▲Sunday Cushion Concerts
Times: 10 am.&11am.
Tickets: $5 per person
The regular Sunday Cushion Concerts introduce children and their families to different instruments and styles of music. Bring your own cushions and secure places by booking in advance! Tickets are available to book over the phone 01865 325325.
▲Christmas Show: The Elves (精灵) and the Shoemaker
17-22 December 2019
Tickets: $7 per person
A poor shoemaker is down on his luck, but as Christmas draws close, a simple act of kindness inspires some magical elves to offer their services. Their amazing shoes attract customers from far and wide, earning the shoemaker fame and fortune! But how will he ever repay them?
This classic story is brought to life for 3- to 7-year-olds and their families. Please book in advance to secure places! For other details, call us at 01865 325331.
▲Moving Music
Michaelmas Term Concert: 6 October 2019
Times: 11:30am & 2pm
Tickets: $5 per person
Please reserve your places in advance, and pay on the door.
This series of concerts is designed especially for people living with dementia(痴呆), and their families, friends, and carers, to enable them to enjoy a concert experience together and to help unlock memory and movement through the power of music. Concerts are held approximately every three months.
For more details or to arrange access for transport: Phone 01865 286660.
▲Turtle Key Opera
Friday mornings in Trinity Term: April-June 2019
Turtle Song is FREE to all participants. To sign up or for more information contact Turtle Key Arts on 01865 525265.
Turtle Song is an opportunity to compose and sing your own songs with professional musicians. The group will meet weekly over a nine-week period between April and June 2019. The aims are to help people with all forms of dementia and people with memory problems.
1.Which event should you choose if you want your kid to learn about different styles of music?
A. Moving Music.
B. Turtle Key Opera.
C. Sunday Cushion Concerts.
D. Christmas Show: The Elves and the Shoemaker.
2.Which number should you call if your 4-year-old girl likes magical stories?
A. 01865 325325. B. 01865 325331.
C. 01865 286660. D. 01865 525265.
3.What’s the similarity between the last two events?
A. They are both free of charge.
B. They are both held every three months.
C. They both benefit people with dementia.
D. They both allow people to sing their own songs.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
Author Avi, winner of a Newbery Award, a Scott O’Dell Historical Fiction Award, and several Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards, may have seen his first children’s book published in 1970, but that doesn’t mean he’s lost his talent for connecting with young fans.
The American writer, born in 1937, agrees that getting involved with his readers is one of the key reasons he keeps writing, and that he’s been fortunate enough to hear directly from readers about the impact (影响) his books have had. “I have been touched many times by readers who find some special connection between their lives and something I have written: the Danish girl who read something of mine in Danish, and struggled to communicate that in her poor English; the autistic (自闭症的) boy who somehow found something meaningful about my books that reached his own inner life; the women who have told me how important The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle was to them when growing up.”
Beyond his fans’ questions about the characters he’s created, the writer’s most commonly heard question may be about his own use of the single name “Avi.” “As a young adult, I was a reader of French literature, which has that one name tradition: Moliere, Racine, Anouilh, Gide, and so on,” he explains. “Avi was given to me by my twin sister when we were very young children, and it stuck. Then my family discouraged me from taking up writing as a career because they considered my writing poor. By using Avi, I was showing my determination to them.”
Although he believes－and has the awards to show－that his writing skills have improved, writing still doesn’t come easily to him, despite having over sixty books to his credit. “I never studied writing in any formal sense. I taught myself to write by reading, and by imitating what I was reading,” he says.
The writing task may be tough, but the payoff is big. “To create, share, and support the gift of reading and literature, is to give young people the gift of many worlds, within and without,” Avi states.
1.What do the readers mentioned by Avi have in common?
A. They often seek help from him.
B. They can find themselves in his books.
C. They have been influenced by his works.
D. They have offered helpful suggestions to him.
2.What’s the main reason why author Avi uses the name Avi?
A. It was given to him by his parents.
B. It is used in memory of his sisters.
C. It encourages him to achieve his dream.
D. It is the name of one of his favorite characters.
3.What do we learn about Avi from the text?
A. He is a self-made writer.
B. He often sends his readers gifts.
C. He considers writing an easy job.
D. He is against copying other writers’ styles.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A. How Avi looks at his fans.
B. Some important book awards.
C. How Avi improves his writing skills.
D. A popular writer among young readers.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Young people’s mental health is of increasing interest and concern to researchers, policymakers, and families alike－but can treating teenagers’ mental health problems also improve the wellbeing of their parents? New research suggests that it can. The study, conducted by Kelsey Howard, a doctoral candidate at Northwestern University, found that regardless of which treatment teenagers were using for their depression, the mental health of their parents improved too.
Older findings say that there is a link between mothers’ depression and major depression in their teenagers, although it seems not to be biological. However, the latest research suggests that the relationship between parents’ and their children’s mental health might work in the other direction too.
While Howard’s research hasn’t evidenced a clear reason for this trend, she told The Atlantic: “If the family members interact with (交往) each other well, the kid will be more pleasant to be around and make less negative statements, which will affect how other family members think.”
Tom Madders, director of campaigns at YoungMinds, told HuffPost UK that for parents, watching their children go through mental health problems can be difficult, especially if they feel responsible. Madders also noted that parents often make big lifestyle changes, say, giving up their jobs, to support their children with depression, particularly in cases where their children have to leave school because of their mental health problems. However, Madders thought this can only make things worse. “Parents’ sacrifice adds pressure to the delicate shoulder owners,” he said.
The process of waiting to get treatment can also be an added stressor: “Every day we get calls to our helpline from parents whose children have been waiting months for an initial assessment, or left on long waiting lists for treatment that they need … that’s why it’s important that the Government commits to long-term extra investment in children’s mental health services.”
1.What has the latest research found?
A. The problem of depression might be biological.
B. Teens’ negative statements harm family relationships.
C. The number of teens suffering depression is increasing.
D. Teens’ depression may cause mental problems in their parents.
2.According to Howard, how can parents help kids with depression be more positive?
A. By building a pleasant family atmosphere.
B. By praising them as much as possible.
C. By teaching them to be responsible.
D. By being soft with their homework.
3.What does the underlined part “the delicate shoulder owners” refer to?
A. Children. B. Parents.
C. Teachers. D. Doctors.
4.From which column of a newspaper is the text most probably taken?
A. Entertainment. B. Health.
C. Economy. D. Education.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Have you ever wished you could grow fresh fruit in your garden but worry about there not being enough space, or it won’t look pretty, or it’s too difficult?
What if I was to tell you that even a beginner can successfully grow a wide variety of fruit from apples and pears to cherries, blueberries and raspberries, and possibly even figs or nectarines?
The first thing you need to know: the sweeter the fruit, the more sun it will require. If you have a sunny wall it’s an ideal place to train a sun-loving fruit tree like a peach or an apricot. Plant the tree at the base of the wall but not too close (about 30cm is about right) in soil enriched with fertilizer (肥料). As it grows, splay (整枝) the branches evenly and attach them to the wall. As the plant grows gradually cut out old untidy branches and tie in new healthy branches. The idea of splaying or “fanning” is that as much sun as possible gets to the fruit, so it can ripen beautifully and maximize your crop.
Choose a variety that won’t grow too large. In slightly shadier spots you can grow gooseberries or raspberries. Most of these come in compact (紧凑的) varieties and can also be fan-trained against a wall if space is an issue.
I have a tiny orchard (果园) of space-saving apple, pear and plum trees bought as single vertical stems (茎) which I grow in pots. They grow to a maximum of 2m high and no wider than 45cm. My children love them! Simply cut back the side stems to about 10cm at this time of year and you’re good to go. Just remember that pot-grown plants rely totally on you for their food and water.
As a gardener I was quite late to fruit-growing, but I realized quickly that it becomes an addictive hobby. And as a complete bonus I’ve noticed a definite increase in my bee population over the past few years. There’s free food, and it’s good for the environment too. What could be better?
1.How does the author attract readers’ attention to the topic?
A. By making comparisons. B. By raising some questions.
C. By listing some general rules. D. By telling interesting stories.
2.What should you do to make your peach tree bear sweet fruit?
A. Do the splaying regularly. B. Use fertilizer frequently.
C. Choose some compact varieties. D. Plant the tree far from your wall.
3.What do we know about gooseberries and raspberries?
A. They are sun-lovers. B. They are space savers.
C. They can grow very large. D. They may die from splaying.
4.How are pot-grown fruit trees different from field-grown ones?
A. They bear more fruits. B. They are more dependent.
C. They need more water and food. D. They are more popular with kids.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Did you make financial decisions last New Year’s Eve? Did they fall by the wayside? If so, you are not alone. 1..
▲Make a smart budget
Did you plan to make a budget and fail to do so? This is a perfect time to start, as you are heading into the new year. You may be able to stop yourself from overspending if you realize how overextended you are. If you’ve taken no other financial steps this year, start by setting a realistic budget. 2..
▲Control your spending
Even if you had a budget, were you able to stick to it? 3.. Use it as a psychological advantage－you have less to spend so you need to shop harder for bargains and research prices. Impulse buying (即兴购买) will be less likely to attract you and your spending should be more focused as a result.
▲4.
You had a savings goal, didn’t you? If you didn’t have a specific goal, it may be why your savings effort failed. Set a smaller savings goal now, and use that to build a larger savings goal for the upcoming year. Make sure that you equate（使等同）your savings with a specific goal.
▲Reduce your debt
Debt reduction is an important goal, especially in the case of high-interest debt such as credit cards. It’s easy to get into an unrecoverable increase of debt if you have no plan to keep debt in check. It is a longer-term goal, but one you need to start right away. 5.. That may be a tall task, which is all the more reason to start immediately.
A. Increase your savings
B. Have a clear goal for your debt
C. You will go on with your new decisions
D. Most other financial improvements will follow
E. Start small by setting a spending budget for your shopping
F. But this year, you can make some progress on your financial goals
G. Attack the debt with the highest interest rate, and control your spending
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
In 1993, Greg Mortenson travelled to northern Pakistan to climb K2, the world’s second highest mountain. Instead of reaching the top, he became so ____ that he had to come down. Some porters took him home to Korphe, their village, and ____ him.
While he was recovering, Greg ____ the village children writing their lessons outside in the dirt. The village had no ____ and couldn’t pay $l a day for a teacher. Greg decided to pay the village back by raising money to build a school and ____ a teacher.
Back home in Montana, Greg wrote many ____ to celebrities（名人）and business people. ____, he received just one reply and one check for $100. Then he wrote 16 grant proposals（补助金申请）— all were ____. Finally he started ____ his things, but only raised $2,000.
Then an elementary school class in Wisconsin ____ a project called Pennies for Pakistan. They ____ $623 in pennies to CAI — Central Asia Institute, founded by Greg. After that, adults began to take a(n) ____ in his project. ____, Greg raised $12,000 and in 1996, CAI ____ its first project — the school in Korphe.
Over two decades, CAI’s ____ have expanded into other areas of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan, many of them too dangerous or remote for other organizations to reach. CAI has ____ the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Hundreds of new requests for ____ still cross the organization’s desks every day. It looks forward to ____ these future projects, because Greg and CAI truly ____ the surest path to peace is through ____. With education they can change the world, one child at a time.
1.A. sleepy B. thirsty C. hungry D. weak
2.A. took care of B. paid attention to C. made use of D. lost contact with
3.A. imagined B. noticed C. stopped D. insisted
4.A. school B. bridge C. road D. hospital
5.A. become B. help C. hire D. meet
6.A. poems B. letters C. checks D. books
7.A. Therefore B. Otherwise C. However D. Moreover
8.A. turned down B. broken down C. settled down D. cut down
9.A. fixing B. selling C. cleaning D. packing
10.A. rejected B. reported C. proved D. undertook
11.A. lent B. owed C. donated D. paid
12.A. idea B. interest C. course D. chance
13.A. Eventually B. Suddenly C. Strangely D. Casually
14.A. advertised B. revised C. predicted D. completed
15.A. reputations B. trades C. projects D. trips
16.A. cost B. changed C. saved D. controlled
17.A. help B. permission C. interviews D. jobs
18.A. seeking for B. taking away C. dealing with D. pointing out
19.A. announce B. warn C. suggest D. believe
20.A. money B. patience C. music D. education
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
All our dreams have something to do 1. our feelings, tears, longings, wishes, needs and memories. But something on the “outside” may affect 2. we dream. If a person is hungry or tired or cold, his dream may include a feeling of this kind. If the blanket on your body has slipped off your bed, you may dream that you 3.(sleep) or resting on the ice or snow. So the subject of your dream usually comes from something 4. has an effect on you while you are sleeping (feeling of cold, a noise, etc.) and it may also use your past 5. (experience) and the wishes and interests you have now.
There are some scientists who have made 6. special study of why we dream, what we dream and what those dreams mean. Their 7. (explain) of dreams, though a bit reasonable, is not accepted by everyone, and it offers an interesting way of 8. (deal) with the problem. They believe that dreams are 9. (most) expressions of wishes that did not come true. In other words, a dream is a way of having your wishes 10. (carry) out.
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10处错误，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：在缺词处加一个漏词符号(∧)，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。
Challenges of life are of great importance in our grow. They remind me my days in senior high school which I was in the military training. It was the first time that I have lived away from my home, so I found it difficult to fit in. And the training officer was strict in me. I once thought I couldn’t stick to the end. But anyway, I was succeeded. The trials made it much easy for me to adapt to life, but the difficulties I came across have now become a precious memory in my life. In short, learning to regard the challenges of life as the stepping stone to future success and make the best of them.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假定你是王轩，在不久前的英国之行中得到了Green夫妇的帮助。请你给他们写一封邮件，内容主要包括：
1.简述他们对你的帮助；
2.表达感激之情；
3.邀请他们来中国。
注意：1.词数100左右（开头和结尾已给出，但不计入总词数）；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Green,
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours truly,
Wang Xuan
难度: 困难查看答案及解析