True heroes are all around us. Some help others, and others are simply good role models. My hero is my brother Thomas.
When Thomas and I were little, we used to go to the playground a lot. Kids would be scared of him and ask, “Is your arm broken?”
Thomas would respond by explaining what happened: he was born without the left arm. If they ran away, he wouldn’t let it bother him.
Thomas is expert at both cross-country(越野跑) and track. He is a 4:46 miler, which with the setback he has makes it an even greater accomplishment. Missing an arm affects his balance, which affects his leg drive. The work he has put in, however, has made up for this. He practices so hard that anything short of success would seem a disappointment.
Thomas used to play baseball like it was a religion. His idol was Jim Abbott, a pitcher(投球) for the California Angels. Abbot was a very good pitcher who only had one arm. “I looked up to Abbott because I saw what I could achieve,” Thomas said. Thomas had a lot of trouble giving up baseball for: track because he felt like he was taking the easy way out, though he liked track more.
One of Thomas’ best friends, Brad, didn't even notice Thomas only had one arm for a few weeks after meeting him. “He carried himself so confidently, so I felt okay admitting that I hadn’t noticed”, said Brad. Not only is Thomas a confident person who is not ashamed of his arm, he is often the center of attention in sports and school.
Thomas seems to have accepted his disability. I see it as more of a difficulty, and difficulties can be overcome. Sometimes, if you try hard enough, you can overcome impossible things. As the great distance runner Steve Prefontaine said, “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.”
1.Which of the following words best describe Thomas?
A.Courageous and modest. B.Determined and religious.
C.Confident and strong-willed. D.Energetic and changeable.
2.Why did Thomas give up baseball for track?
A.Because he had a preference for, track.
B.Because his idol encouraged him to change.
C.Because he thought track was easier for him.
D.Because he couldn't play baseball with single arm.
3.The underlined sentence in the last paragraph is intended to remind us __________
A.giving is receiving. B.nothing is impossible.
C.hard work leaves no regrets. D.difficulties are gifts from God
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
We’ve all been there, running for a ls or train on a cold morning only to find that our nose is also running! Grab some tissues and learn the science behind the phenomenon known as “skier’s nose.”
A nose like a running tap in winter is business as usual for many people. People call it “skier’s nose". In a study, researchers found that 96 percent of people surveyed reported experiencing some degree of the condition.
Apparently, getting a runny nose in cold weather is a bodily defense reaction. That' s because the nose has two main purposes: 1) to filter bacteria so they don’t reach our lungs, and 2)to warm and humidify(加湿) the air before it reaches our lungs. Our airways are lined with tiny hairs known as cilia In the nose, these cilia wave back and forth to remove our mucus (黏液)so that bacteria can be blocked out. In cold weather the cilia are slowed. When cilia slow, bacteria remain in place and multiply, and this is why people get sick in winter. Not that the nose isn't trying to keep you healthy. All that running nose experience is the nose working overtime to produce more liquid to help move bacteria along. To help it out, experts say that you can try physically warming your nose: Rub your hands together, and then breathe into cupped hands or draw in steam from hot green tea and drink it, as green tea helps accelerate the growth and functioning of cilia.
Our nose runs in winter for one more purpose, which is to fight against the drier outside (and inside) air. In winter, or when it’s cold outside, the air is much drier than in summer. Our noses respond by producing more liquid to help humidify the air to a level our bodies need, and that’s when it starts to run out of the end of our nose.
1.What does the underlined word “filter” probably mean in the third paragraph?
A.Kill. B.Prevent.
C.Defend. D.Trap.
2.What can we know about “cilia”?
A.They only exist in the nose. B.They stop working in winter.
C.They can sweep away mucus. D.They help break down bacteria.
3.Which of the following is the best title for the text?
A.When Do You Have A Running Nose?
B.What Are the Purposes of Your nose?
C.How Can You Deal With “skier’s nose”
D.Why Does, Your Nose Run When It's Cold?
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
If you grew up in a household that had its fair share of book shelves, it might say something positive about your personally now that you're all grown up.
This new study found that people who grew up in book filled homes have higher reading, math, and technological skills. The researchers analyzed data featuring 160,000 adults (ages 25 to 65) across 31 nations. All participants were asked how many books there were in their home when they were 16 years old. They chose from a series of alternatives ranging from “10 or less” to “more than 500.”
If a household held at least 80 books, then participants went on to display the average rate of literacy and numeracy(认字和计算). The rate of literacy continued to increase in parallel to the number of books a household contained until the rate didn't increase from 350 books onwards. Furthermore, young teenagers who grew up around books were shown to have the same levels of literacy and numeracy as university graduates who had only grown up around a few books.
Literacy was clarified as “the ability to read effectively to participate in society and achieve personal goals.” Participants took tests that “captured ' a range of basic through advanced comprehension skills, from reading brief texts for a single piece of information to synthesizing information from complex texts.” Numeracy tests measured the “ability to use mathematical concepts in everyday life,” while IT-related tests “assessed the ability to, use digital. technology to communicate with others, as well as to gather, analyze, and synthesize information.”
The results suggest those books made a long-term difference. “Growing up with home libraries improves adult skills in these areas beyond the benefits from parental education or one’s own educational attainment, “the researchers report. Not surprisingly, the biggest effect was on reading ability. “The total effects of home library size on literacy are large everywhere,” the researchers report.
1.What can we learn from the new study?
A.Homes filled with books do much benefit to one’s growth.
B.One’s literacy and numeracy are finally shaped at the age of 16.
C.All participants need to have ten to more than 500 books at home.
D.Those reading a lot are more competent than university graduates.
2.What is paragraph 4 mainly about?
A.The benefit of literacy, numeracy and IT ability.
B.The measurement of literacy, numeracy and IT ability.
C.The relation between literacy, numeracy and IT ability.
D.The difference between literacy, numeracy and IT ability.
3.According to the text, books influence one's_________ most.
A.parental education. B.occupational attainment.
C.calculating ability. D.reading ability.
4.What is the writer's purpose in writing the text?
A.To describe the importance of receiving good education.
B.To clarify the effect of home library size on one's adult skills.
C.To explain the necessity of acquiring literacy and numeracy.
D.To introduce methods of improving one's literacy and numeracy.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Humans were made for walking. With our upright posture and strong leg muscles, our bodies were actually designed with walking in mind which makes it such perfect exercise. It’s kind to our bodies and great for our waistlines. 1.
Maybe you already love to walk, but you’re getting tired of tracing the same old route day after day, or maybe you’re new to walking and aren’t sure how to get started. 2.Ask yourself, what do you want to get out of walking aside from the health benefits? Do you want to meet other people? See new places? Get out into the countryside or explore a new city? Knowing your goals will help you decide on the type of walk you want to do.
If making friends and socializing is your goal, call up your friends and schedule walks with them.3. Many malls have groups that come every day, or every weekend, to “walk the mall.” These groups are always happy to include one more walker!
4.Many large cities have incredible gardens and parks that include quiet walking trails getting you off the beaten path. Thanks to the Rails to Trails program, railways across the country are being transformed into scenic walking paths that are a perfect way to seek calmness.
From the benefits to your heart to your overall happiness, walking is just plain good for you.5.It’s a fantastic way to get to know a place by the power of your own two feet.
A.Headed to a new city?
B.This month, pick up a map and start walking.
C.Ask your friends where they like to walk and just go there.
D.Either way, it's time to accept the idea of walking with a purpose.
E.And best of all, it’s a great way to see new things and meet new people!
F.Recently, science has proved that walking is good for your body shape.
G.If you're after walking alone, ask about local hikes that get you out of town and into the countryside.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Being admitted to hospital is boring. Since childhood Kevin Gatlin has been bored by the _______environments of hospital rooms so he came up with a ________solution to help with the hospital depressions as a means of making sure that his children were never forced to. _______ the same boredom.
Gatlin is the ________behind Playtime Edventures, featuring dozens of games and lessons for children______to their hospital beds. Several years ago, Gatlin went to_________his friend's child in hospital. He got the ________for the bed sheets.
It was ________ to see a child spending hours and hours in a plain white room. He ________how his wife had always played games on his son’s bed in order to ________ him to fall asleep. Gatlin then spent the next two years ______ the sheets so that children could be entertained from _________of their own bed.
He also worked with teachers to make the games_________. “We put together bedsheets and sleep bags that _________ everything from geography, math, science, grammar, word find games... all on a three-piece set,” Gatlin said. Up till now , Gatlin knows that his ________ are being used in 10 different hospitals. But since his customers are able to ______ the bedsheets to their own local hospitals, that number could be much higher. Therefore, more kids can_________.
Parents can also ________ he sheets for their own children at home . Catlin hopes that his invention will soon make its way into ________around the world. So ________kids lying in bed won’t get bored.
1.A.unfriendly B.dull C.pleasant D.healthy
2.A.simple B.peaceful C.normal D.complex
3.A.escape B.enjoy C.experience D.increase
4.A.customer B.competitor C.sponsor D.inventor
5.A.addicted B.restricted C.devoted D.accustomed
6.A.train B.adopt C.visit D.examine
7.A.inspiration B.money C.material D.permission
8.A.boring B.scaring C.puzzling D.heartbreaking
9.A.dreamed of B.thought about C.found out D.depended on
10.A.force B.allow C.help D.promise
11.A.developing B.promoting C.advertising D.producing
12.A.quality B.size C.warmth D.comfort
13.A.professional B.educational C.regular D.profitable
14.A.change B.mend C.cover D.differ
15.A.sheets B.cures C.lessons D.games
16.A.discover B.connect C.submit D.donate
17.A.relax B.benefit C.play D.recover
18.A.buy B.design C.sell D.find
19.A.classrooms B.companies C.hospitals D.hotels
20.A.naughty B.lonely C.shy D.sick
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。
A loyal Liverpool Football Club fan is always making sure to cheer on his beloved team whenever they play and thanks1. a letter from his loving older brother, the team was recently able to return the favor.
Ian, a Liverpool City native, 2.hoped his hometown soccer team would do something special for his brother David, 3.(write) a letter to the club about David’s condition. Since David was starved of oxygen as an infant, he developed differently than other kids. Though David struggled4.(academic), his enduring loyalty to Liverpool FC never left him, and he is well known in the community as being a great kid and a passionate fan.
David is a season ticket holder who 5.(try) to go and see Liverpool play as many times as he can. He could never have expected that one of the 6.(great )members of the team would go to see him while he was at work.
Liverpool FC defender Virgil Van Dijk, 7.(consider)to be the best defender and one of the best players in the world, visited David’s place of work to give him the surprise of a lifetime: 8. trip to Liverpool FC’s training ground to meet the team.
NOT only that, Van Dijk presented David with9.(ticket )for all the rest of the game to make sure they had his support from the stands for every one of the 2510.remain) games this season.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假如你是学生会主席李华，最近你校不少同学得了流感，请你写一则通告，提醒国际部的同学们做好预防工作，内容包括：
1.你校流感概况；
2.预防的措施（不少于三条）；
3.祝愿。
注意：1.词数80左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
It was a Sunday morning. Betty woke up earlier than usual. She couldn’t sleep any longer because she was so excited that her uncle Mark was taking her to the beach. She had always loved going surfing with her uncle. She put her swimming suit on and took quickly that she had prepared the night got before and went outside to wait. She jumped up and down with joy when she saw her uncle’s red jeep turn the corner down her street.
Uncle Mark got out of the car and helped Betty get in. “Are you ready?” he asked. “Yes!” replied Betty. Uncle Mark could see the excitement in her face. Suddenly he said seriously, “Well, before we go, I have to let you know that a shark appeared recently where we're going to surf today.” Scared and shocked, Betty couldn’t say a word. “Haha! I'm kidding you,” Uncle Mark burst out laughing. Betty laughed too. She knew Uncle Mark liked teasing others. “Let’s go and have some breakfast, I know just the place,” Uncle Mark said. They went to a breakfast shop and ate some tacos (炸玉米饼).
After breakfast the two of them went down to Pacific Beach and got their surfboards ready. “First you have to wax(打蜡)the bottom,explained Uncle Mark. “I know. I’ve watched you do it before!" Betty said as she took the wax from Uncle Mark's hand. It took about 15 minutes to wax the bottom of their boards. When Betty finished, Uncle Mark looked it over to make sure it was done well. “Nice job, Betty, you wax your board like a true surfer.”
Finally, they were ready to get into the water. They carried their boards down to the beach and went out into the water. Betty was overly excited and tried to rush to catch a wave. Predictably, she crashed and had to start over. Next was her uncle's turn. He stood up on his first try and smoothly surfed the wave before jumping into the water. Betty cheered for her uncle's perfect run.
注意：1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2.应使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3.续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4.续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
All of a sudden, Betty felt something touching the bottom of her foot.
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“Help! Help!” Betty screamed in horror.
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难度: 中等查看答案及解析