决定和Ala一起去乡村度假，时间为一周。Alan 打算住旅馆，而你更希望自带物品露宿。请给Alan 写一封e-mail, 说服他和你一起露营。
Dear Alan,
I’m looking forward to staying in the countryside with you for one week this summer vacation.
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Yours truly
Li Hua
难度: 简单查看答案及解析