Exploit your parking space
An unused parking space or garage can make money. If you live near a city center or an airport, you could make anything up to ￡200 or ￡300 a week. Put an advertisement for free on Letpark or Atmyhousepark.
Rent（出租）a room
Spare room Not only will a lodger（房客）earn you an income, but also, thanks to the government-backed “rent a room” program, you won’t have to pay any tax on the first ￡4500 you make per year. Try advertising your room on Roomspare or Roommateeasy.
Make money during special events
Don’t want a full-time lodger? Then rent on a short-term basis. If you live in the capital, renting a room out during the Olympics or other big events could bring in money. Grashpadder can advertise your space.
Live on set
Renting your home out as a “film set” could earn you hundreds of pounds a day, depending on the film production company and how long your home is needed. A quick search on the Internet will bring up dozens of online companies that allow you to register your home for free—but you will be charged if your home gets picked.
Use your roof
You need the right kind of roof, but some energy companies pay the cost of fixing solar equipment (around ￡14,000), and let you use the energy produced for nothing. In return, they get paid for unused energy fed back into the National Grid. However, you have to sign a 25-year agreement with the supplier, which could prevent you from changing the roof.
1.If you earn ￡5000 from renting a room in one year, the tax you need to pay will be based on ______.
A. ￡800 B. ￡500 C. ￡4500 D. ￡5000
2.Where can you put an advertisement to rent out a room during a big event？
A. On Letpark. B. On Roomspare.
C. On Grashpadder. D. On Roommateeasy.
3.If you want to use energy free, you have to_____.
A. sign an agreement with the government
B. pay around ￡14,000 for the equipment
C. sell the roof to some energy companies
D. keep the roof unchanged for within 25 years
4.For whom the text most probably written？
A. Lodgers. B. Advertisers.
C. House owners. D. Online companies
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Danielle Steel, America's sweetheart, is one of the hardest working woman in the book business. Unlike other productive authors who write one book at a time, she can work on up to five. Her research before writing takes at least three years. Once she has fully studied her subjects, ready to divided into a book, she can spend twenty hours nonstop at her desk.
Danielle Steel comes from New York and was sent to France for her education. After graduation, she worked in the public relations and advertising industries. Later she started a job as a writer which she was best fit for. Her achievements are unbelievable: 390 million copies of books in print, nearly fifty New York Times bestselling novels, and a series of “Max and Martha” picture books for children to help them deal with the reallife problem of death, new babies and new schools. Her 1998 book about the death of her was shot to the top of the New York Times bestselling list as soon as it came out. Twentyeight of her books have been made into films. She is listed in the Guinness Books of World Records for one of her books being the Times bestseller for 381 weeks straight.
Not content with a big house, a loving family, and a view of the Golden Gate Bridge, Danielle Steel considers her readers to be the most important resource and has kept in touch with them by email. While she is often compared to the heroines of her own invention. Her life is undoubtedly much quieter. But if she does have anything in common with them, it is her strength of will and her inimitable style. There is only one Danielle Steel.
1.Children who have read “Max and Martha” picture books may know ________.
A．how to deal with affairs at school
B．what to do if Max and Martha die
C．what to do when new babies are born into their families
D．how to solve the difficult problems in their writing classes
2.One of Danielle Steel' a achievements is that ________.
A．some TV plays were based on her books
B．her picture books attracted a lot of young men
C．one of her books became a bestseller in 1998
D．she wrote the Guinness Book of World Records
3.We can learn from the passage that Danielle Steel ________.
A．lives an exciting life
B．values her readers a lot
C．writes about quiet women
D．is pleased with her achievements
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
How I Turned to Be Optimistic
I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt's house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America. We were on the bus then. I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to look at me. I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.
I do not remember myself crying for this reason again. In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see-—the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures. The country I was leaving never to come back was hardly in my head then.
The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism, but the idea did not come to me at once. For the first two years in New York I was really lost—having to study in three schools as a result of family moves. I did not quite know what I was or what I should be. Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me. Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other. I was often sad, and saw no end to "the hard times."
My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home. I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration officers, took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.
From my experiences I have learned one important rule: almost all common troubles eventually go away! Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little! I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy.
1.How did the author get to know America?
A. From her relatives. B. From her mother.
C. From books and pictures. D. From radio programs.
2.Upon leaving for America, the author felt_______.
A. confused B. excited C. worried D. amazed
3.What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 4?
A. She worked as a translator.
B. She attended a lot of job interviews.
C. She paid telephone bills for her family.
D She helped her family with her English.
4.The author believes that______.
A. her future will be free from troubles
B. it is difficult to learn to become patient
C. there are more good things than bad things
D. good things will happen if one keeps trying
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
Being able to count at least ten people as friends makes us happy，but those with five or fewer are likely to be miserable，researchers say.
Their study of hundreds of men and women also found that people who feel satisfied with their lives always have lots of close friends and regularly make new ones.
While it is not clear whether our friends make us happy or we make friends because we are happy，the researchers say it is clear that we should maintain our friendships. Psychologist Richard Tunney said，“Whatever the reason is，actively working on friendships in the same way as to maintain a marriage is a prerequisite(必备条件) to happiness.”
Dr.Tunney，of Nottingham University，quizzed more than 1,700 people about their satisfaction with their lives and the state of their friendships.Those with five friends or fewer had just a 40 percent chance of being happy. .
In other words they were more likely to be unhappy than happy.Ten was the first number at which people were more likely to be happy than unhappy.The happiest people were those with dozens of friends，according to the study，which was carried out for the National Lottery(彩票)．
For women，this meant having 33 friends；for men，the number was 49. Dr.Tunney said，“People who were extremely satisfied with their lives had twice the number of friends of people who were extremely dissatisfied.” Women tended to have fewer friends than men but formed tighter relationships.
Interestingly，the study found that childhood friends are no more likely to make us happy than people we become close to later in life.Lottery winners，however，have a different opinion on life.They are always happier than others despite spending their time with a small circle of old friends.This could be because they trust people they’ve known for a long time.
1.What’s the best title for this passage?
A．The Secret to Happiness Is to Make New Friends
B．Having at Least 10 Good Friends Makes People Happy
C．Why Most People Like to Make Friends Regularly
D．Men’s and Women’s Friends Are Different
2.Which of the following opinions may Richard Tunney NOT agree with?
A．People with few friends are sure to be unhappy.
B．Our friends can make us happy.
C．Happiness may come from a good marriage life.
D．We may become happier if we have more friends.
3.According to the passage，lottery winners ________.
A．enjoy making new friends
B．make new friends easily
C．like staying with old friends
D．have no time to make friends
4.We can conclude from the passage that ________.
A．it’s enough for one person to have ten friends
B．unhappy people must have few friends
C．childhood friends make people happier than adulthood ones
D．friendships play a major role in people’s life
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。
Going to college is a new experience full of excitement of the unknown. Socialization is a big thing for college students and it is common to feel a little uncomfortable going into a situation where everyone is a stranger. You may probably miss your friends from high school. 1. College is a great opportunity to make new lifelong friends. The question is: how?
Get to know your roommate.
You may find you have lots of things in common with your roommate, but even if you are completely different from each other, with a little effort and understanding the two of you may become best friends.
2. .
If you leave your door open, this shows that you welcome visitors. As a result people will naturally stop in and say hello. Closed doors are not likely to bring many visitors and those who stay locked up in their rooms may give others the impression of being cold. Other students will be less likely to stop in and build a new friendship.
Join clubs or organizations.
Getting involved in organized societies is a great way to meet new people. 3. By staying active in college groups such as clubs and organizations you can meet lots of people with whom you share common interests.
Talk to classmates.
4. Starting conversations in class is a great opportunity to meet people who are interested in the same kind of studies as you are. Short friendly discussions can build lifelong friendships.
Try out for a sport.
If you' re athletic, trying out for a sport will do for you the same thing that joining a club will do. __5.
| A. Close the door to keep away from theft. B. Hang a welcome sign on your dorm room. C. It also helps you get more familiar with the campus. D. Your roommate is the first person you will have close contact with. E. You will instantly meet a large group of people who share your interests in sports. F. Get to know your classmates as you'll be spending several months with them. G. Trying actively to find new friends can help ease the feelings of being lonely. |
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
完形填空
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。
Having left the town, the girl stopped the car at the landing near the entrance of the bay (海湾).She stepped into the ________ and rowed（划船） out silently. The tide was rushing to the entrance and________ to the wild open sea. She had to row across the bay to reach ________ side. The waves struck against the side of the boat, ________ and uneven; it became ________ difficult to row. If she ________ for a moment, the tide would push the boat back towards the ________ .
She wasn' t even halfway, ________ she was already tired and her hands ________ from pulling on the rough wooden oars (船桨). “I'm never going to ________ it”, she thought. She rested the oars on her knees and ________ her head helplessly, then looked up as she ________ the boat shift(晃动) against the tide.
The east wind , which had swung(旋转) around from the south-west, ________ her help and pushed the boat towards the mountains. It was going to be ________ . Her hands weren't so painful. Her chest didn’t feel as if it was about to burst________ .
The lights of the town became ________ . one of the oars banged against the side of the boat and she ________ it with a start. Had she been asleep, or just ________ ? She looked over her shoulder. She was almost on the beach. The girl gave one last ________ on the oars to ground the boat, and then lay back against the seat. She listened to the waves ________ and knew she had come home. Far across the moonlit bay the lights were no more than a sparkling chain.
1.A. car B. boat C. ship D. mail
2.A. beside B. before C. behind D. beyond
3.A. another B. other C. either D. the other
4.A. deep B. calm C. gentle D. rough
5.A. more B. less C. as D. least
6.A. slept B. continued C. rested D.rowed
7.A. home B. mountains C. south-west D. entrance
8.A. if B. so C. but D. since
9.A. hurt B. ruined C. troubled D. broke
10.A. get B. make C. keep D. take
11.A. mined B. dropped C. cocked D. raised
12.A. saw B. made C. heard D. felt
13.A. got to B. came to C. sent for D. reached for
14.A. difficult B. serious C. all right D. certain enough
15.A. any more B. still more C. no more D. once more
16.A. brighter B. bigger C. closer D. smaller
17.A. destroyed B. threw C. repaired D. seized
18.A. dreaming B. guessing C. inventing D. expecting
19.A. blow B. hit C. pull D. strike
20.A. anxiously B. happily C. sadly D. carefully
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（不多余3个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
Lucy felt a little 1.____________(frighten), but she felt very inquisitive and excited as well. She looked back 2.__________ her shoulder and there, between the dark tree trunks, she could still see the open doorway of the wardrobe and even catch3._________ glimpse of the empty room 4.___________ she had set out. She had left the door open, for she knew that it was very silly 5._________(shut) oneself into a wardrobe. She began to walk forward. In about ten minutes she reached it and found it was a lamppost. As she stood looking at it, 6._________(wonder) why there was a lamppost in the middle of a wood, she heard the pitter-patter of feet coming towards her. And soon after that a very strange person 7._________(step) out from among the trees into the light of the lamppost.
He was only a little taller than Lucy. From the waist upwards, he was like a man, but his legs 8.___________(shape) like a goat’s. One of his hands held the umbrella; in the other arm he carried several brown-paper parcels.With the parcels and the snow 9._________ looked just as if he10.__________(do) his Christmas shopping.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
短文改错
下文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误尽涉及一个单词的增加、删减或修改。
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。
Today, my foreign teacher Tim and I went to the People's Park together. We take a taxi and it wasn't long before we arrived at the park. At seeing the green trees and beautiful flower, Tim couldn't wait to take pictures. It was at that moment when we found his camera was missing. He was very worried but searched all over his backpack. Sadly, he just couldn't find it. Suddenly it occurred me that he might have left it in the taxi. So I immediately got touch with the taxi company. About half an hour later, the driver returned the camera. Both of us were gratefully to the driver, and Tim, in particular, insisted on have a photo taken with him. Tim and I enjoyed themselves during the rest of the day.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
书面表达
假如你是李华，请你根据以“老人摔倒你会扶吗?”为主题的班会调查结果及你自己的意见给《英语周报》写一篇演讲稿，要点如下：
注意：
1．总词数不少于100；
2．开头部分已写好，不计人总词数；
3．不能使用真实姓名和学校名称。
Ladies and gentlemen,
Will you help the old when they fall down on the street? A recent survey from our class meeting shows that
.
.
.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析