With the coming of winter, it’s the perfect time to get out of town and escape the seasonal mood（心情）disorder. Here are vacation ideas to adopt now.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica, located in the Valle del General, is well-known for its coffee, pineapples and sugar cane plantations as well as its rich forests. What’s more, you can enjoy horseback riding, spend afternoons at the spa or tour a nearby wildlife shelter to look out for colorful birds, sloths and other animals.
Los Cabos, Mexico
If you love wine, travel to Los Cabos, a beautiful vacation destination at the southern edge of the Baja Peninsula. During your getaway, you can enjoy special wine tastings and dinner cooked by Los Cabos’s Michelin-starred chef. There are wild-viewing opportunities, too. From December through May, you can spot whales, manta rays and more wildlife.
Petit St Vincent, the Grenadines
This private Caribbean island was spared（使幸免）the anger of hurricanes Irma and Maria. What’s more, the whole island is only 115 acres and has 22 cottages（小屋）. Each cottage is located in a quiet place, and you can expect to unplug and recharge phones with no wireless connections, television or telephones in the cottage. Even better, you can spend your days admiring fascinating marine（海洋的）life at the Jean-Michel Cousteau Diving Caribbean center.
The Exumas, Bahamas
On Fowl Cay’s 50-acre private island, you can enjoy a carefree escape. Days can be spent fishing, boating and diving before wandering along white sands. The resort features large one, two-and three-bedroom houses. Best of all, if you’re planning a group getaway or multigenerational trip, you rent the entire island for a unique island escape.
1.Why does the author recommend these places to readers?
A. To escape from extreme weather. B. To experience out-of-town sights.
C. To beat winter blues. D. To treat mental diseases.
2.What do we know about Petit St Vincent?
A. It survived hurricane Irma and Maria.
B. It’s a huge and quiet island.
C. People can admire fish off shore
D. people can charge phones using wireless connections
3.Where can Tom best go with his grandparents and parents?
A. Los Cabos, Mexico B. Petit St Vincent, the Grenadines
C. Costa Rica D. The Exumas, Bahamas
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
Two monks of a great master were walking in the garden of the master’s house. They were asked to walk every day, from dawn to dusk. The walking was a kind of meditation（冥想）. They cannot sit in the day--the legs need a little movement and the blood needs a little circulation（循环）.
They both wanted to ask for the permission of the master to sit down, so they both decided, “Tomorrow. At the most, he will say no, but we are going to ask. And it doesn’t seem such an impolite act to sit in the garden.”
The next day they met in the garden. One was furious（狂怒的）---because the other was sitting---and he said, “What happened? I also asked, but he simply flatly refused and said no. And you are sitting! Are you not going against his orders?”
The other one said, “But he has said yes to me.”
“This looked very unjust,” the first said, “I will go and immediately inquire（询问）why he said no to me and yes to you.”
The other one said, “Wait a minute. Please tell me what you had asked.” The first said, “What I had asked? I had asked a simple thing. ‘Can I sit while meditating?’ He said, ‘No!’ and he looked very angry.”
The other started laughing and said, “Now I know what is the matter. I asked, ‘Can I meditate while sitting?’ He said, ‘Yes.’”
It all depends. Just a little difference and life is totally something else. Asking “Can I sit while meditating?” is just ugly. But asking “Can I meditate while sitting?” is perfectly okay. Good! At least you will be meditating.
Life is an empty canvas（油画布）, and one has to be very artistic about it.
1.Why did the master ask the two monks to walk every day?
A. Because siting doesn’t seem a polite deed.
B. Because walking can do good to their health.
C. Because he wanted to give them punishment.
D. Because walking is the only way to meditate.
2.What kind of person is the second monk?
A. wise-minded. B. Easy-going.
C. Hot-headed. D. Warm-hearted.
3.How did the master probably react when the second monk asked him the question?
A. He was disappointed with it. B. He sang high praise for it.
C. He nodded to him peacefully. D. He drove him away furiously.
4.What can we learn from the story?
A. Two heads are better than one.
B. It is easy to be wise after the event.
C. Every man is the architect of his own fortune.
D. It’s not what you say but how you say it that matters.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
83-year-old Antonio Vicente has spent the last four decades of his life fighting against the trend. As Brazilian landowners cut down rainforests to make room for profitable plantations（营利性的种植园）and cattle grounds, he struggled to bring the jungles of his childhood back to life.
“When I was a child, the peasants（农民）cut down the trees to make grasslands and charcoal, and the water dried up and did not come back,” he told the reporters, “I thought: ‘Water is valuable, no one makes water and the population will not stop growing. What is going to happen? We are going to run out of water.”
With only some donkeys and a small team of hired workers, Antonio Vicente set about bringing back the forest to his land. What started out as a weekend hobby soon became a permanent（永久的）way of life, and Antonio recalls often spending whole days and nights in his young jungle, surrounded by rats and foxes, and eating banana sandwiches for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Over the last 40 years, he has planted an estimated 50,000 trees on his 31-hectare land, which now make up a small but unique area of rainforest, and a haven for wildlife.
As the forest grew, the water returned, and Antonio says that there are now over 20 water sources on his land that were no longer there when he bought it. Then the animals started making a home there. Today, the forest is alive with the sounds of birds and insects living there, and more species are settling in every year. “There are toucans（巨嘴鸟）, all kinds of birds, squirrels, lizards, and even the boars are returning,” 83-year-old Vicente says, “If you ask me who my family are, I would say all this right here, each one of these that I planted from a seed.”
1.What do we learn about the Brazilian peasants?
A. They wasted much water on farming.
B. They focused on short-term profit.
C. They cared much about the environment.
D. They relied heavily on rainforests for a living.
2.What used to be young Antonio’s biggest concern?
A. Overpopulation. B. Polluted water.
C. Loss of grasslands. D. Water shortage
3.What does the underlined word “haven” in paragraph 3 probably mean?
A. trap. B. Disaster.
C. Shelter D. Balance.
4.In the last paragraph, Antonio mainly expresses his ________.
A. affection for his forest B. thanks for his family
C. deep love for rare birds D. pride as a successful farmer
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
British children’s writer Roald Dahl ate chocolates and sweets “pretty much every mealtime”, remembers daughter Ophelia Dahl.
After dinner, whether dining alone or entertaining guests, Dahl would pass around a little red plastic box full of Mars Bars, Milky Ways, Maltesers, Kit Kats and much more.
He knew the history of all the sweets and could tell you exactly when they were invented. 1937 was a big year when Kit Kats (his favorite), Rolos and Smarties (his dog, chopper’s favorite) were invented. He wrote a history of chocolate, lecturing schoolchildren to commit such dates to memory（熟记）, such as 1928 when “Cadbury’s Fruit and Nut Bar popped up on the scene”, saying. “Don’t bother with the Kings and Queens of England. All of you should learn these dates instead. Perhaps the Headmistress（女校长）will see from now on that it becomes part of the major teaching in this school.”
According to Dahl, the Golden Years of Chocolate were 1930-1937. In 1930, Roald Dahl was 14 years old. He was a student at Repton, a famous boys’ boarding school in England. It was a tough environment: those in authority were more interested in controlling than educating the students.
Ironically（讽刺地）, it was at this difficult period that chocolate became Dahl’s passion. Near Repton was a Cadbury chocolate factory. Every so often, Cadbury would send each schoolboy a sampler（样品）box of new chocolates to taste and grade. They were using the students---“the greatest chocolate bar experts in the world to test out their new inventions.
This was when Dahl’s imagination took flight. He pictured factories with inventing rooms with pots of chocolate and fudge（软糖）and “all sorts of other delicious fillings bubbling away on the stoves”.
“It was lovely dreaming those dreams…when I was looking for a plot for my second book for children. I remembered those little cardboard boxes（纸盒）and the newly invented chocolates inside them, and I began to write a book called Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”
For the record, Roald Dahl did not like chocolate cake or chocolate ice cream. He said, “I prefer my chocolate straight.”
1.What’s the purpose of the first paragraph?
A. To introduce the main topic---Roald Dahl.
B. To introduce Dahl’s love for chocolate.
C. To introduce main character’s daily life.
D. To introduce some important characters.
2.What can we infer from the passage about Roald Dahl?
A. He treated himself with various chocolate after dinner secretly.
B. He has a good knowledge of chocolate, especially its history.
C. He used to lecture schoolchildren of a boys’ boarding school.
D. He only wrote some books related to the history of chocolate.
3.What happened during the Golden Years of Chocolate?
A. It was a great time for children to get educated.
B. Those years stopped Dahl’s interest in chocolate.
C. Students could become chocolate experts then.
D. Roald Dahl’s passion for chocolate was lit up then.
4.________ gave Roald Dahl inspiration to write Charlie and Chocolate Factory.
A. the dream about chocolates. B. Factories with chocolate and fudge.
C. Those boxes with chocolate. D. Chocolate cakes and ice cream
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Six Things You should Never Do Before the Queen
※Don’t show up empty handed.
What do you get the woman who already has everything? Sure, the Queen has several homes full of priceless trinkets（饰品）, but bringing a gift is necessary. 1. So if she’s paying a visit to your hometown or country, something which reflects local culture might go down better than W.H. smith’s vouchers（优惠券）.
※2.
You may be dead on your painful feet---but you should always stand when the queen enters the room. You may only sit once she has taken the seat, so keep a close eye on when the Queen sits down herself.
※Don’t ignore the dress code.
Regardless of how late you’re running or how tempting it is to stay in your casual clothes, make sure you dress accordingly when meeting HRH. 3.
※Resist the temptation to refer to her by her first name.
While the Royal family may be extremely familiar to us, and while we may have our own nicknames for them, we common folk still aren't on a first name basis with them. So, when you meet the Queen she should be addressed as “Your Majesty” and “Ma’am” consequently after. When she leaves, however, you must address her as “Your Majesty” once again.
※Only speak if the queen speaks to you.
Remember when you were a small child and all your elders would drop wisdom such as “don’t speak unless spoken to first” and “children should be seen and not heard”? 4. This rule exists so Her Royal Highness can control every aspect of the conversation-- including exiting it swiftly.
※Don’t eat before she does.
No matter how tasty and tempting the banquet morsels spread in front of you look, you can only start eating once the Queen does. So perhaps have a quick snack beforehand, in case any speeches go on for a long time. 5.
A. Stand to attention.
B. Watch out for Queen.
C. Oh, and if she has finished eating, you’d better be full too.
D. If the event is black tie, wear black tie.
E. You are supposed to listen to them though you've grown up.
F. This gift must also be appropriate to the occasion.
G. The same applies to meeting the Queen.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Always Challenge Yourself
I started out my career as an editor for a travel magazine. I didn’t really mind the work, but I wanted something more ________. My sister sent me some details for a content management ________ with a digital reading startup（新创办的小公司）. The job was a seemingly perfect mix of my skills and interests, ________ I jumped at it.
However, soon after I ________ the company, its model changed to focus on ________, and everything about my position changed. I was asked to ________ content to teachers and train people. Although I had no ________ in sales, training and education, I knew I wanted to make a serious ________ on the company. I told myself that everything feels overwhelming（难以应对的）at first and I should ________ have a go.
I was fortunate to be surrounded by very ________ people. My best friend reminded me I’d made huge leaps of ________ in the past. It also helped that my boss seemed to have more faith in my ________ than I did. She never asked if I thought I could do it she ________ asked if I was interested in trying.
I spent hours ________ my company’s products, asked lots of questions and spoke to so many teachers. I looked for opportunities to put in extra ________. The more I did, the better I felt.
It was rewarding to see the company ________ and know I had something to do with its success. Sure, I ________ more than I could handle and occasionally made mistakes. But it’s important to take risks and accept new ________, even when you’re not ________ whether you’ll do well. There is nothing worse than failing because you refuse to even ________. I’m so glad I tried, and know I’ll do it again.
1.A. relaxing B. challenging C. entertaining D. astonishing
2.A. position B. business C. industry D. association
3.A. for B. yet C. so D. while
4.A. founded B. ran C. quit D. joined
5.A. education B. technology C. press D. management
6.A. explain B. create C. purchase D. sell
7.A. interest B. experience C. voice D. choice
8.A. difference B. start C. impact D. bet
9.A. at best B. at last C. at most D. at least
10.A. helpful B. honest C. enthusiastic D. active
11.A. duty B. faith C. goal D. profit
12.A. knowledge B. judgment C. personalities D. abilities
13.A. hardly B. only C. seldom D. never
14.A. promoting B. appreciate C. researching D. advertising
15.A. fund B. demand C. require D. effort
16.A. grow B. spread C. work D. decline
17.A. took off B. took in C. took down D. took on
18.A. orders B. wishes C. opportunities D. suggestions
19.A. sure B. doubtful C. curious D. excited
20.A. imagine B. try C. think D. question
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。
Qiang Shuping was so busy making cloth shoes 1. she didn’t even rest during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday. The woman from Baipu County, Jiangsu Province, 2.(make) shoes since she was 19 years old, and this year marks her 3lst year making cloth shoes.
She spends the entire day in her tiny studio, which 3.(measure) less than 10 square meters altogether, filled with cloth shoes in 4.(variety) stages of completion.
Nowadays, many stores make cloth shoes 5.(use) machines, but Qiang sticks to the technique of making shoes entirely 6. hand. She say the shoes 7.(produce) by machine are not of the same quality as handmade ones. The handmade cloth shoes are more durable（耐用的）and comfortable, 8.(soft), and absorb sweat better.
Some people buy cloth shoes out of nostalgia（怀旧）, while others trust 9.(they) quality. Making shoes isn’t a profitable job, but Qiang still insists as she wants to preserve the craft and pass it down to the younger generation.
Handmade cloth shoes are also called qiancengdi (shoes with a thousand layers), 10. can date back to the ancient Zhou Dynasty. In 2009, the making technique of qiancengdi was listed as the national intangible cultural heritage（非物质文化遗产）
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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限一词。
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Last Sunday afternoon I went to a park by bike. I was walking in the park while a couple asked me if I could help take some photos of me. I was more than willingly to offer my service. With many thank, they waved goodbye to me. Therefore, a few minutes later, I found they had been dropped a black handbag on the bench where they had sat. Believe they would return, I decided to wait for them with the handbag on my hand. Soon, they hurried back and I returned the handbag to them, for that they thanked me again and again. What great pleasure it was to help others out!
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
（题文）假定你是李华，想邀请邀请外教Henry一起参观中国剪纸（paper-cutting）艺术展。请给他写封邮件，内容包括：
1. 展览时间、地点；
2. 展览内容。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
注意：1. 词数120左右；
2. 可适当增加细节，使行文连贯。
Dear Henry,
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Look forward to your reply.
Yours,
Li Hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析