Once upon a time there lived a wise king who wanted to marry off his favorite daughter. He wondered how he could find the right person. The king had an idea. He decided to hold a competition to decide which gentleman would win this great honor. The king announced that anyone who wanted to marry the princess must report to the palace. To win his daughter, a man must fill up a whole room with a light thing very quickly.
The first brave competitor arrived at the palace. His name was Peter. He brought bags full of feathers. With great confidence, he started to fill the large room with feathers, but time ran out and he failed.
The next day, another young man whose name was Bob tried to quickly fill the room, this time with beautiful silk. Time ran out again, and he left the palace disappointed.
The competition went on day after day. Hundreds of competitors hoped to pass the test but no one succeeded. The king began to feel hopeless. Wasn’t anyone in the kingdom qualified to marry the beautiful princess?
One day, a young man called Mike arrived at the palace empty-handed. The king wondered how this man planned to win the competition. Entering the room, the young man put out the lights. He reached into his pocket, got a small candle and lit it. In no time, the light filled the whole room.
The king was very happy because he had found the perfect match for his lovely daughter.
1.Why did the king hold the competition?
A.To win his daughter.
B.To find a smart official.
C.To marry off his daughter.
D.To choose a new wise king after him.
2.What does the underlined word “qualified” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
A.Willing. B.Suitable.
C.Clever. D.Honest.
3.Who won the competition at last?
A.Peter. B.Bob.
C.Mike. D.Nobody.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
If you are home-alone, or live alone, and somebody comes to the door, shout out “I got it” so that it seems like someone else is there with you and you are not alone. But actually before that, there are lots of preventive(预防的) actions to take.
Give your apartment a safety check
It’s a good idea to give your apartment a once-over for safety concerns—ideally before you even move in. Complete this safety checklist.
Can any of your valuables be seen from the street?
Can you see who’s at the door without opening it?
Do you have all your mail held at the post office when you travel?
Have all the locks of your doors been changed since you moved in?
Become friends with your neighbors
If you’re shy, then you’d probably prefer anything else to chatting with neighbors. But make an effort to be friendly. In one way or another, your neighbors will be more willing to lend a hand to a friend than they are to help out a stranger in times of trouble.
Be smart about spare keys
Thieves and other illegal types know exactly where to check for spare keys.
So don’t think you’re being clever by hiding them in the mailbox, or underneath a carpet. Instead, you had better leave them to a friend or trusted neighbor.
Always lock the door
Lock your doors, every single time. Even if you’re just going to the garbage dumpster(垃圾大铁桶) quickly, or only stepping inside to catch something you forgot.
It may seem like overkill — especially if you live in a relatively safe district. But it only takes that one moment for someone to steal in.
1.Why does the author advise you to shout “I got it” in Paragraph 1?
A.To protect yourself. B.To answer the door.
C.To call out loudly. D.To welcome the guests.
2.What is the author’s opinion about spare keys?
A.Hide spare keys in the mailbox.
B.Take all the keys with you if possible.
C.Leave the keys to someone you trusted.
D.Have your keys ready as you leave.
3.What are the right preventive actions?
① Never change the locks.
② Close the door in time.
③ Make friends with neighbors.
④ Put spare keys under the carpet.
⑤ Keep valuables seen from the street.
⑥ Have a safety check about the apartment.
A.①②④ B.②③⑤
C.③④⑥ D.②③⑥
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
George Washington Carver had a goal. This was to help southern farmers who needed good crops. They needed crops that didn’t hurt the soil. Carver went to Simpson College in Iowa, in which he studied for three years. Then he went to Iowa State, where he got two degrees. The college knew he was smart and wanted him to stay. So he joined the team. He was put in charge of a huge greenhouse. There he grew over 20,000 kinds of fungi（真菌），which made him famous.
Carver had many job offers. Thomas Edison offered $175,000 a year. Henry Ford tried to hire him too. Joseph Stalin invited him to the Soviet Union to help with cotton. But Carver refused all offers. Instead, he took a job at Tuskegee Institute. This was a school for African Americans. Carver was paid only $1,000 a year. But he was happy because he had goals to reach and he knew he could reach them at Tuskegee.
Carver worked at Tuskegee for 47 years. He never asked for a raise in pay. And he never received one. He worked so hard that he died in his office chair on January 4, 1943.
Carver came up with over 300 products from peanuts （花生）, all of which could have been patented (申请专利). He could have made millions. But he did not want to. Here is what he said, “Mr. Creator did not charge to grow the peanut. I cannot accept money for my work with it.”
Through his efforts, Carver set up a fund, for he wanted research to continue. He gave his life’s savings to it, which came to $40,000. One honor came after his death. His birthplace was made a national shrine (圣地). How surprised the modest Carver could have been!
1.One job offer which Carver accepted was to work for ______.
A.Thomas Edison B.Henry Ford
C.Joseph Stalin D.Tuskegee Institute
2.How much did Carver offer to the fund？
A.$1,000. B.$20,000.
C.$40,000. D.$175,000.
3.Which of the following best describes Carver?
A.Selfless. B.Stubborn.
C.Stupid. D.Reliable.
4.What’s the main idea of the text?
A.Carver preferred work to money.
B.Carver devoted his whole life to achieving his goals.
C.Carver refused many job offers that would make him rich.
D.Some scientists would rather do good than make much money.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Sometimes, you do not finish drinking your glass of water before you go to bed. 1.
But have you ever wondered if it is still safe to drink?
“If you have clean water in a clean glass, you’re fine to drink it for a day or two,” Kellogg Schwab from the Johns Hopkins University Water Institute in the US told Time.
2. That’s because after about 12 hours, the carbon dioxide (二氧化碳) in the air reacts（反应）with the water in your glass, slightly lowering its pH level.
Also, there might be more microorganisms (微生物) in your water if you leave it out overnight. Microorganisms grow more quickly at room temperature. These microorganisms can stay on your glass. 3. But as long as you clean your glasses very often, this will not be a problem.
In countries like the US and UK, people often drink water directly from the tap (水龙头).4. Most experts say that tap water has a shelf life of six months, according to Zane Satterfield from West Virginia University, US. After six months, there is less chlorine (氯) in the water and bacteria (细菌) start to grow. You’d better not drink the water otherwise you may get sick.
5. Schwab said people should be careful with them. If you leave a bottle of water under the sun or in a car for a long period of time, the plastic produces a chemical called BPA. This chemical can cause heart disease and cancer.
A.What about plastic water bottles?
B.They can make you get sick more easily.
C.Is it safe for you to drink the water later?
D.But you may find that it tastes strange.
E.Some people prefer to drink water from rivers.
F.You might want to drink it the next morning.
G.This is OK—however, tap water cannot be stored for a long time.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
When you’re leaving for an international trip, a passport is the single most important thing to double-check. Remembering to ______ it with you is very important. It’s also important for you to ______ about your passport. After all, it’s your one ______ to get out of the country—and get back in. Passports are powerful, ______ not all are equal.
Depending on what passport you ______, you’ll need a visa（签证）to enter different countries. For example, a U.S. passport is all you need to ______ Peru（秘鲁）. If you decide to______ to Brazil while you’re there, you’ll need to apply for（申请）a ______. But a Peruvian passport would let you ______ the border（国界）into Brazil without a visa.
Naturally, some passports will get you into more ______ visa-free than others. The organization Arton Capital listed every country’s passport from most ______ least powerful, based on how many countries it would give access（进入权）to without a visa. Nowadays, the United Arab Emirates is recognized as the most _______ passport in the world. It gets their ______ into 177 countries without a visa. In the ______ place are Finland, Luxembourg, and Spain which all give access to 169 countries. The United States, which has 168 visa-free countries on its______, doesn’t come in until the third group.
Count yourself ______ if you don’t rely on an Afghanistan passport ______is the least powerful, only letting their people into 34 countries without a visa.
Visa or not, make sure you ______these airport mistakes that could ruin your vacation.
1.A.take B.offer C.produce D.hang
2.A.talk B.know C.ask D.think
3.A.reason B.chance C.road D.ticket
4.A.and B.or C.so D.but
5.A.show B.give C.have D.check
6.A.give up B.get into C.join in D.care about
7.A.go B.lead C.turn D.refer
8.A.book B.visa C.note D.passport
9.A.reach B.close C.guard D.cross
10.A.cities B.fields C.countries D.rooms
11.A.between B.for C.with D.to
12.A.powerful B.necessary C.frequent D.interesting
13.A.designers B.producers C.owners D.workers
14.A.first B.second C.third D.last
15.A.survey B.route C.outline D.list
16.A.sad B.safe C.lucky D.foolish
17.A.who B.that C.when D.where
18.A.avoid B.make C.face D.admit
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容或括号内单词的正确形式。
Dinosaurs died out because of 1. unexpected incident. But wildlife today disappears or is 2. danger just because humans do harm to it. For example, tigers 3.(hunt) for fur to make carpets so that they can only live in secure reserves; grassland is destroyed without mercy so that dust storms come into being, 4. affect distant cities.
Last year, scientists 5.(see) some monkeys rubbing themselves with a certain kind of insects to protect themselves from fierce 6.(mosquito). According to the result of the inspection, they found that the insect contains a 7.(use) drug, so local farmers were employed to catch the insects. The ending was that the insects disappeared 8. (gradual) from the whole zone.
We should appreciate the natural balance and pay more attention to the 9. (important) of wildlife protection. Not until we succeed in 10. (make) wildlife live in peace can we smile in relief.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读短文，根据其内容写一篇60词左右的内容概要。
Most Americans take pride in inviting guests with open arms. What should you do if an American friend has invited you to visit his family? You've never been to an American home before, and you're not sure what to do. Should you take a gift? What time should you arrive or leave? How long should you stay? Take it easy. I’ll tell you all about it.
The question of whether or not to bring a gift often worries guests. Giving your host a gift is not just a social custom in some cultures—it's expected. But in American culture, a guest does not have to bring a gift. Of course, some people do bring a small gift for their host. Proper gifts might usually be flowers, candy or—if the family has small children—toys. If you choose not to bring a gift, don't worry. No one will even notice.
Plan to arrive on time, or call to tell your host that you will be late. When you've finished the meal, the host may invite everyone to move to the living room for dessert with tea or coffee. After an hour or so, it's about time to head for the door.
Americans usually like to invite guests ahead of time. Only very close friends visit the host unexpectedly without being invited. This is especially true if the guests want to stay for a few days. Here's one golden rule for house guests: short stays are best. Even relatives don’t usually stay for several weeks at a time. Your host family will appreciate our consideration (体贴), and they may even invite you back!
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
假定你是宁德市新华中学的学生李华，本周六你班同学打算举行一次登山活动。请用英文给外教David写一封信，邀请他参加此次活动。具体内容如下：
1. 集合时间与地点：8:00, 校门口；
2. 携带物品：食物、水、相机等；
3. 返回时间：下午两点；
4. 登山的益处：……。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear David,
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
难度: 困难查看答案及解析