Grandpa Nybakken loved life — especially when he could play a trick on somebody. At those times, his large Norwegian frame shook with laughter while he pretended innocent surprise, exclaiming, “Oh, forevermore!” But on a cold Saturday in downtown Chicago, Grandpa felt that God played a trick on him, and grandpa wasn’t laughing.
Grandpa worked as a carpenter. On this particular day, he was building some boxes for the clothes his church was sending to an orphanage abroad. On his way home, he reached into his shirt pocket to find his glasses, but they were gone. He remembered putting them there that morning, so he drove back to the church. His search proved fruitless.
Suddenly, he realized what had happened. The glasses had slipped out of his pocket unnoticed and fallen into one of the boxes, which he had nailed shut. His brand new glasses were heading for China!
The Great Depression was at its height, and Grandpa had six children. He had spent twenty dollars for those glasses that very morning.
“It’s not fair,” he told God as he drove home in frustration. “I’ve been very faithful in giving of my time and money to your work, and now this.”
Several months later, the director of the orphanage was on vacation in the United States．He wanted to visit all the churches that supported him, so he came to speak on Sunday night at my grandfather’s small church in Chicago. Grandpa and his family sat in their usual seats among the small congregation (教堂会众).
“But most of all,” he said, “I must thank you for the glasses you sent last year.”
“Even if I had the money, there was simply no way of replacing those glasses．Along with not being able to see well, I experienced headaches every day, so my co-workers and I were much in prayer about this. Then your boxes arrived．When my staff removed the covers, they found a pair of glasses lying on the top.” After a long pause, he continued, “Folks, when I tried on the glasses, it was as though they had been custom-made just for me! I want to thank you for being a part of that!”
The people listened, happy for the amazing glasses. But the director surely must have confused their church with another, they thought, there were no glasses on their list of items to be sent overseas.
But sitting quietly in the back, with tears streaming down his face, an ordinary carpenter realized the Master Carpenter had used him in an extraordinary way.
1.Which of the following is NOT true about Grandpa Nybakken according to the passage?
A. He was an outgoing man and held an active attitude towards life.
B. He had a large family to support.
C. He was a carpenter working in the church.
D. He was a loyal Christian.
2.The people in the church but Grandpa felt confused at what the director said because ________.
A. Grandpa didn’t tell the director that he was the owner of the glasses
B. the director wanted to return the glasses even though he liked it
C. the director could not get such glasses in their own country
D. the glasses were not included in the donation list
3.Who does “the Master Carpenter” in the last paragraph probably refer to?
A. Grandpa’s master. B. One of Grandpa’s friends.
C. God. D. Grandpa’s co-worker.
4.Which can be the best title of the passage?
A. Grandfather’s life. B. The Helpful Donation.
C. The Perfect Mistake. D. An Impressive Speech.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
As a parent you might never guess all the ways a good imagination benefits your child. It helps a preschooler:
Develop social skills
As children play pretend, they explore relationships between family members, friends and co-workers and learn more about how people interact. Playing doctor, they imagine how physicians care for their patients. Playing house, they learn more about how parents feel about their children. Imaginative play helps develop sympathy for others. If children can imagine how it feels to be left out of a game or to lose a pet, they are better able to help those in need. They become more willing to play fair, to share, and to cooperate.
Build self-confidence
Young children have very little control over their lives. Imagining oneself as a builder of skyscrapers or a superhero defending the planet is empowering to a child. It helps them develop confidence in their abilities and their potential.
Boost intellectual growth
Using the imagination is the beginning of abstract thought. Children who can see a king’s castle in a mound of sand or a delicious dinner in a mud pie are learning to think symbolically. This skill is important in school where a child will have to learn that numerals symbolize groups of objects, letters symbolize sounds, and so on.
Practice language skills
Kids who play pretend with their friends do a lot of talking. This helps boost their vocabulary, improve sentence structure and enhance communication skills.
Work out fears
Playing pretend can help children work out their fears and worries. When children role-play about the big, bad monster under the bed, they gain a sense of control over him and he doesn’t seem quite so big or so bad. Imaginative play also helps kids let out confusing feelings they might have, such as anger toward a parent or rivalry (竞争) with a new sibling (兄弟姐妹).
To encourage your youngster’s imagination, read to him every day. Books offer children the opportunity to visit other worlds and create new ones of their own.
For generations children have enjoyed reading the story of Peter Pan because Peter takes them on fascinating adventures. Reader’s Digest Young Families offers a beautiful vintage Disney edition of Peter Pan, which is an iParenting Media Award winner. Click here to find out how you can get this classic story along with 2 free books -- Bambi and Pinocchio.
1.Where can you probably find the article?
A. Newspaper. B. Magazine. C. Internet. D. Book.
2.What’s the meaning of the underlined word?
A. improve. B. limit. C. pull. D. praise.
3.What’s Not the advantage of children having a good imagination?
A. Understanding the other people’s feelings and problems.
B. Expressing their feelings like anger.
C. Having a strong faith in their own abilities and potential.
D. Helping them form a good habit of reading story.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
A hoarder is someone who is unable or unwilling to throw items away, and the disposal (处理) of items causes them considerable pain. When people hoard a massive amount of objects, it takes over the inhabitable spaces of their home. As the collection grows, they are unable to do simple , quotidian activities such as cooking a meal or watch TV. Sometimes the hoarding is so severe that parts of their homes become inaccessible.
But among the many problems that such behavior brings about, the most significant are the health risks. Once hallways and windows are blocked, hoarders are at the risk of dying in a fire, since they no longer have a clear path of evacuation(疏散). Things that are piled up high can fall on top of the homeowner, or a person trying to climb over a pile of objects can experience a fall. There is also the problem of sanitation(卫生). Areas where food can’t be properly cleaned begin to attract insects, and bathrooms that are full of many possessions can no longer be washed.
Unfortunately, the serious effect of the problem can become worse for two reasons. One is that since the behavior progress behind closed doors, people can accumulate collections of objects for years before friends or family members become aware of the problem. A second reason is that hoarders often don’t recognize that they have a problem, and will continue to live in denial until they get professional help.
When attempting to make a diagnosis, psychologists don’t regard hoarding as a disorder in itself. Instead, it’s often seen as a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder (强迫症), depression, or anxiety. The mental health community has only recently begun an intensive study of boarding, and more research is needed in order to understand its causes and find effective treatment.
1.The first paragraph mostly serves to ________.
A. introduce the problem of hoarding
B. inform the public of the hoarder’s lifestyle
C. illustrate how frequently hoarders’ lifestyle
D. explain how hoarded react when items are disposed
2. According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Hoarders’ houses are not always out of order.
B. Hoarding is regarded as a disorder by psychologists.
C. Symptoms of hoarding can’t be easily noticed since it progresses quietly.
D. The mental health community has found effective treatments for hoarding.
3.We can infer from the passage that ______________.
A. hoarding is a serious problem that needs concern.
B. the main reason of hoarding is the economic burden.
C. food preparation becomes easier if a person is a hoarder.
D. hoarded items can’t be piled higher than a person’s head.
4.The underlined word “quotidian” probably means _________.
A. abnormal B. ordinary C. skillful D. Popular
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
How can a creature weighing over 5 tons and normally taking 150 kilograms of food and 120 liters of water per day survive in a desert environment?
In the southwest African country of Namibia, and the Sahara lands of Mali further north, the desert elephant does just that.
Although not regarded as a separate species from the African elephant, the desert cousin differs in many ways. Their bodies are smaller, to absorb less heat, and their feet are larger for easier walking across sandy surfaces. They are taller, to reach higher branches. They have shorter tusks (象牙), and most importantly, longer trunks to dig for water in riverbeds.
Desert elephants can travel over 70 kilometers in search for feeding grounds and waterholes, and have a larger group of families. They drink only every 3-4 days, and can store water in a “bag” at the back of their throat, which is only used when badly needed. Desert elephants are careful feeders---they seldom root up trees and break fewer branches, and thus maintain what little food sources are available. Young elephants may even eat the dung (粪便) of the female leader of a group when facing food shortage. During drought they are unlikely to give birth to their young but with good rains the birthrate will increase greatly. Desert elephants have sand baths, sometimes adding their own urine (尿液) to make them muddy!
As we continue to overheat our weak planet, it can only be hoped that other animal species will adapt as extraordinarily well to change as the desert elephant.
1.The underlined part in Paragraph 2 means “_____”.
A. remains in the African countries
B. drinks 120 liters of water a day
C. manages to live in desert areas
D. eats 150 kilograms of food daily
2.Desert elephants are called careful feeders because they _____.
A. rarely ruin trees
B. drink only every 3-4 days
C. search for food in large groups
D. protect food sources for their young
3.The author answers the question raised in the first paragraph with _____.
A. stories and explanation
B. facts and descriptions
C. examples and conclusion
D. evidence and argument
4.What can be inferred from the last sentence in the passage?
A. Overheating the earth can be stopped.
B. Not all animal species are so adaptable.
C. The planet will become hotter and hotter.
D. Not all animals are as smart as desert elephants.
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。
While it is impossible to live completely free of stress, it is possible to prevent stress as well as reduce its effect when it can’t be avoided． 1.
● 2.
When you are nervous, angry or upset, try releasing the pressure through exercise or physical activity. Running, walking, playing tennis, and working in your garden are just some of the activities you might try．
● Take care of yourself
3. If you easily get angry and can’t sleep well enough, or if you’re not eating properly, it will be more likely that you will fall into stressful situations. If stress repeatedly keeps you from sleeping, you should consult a doctor.
● Make time for yourself
Schedule time for both work and entertainment. Don’t forget, play can be just as important to your overall well-being as work. 4. Go window-shopping or work on a hobby. Allow yourself at least half an hour each day to do something you enjoy．
● 5.
Stress can result from disorganization and a feeling that “there’s so much to do, and not enough time”. Trying to take care of everything at once can be too much for you and as a result, you may not achieve anything. Instead, make a list of everything you have to do, then do one thing at a time, checking off each task as it is completed. Set out to do the most important task first.
A. Do whatever you like and want to do．
B. You should make every effort to eat well and get enough rest．
C. Make a list of things to do．
D. Try physical activity．
E. You need a break from your daily routine to just relax and have fun．
F. You could smile to yourself in front of a mirror every day．
G. The following are suggestions for ways to deal with stress．
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，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
In my class, there was a really weak-looking guy. I don’t know if his name was Vit or Wit. I will him as Wit in this story of mine. He was a pale, thin guy. Not only his build looked weak, the way he was also weak. He walked slowly but he tried to stay off of everyone’s way. The friends in my class, Jean and Ingrid, would him. Truth to be told,
I them as well. We did things like taking his stuff, like his pens and pencils, and them somewhere in the school.
Wit was also really of insects, even butterfly. Jean, Ingrid, and I often put beetle on his clothes and he would run around, trying to it off. There were many beetles in the school so that was the insect we used to scare him with. Other insects such as butterfly were hard to so we pretty much gave up on it. We would often take the when Wit was off-guard and put the insects on him. it was on him, he would run around or jump about. He was too scared to it and pull it off.
Suddenly one day, we were by the school. When I walked into the room, Wit’s mother, as well as Ingrid’s mother, Jean’s father, and mine were in the room silently. Wit’s mother said that Wit went home and the sandbag shouting “Jean!!! Ingrid!!! Archer!!!” every day. I wanted to laugh but didn’t with all the she was putting on us. She asked many things, including things I had no idea about such as “Who put Wit’s bag in the girl toilet?” Apparently, it was Jean who did it. Jean seemed to have bullied Wit quite a lot and got quite a(n) from Wit’s and her own mother.
I think it should have been quite guilty for to see us scolded by the parents. However, we decided to stop bullying Wit and be friendly to him.
1.A. briefly B. abruptly C. actually D. constantly
2.A. think of B. focus on C. laugh at D. refer to
3.A. acted B. operated C. attacked D. responded
4.A. get close to B. look up to C. get tired of D. make fun of
5.A. betrayed B. joined C. teased D. rejected
6.A. hid B. distributed C. threw D. preserved
7.A. fond B. scared C. cautious D. ashamed
8.A. see B. set C. shake D. take
9.A. only B. acute C. main D. rare
10.A. find B. recognize C. raise D. capture
11.A. chance B. risk C. trouble D. order
12.A. While B. Though C. Once D. Unless
13.A. attach B. touch C. sniff D. defend
14.A. picked out B. called in C. spied on D. kicked off
15.A. staring B. sighing C. sitting D. weeping
16.A. carried B. threw C. filled D. hit
17.A. nearly B. hardly C. merely D. approximately
18.A. burden B. pressure C. duty D. doubt
19.A. forgiving B. understanding C. praising D. scolding
20.A. Ingrid B. Jean C. Wit D. Mother
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。
In the days when an ice cream cost much less, Tom, 1. 8-year-old boy, entered a hotel coffee shop 2. sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream?" "Fifty-cents," replied the waitress. The little boy pulled 3. right hand out of the pocket and studied a number of coins in it.
"How much is a dish of plain ice cream?" he asked. Some people were now waiting for her service and the waitress grew a bit 4. (patience). "Thirty-five cents," she said 5. (rude). The little boy carefully counted the coins 6. . "I will have a plain ice cream," he said. The waitress walked 7. . The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. It was not long 8. the waitress came back and then she began to wipe down the table and suddenly was surprised 9. what she saw. There, 10. (place) neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies --- her tip!
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
短文改错（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文, 请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。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：在错的词下画划一横线, 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l0处, 多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Dear Diana,
Thank you for the lovely day we have with you. It was so kind for you to let us
bring Anne’s friend, Gina. Unfortunate, the only problem was the journey home. There
had been a terrible accident on the highway and, for a result, there was a long line of traffic for at least six mile. In the end, we drove to a service station and waited there unless the road was clear. In the car park here Gina nearly got knocked over as car drove out far too quickly from behind a lorry. They finally dropped Gina off at her parents’ and made our own way to home.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假如你是李华， 你的英国朋友Tom 将来你家共度除夕，你打算当天下午去地铁站
接他。请你用英文写一封电子邮件，告知他相关信息。你们全家都欢迎他。
1. 接他的时间和地点：2月18 日下午 4点，地铁四号线中关村站西北出口；
2. 晚上的主要安排：看春晚、包饺子、放鞭炮。
注意：
1. 词数不少于100。
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
3. 开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数
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难度: 中等查看答案及解析