OPENINGS AND PREVIEWS
Antlia Pneumatica
In a new play by Anne Washburn, directed by Ken Rus Schmoll, a group of estranged friends gather at a Texas farm house to bury one of their peers. (Peter Jay Sharp, 416 W. 42nd St. 212-279-4200. In previews.)
Bright Star
Steve Martin and Edie Brickell wrote this bluegrass-and-Americana musical, in which a magazine editor meets a soldier returning from the Second World War. Walter Bobbie directs. (Cort, 138 W. 48th St. 212-239-6200. In previews.)
The Crucible
Ivo van Hove directs Arthur Miller’s classic drama about the Salem witch trials, starring Saoirse Ronan, Ben Whishaw, Ciaran Hinds, and Sophie Okonedo. (Walter Kerr, 219 W. 48th St. 212-239-6200. In previews.)
Dry Powder
John Krasinski, Claire Danes, and Hank Azaria star in Sarah Burgess’s play, in which an executive at a private-equity firm (私人股本公司) tries to rebound from a P.R. disaster. Thomas Kail directs. (Public, 425 Lafayette St. 212-967-7555. In previews. Opens Oct. 28, 2017)
The Father
Frank Langella stars in a play by the French writer Florian Zeller, translated by Christopher Hampton and directed by Doug Hughes for Manhattan Theatre Club, about an eighty-year-old man who is losing his grip on his own life story. (Samuel J. Friedman, 261 W. 47th St. 212-239-6200. Previews begin Oct. 28, 2017)
1.If you’re interested in American music, where can you get entertained?
A. Peter Jay Sharp, 416 W. 42nd St. B. Walter Kerr, 219 W. 48th St.
C. Cort, 138 W. 48th St. D. Public, 425 Lafayette St.
2.If you want to preview a play now, which of the following is not available?
A. Dry Powder B. The Crucible
C. Bright Star D. The Father
3.The author’s purpose of writing the passage is to ________ .
A. entertain B. inform
C. persuade D. describe
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Phil White has just returned from an 18,000-mile, around-the-world bicycle trip. White had two reasons for making this epic journey. First of all, he wanted to use the trip to raise money for charity, which he did. He raised ＄70,000 for the British charity, Oxfam. White's second reason for making the trip was to break the world record and become the fastest person to cycle around the world. He is still waiting to find out if he has broken the record or not.
White set off from Trafalgar Square, in London, on 19th June 2004 and was back 299 days later. He spent more than l,300 hours in the saddle(车座)and destroyed four sets of tyres and three bike chains. He had the adventure of his life crossing Europe, the Middle East, India, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the Americas. Amazingly, he did all of this with absolutely no support team. No jeep carrying food, water and medicine. No doctor. Nothing! Just a bike and a very, very long road.
The journey was lonely and desperate at times. He also had to fight his way across deserts, through jungles and over mountains. He cycled through heavy rains and temperatures of up to 45 degrees, all to help people in need. There were other dangers along the road. In Iran, he was chased by armed robbers and was lucky to escape with his life and the little money he had. The worst thing that happened to him was having to cycle into a headwind on a road that crosses the south of Australia. For 1,000 kilometres he battled against the wind that was constantly pushing him. This part of the trip was slow, hard work and depressing, but he made it in the end. Now Mr. White is back and intends to write a book about his adventures.
1.When Phil White returned from his trip, he________.
A. broke the world record B. destroyed several bikes
C. collected money for Oxfam D. travelled about 1,300 hours
2.What does the word "epic" in Paragraph l most probably mean?
A. Very long and difficult. B. Very slow but exciting.
C. Very smooth but tiring. D. Very lonely and depressing.
3.During his journey around the world, Phil White _______.
A. fought heroically against robbers in Iran
B. experienced the extremes of heat and cold
C. had a team of people who travelled with him
D. managed to ride against the wind in Australia
4.Which of the following words can best describe Phil White?
A. determined. B. independent.
C. modest. D. imaginative.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Reducing plastic waste isn't easy because the cheap material is found in almost every household item. Now, a delicious and nutritious solution has come up to help reduce our dependence on this environmental hazard.
David Christian, the co-founder of Evoware, says the idea of creating the biodegradable (生物降解的) products came from concern at the country's high pollution rate. Indonesia is home to four of the world's worst polluted rivers. Since single-use packaging is a large contributor to the problem, Evoware decided to deal with that first.
After investigating various materials, the company settled on seaweed. Unlike corn, commonly used for biodegradable containers, seaweed does not require resources like water or large amounts of space. Since Indonesian farmers already harvest more seaweed than they can sell, it's easy for the company to find the material.
Though they will not reveal their production process, Evoware says the seaweed packaging contains no chemicals and is safe to consume. The company has also invented single-use cups, which can break down 30 days after they're thrown away.
While replacing plastic with the seaweed products may seem appealing to most of us, it is a hard-sell in Indonesia. According to Christian, “The awareness to reduce single-use plastic is still very low. This makes our bioplastic unnecessary.” Also a factor is the cost, which is higher than using plastic. Hopefully, Evoware will succeed in convincing Indonesians and people worldwide that switching to their products will be helpful to protecting our beautiful planet.
1.What problem did Evoware decide to deal with first?
A. Ways to clean the four worst polluted rivers.
B. How to deal with single-use packaging.
C. Means to contribute to the country's economy.
D. What nutritious materials for people to use.
2.Why did Evoware choose seaweed?
A. It could be found everywhere in his country.
B. It was most commonly used for packaging.
C. It didn't require much space and was easy to get.
D. It grew thickly in most of the polluted rivers.
3.What can we infer from Christian's words?
A. Sometimes it's hard to get people to reduce the use of plastics.
B. Their seaweed products have won government support.
C. Their new products have received worldwide popularity.
D. The cost of making seaweed products will be lowered soon.
4.What does the underlined word “hard-sell” (in Para. 5) refer to?
A. Something lasting long. B. Something commonly seen.
C. Something easy to get. D. Something hard to accept.
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
Why do you go to the library? For books, yes—but you like books because they tell stories. You hope to get lost in a story or be transported into someone else’s life. At one type of library you can do just that—even though there's not a single book.
At a Human Library, instead of books, you can "borrow" people. People with unique life stories volunteer to be the "books." For a certain amount of time, you can ask them questions and listen to their stories, which are as fascinating as any you can find in a book. (If you attend, make sure to review the habits that make you a good listener.) Many of the stories have to do with some kind of depressing topic. You can speak with a refugee, a soldier suffering from PTSD (创伤后遗症), a homeless person and a woman living with HIV. The Human Library encourages people to take time to truly get to know and learn from someone they might otherwise make a snap judgement about. According to its website, the Human Library is "a place where difficult questions are expected, appreciated and answered."
The Human Library Organization came to be in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2000. Romni Abergel and his colleagues hosted a four-day event during a major Northern European festival. After the success of this event, Abergel founded the Human Library Organization, hoping to raise awareness among youth about depression, which has been growing ever since.
Though there a few permanent human libraries, most aren’t place at all, but events. Though many do take place at physical libraries, you don't need a library card—anyone can come and be part of the experience. There have been human library events all over the globe, in universities and in pubs, from Chicago to Tunis to Edinburgh to San Antonio. Check out the organization's Facebook page to see when the Human Library might be arriving near you.
1.What shall we do before going to the Human Library?
A. Go over some listening habits. B. Get a library card.
C. Make an appointment. D. Bring a book.
2.What does the underlined word “snap" in paragraph 2 mean?
A. True. B. Quick.
C. Obvious. D. Wrong.
3.Why did Ronmi Abergel found the Human Library Organization?
A. He expected to answer different questions.
B. He wanted young people to pay attention to depression.
C. He successfully held an event in Northern Europe.
D. He had set up the Human Libraries all over the world.
4.What is the best title of the text?
A. A Library in Denmark B. Human Library Organization
C. Human Library Is Near You D. "Borrow" People Instead of Books
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
Master Your Deadlines
The struggle begins in high school, sometimes earlier. Deadlines, and lots of them, start to pile up. At college, the pressure sometimes leads to last-minute rush an unsatisfactory work. At work, failing to meet deadlines can easily get you fired. 1. Here are a few best practices.
▪Assign deadlines to what matters.
If the task isn’t of high importance, don’t set a specific deadline. In this way, you are able to keep it on your radar for a while without feeling pressured. 2.This will provide just enough pressure to ensure you get it done.
▪3..
Set a personal deadline for yourself a day or two before the actual deadline. 4. If you’re working with a group of people, add in even more time to account for potential follow-ups and the need for approvals.
▪Keep communicating.
5. This means letting others know when something is taking longer than expected, when a delivery didn’t come in, when a client is not providing the necessary information, etc. Although it may feel embarrassing to admit that something is not on schedule, being honest is much better for relieving your stress.
A. Whenever you feel challenged to finish work on time, communicate
B. But handled properly, deadlines can actually improve productivity
C. But if an activity is urgent, set a deadline immediately
D. In this way, you’11 never have to stay up late and feel stressed
E. Finish your project as early as possible
F. Plan for flexible hours
G. So if anything takes longer than expected, you can still wrap it up and submit it on time
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
Not all love is said out loud. It wasn’t until I went to high school that I ____ this. In my memories, it was Mom who held the family together. Dad was harsh and ____. Every evening, coming back home from work, he would ____ me for what I’d done wrong during the day.
When I broke my leg after I _____ a swing, it was Mom who ____ held me in her arms all the way to the hospital. In dead ____, Dad pulled a gurney (医院的轮床) right up to the door of the emergency room and when asked to move it away, he jumped and ____ , “I need this gurney. Don’t you think it’s urgent?” His voice did frighten me.
Recently, as I was ____ my family’s photo album with some friends, one of them asked, “What does your father look like?” At that moment, it ____ me that few pictures of my dad could be found. He was always the one ____ pictures for us. This ____ why nearly all of the photos in the album were of my Mom and me.
Familiar scenes ran through my head. At my birthday parties, he just ____ himself blowing up balloons, setting up tables and trying to make everything _____. It was Mom who carried the cake with candles on it for me to____. Dad was sitting in the comer, tired and ____.
Studying in high school now, I only go home about once a month. On my ____, Dad remains silent ____ , but Mom always tells me that it was Dad who drove to other towns to buy fresh seafood and vegetables, saying that it was _____ as long as I could enjoy the dishes he’d ____ .
Perhaps Dad just doesn’t know how to ____ love. Or, I don’t know how to recognize it.
1.A. refused B. realized C. remembered D. controlled
2.A. kind B. flexible C. cold D. stubborn
3.A. scold B. appreciate C. charge D. ask
4.A. fell off B. fixed upon C. moved into D. put on
5.A. excitedly B. gently C. unwillingly D. strangely
6.A. position B. responsibility C. silence D. atmosphere
7.A. doubted B. added C. whispered D. shouted
8.A. looking through B. looking up C. looking down upon D. looking into
9.A. resulted in B. contributed to C. occurred to D. headed for
10.A. collecting B. changing C. taking D. drawing
11.A. explained B. admitted C. confirmed D. predicted
12.A. lost B. enjoyed C. busied D. adapted
13.A. faulty B. tidy C. colorful D. perfect
14.A. come out B. put out C. blow out D. break out
15.A. sleepy B. ill C. unsatisfied D. hungry
16.A. visits B. ways C. studies D. journeys
17.A. or so B. for sure C. in doubt D. as usual
18.A. useful B. worthwhile C. understandable D. necessary
19.A. enjoyed B. bought C. prepared D. consumed
20.A. adopt B. express C. say D. represent
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（不多于3个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
Have you found that much of your online communication has been replaced by emojis(表情符号) ? Has “Happy Birthday” become a cake with 1.(light) candles? Since they were invented in the 1990s in Japan, emojis, meaning “picture characters”, 2.(occupy) the world. According to a UK-based mobile technology company, 6 million emojis used in text messages are sent around the world every day through smartphones.
That’s why for the first time Oxford Dictionary’s Word of the Year is emoji--- a face 3.tears of joy. Emijis are regarded as a new kind of 4.(express). Behind the popularity of emojis 5. (be) the rise of young people 6. welcome new technology and inventions. So the reason why young people as well as others love to emoji is that they show meanings 7. (beautiful). When young people are asked what makes the generation unique, 8. put “technology use” first.
Now emojis are in much 9.(wide) use than written words. As10. result, people began to doubt whether it has made up a too large part in our online communication.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
英语课上，老师要求同桌相互修改作文。假设以下作文为你同桌所写，请你对其进行修改。共有10处错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏词符号 （^），并在此符号下面写出该加的词。
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；
只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Nowadays, this is common to hear about a young person getting this or that kind of serious disease. A couple of day ago, a friend in her 20s asked me that whether I was familiar with some health products. She tells me that she got tired easily and seemed to be in state of sub-health. At the age of twenty, one should feel filled with strong and energy. And some people at that age have started to worry about their health. Since we now have more access to information about keeping healthy, we should start to act responsible and pay special attention to improve our health.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
假设你是李华，前天你收到英国笔友Kathy发来的电子邮件，说她很想报名参加即将在当地举办的“汉语民歌演唱比赛 （Singing Chinese Folk Songs Contest）”活动，但信心不足。请你给她回复一封邮件，内容包括：
鼓励她报名参加；2. 帮助分析参加的意义； 3. 给她提几点建议
注意：1. 字数100字左右；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.开头已经给出，不计入总字数。
Dear Kathy,
I’m glad to know that _______________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
难度: 困难查看答案及解析