When it comes to the greatest inventions of the world, China's name is sure to be mentioned several times. There are hundreds of things which were invented by the Chinese.
Alcohol
Shocked? It was because when they said alcohol I thought about either the US or the UK. China had never crossed my mind. In China, alcohol was made by two legendary persons named Yi Di and Du Kang who belonged to the Xia Dynasty. This period was about 2000 BC—1600 BC. Research says that in ancient China, beer with 4% alcoholic content was widely consumed by people.
Tea
China is the proud inventor of tea which was first drunk by Shen Nong, a Chinese emperor around 2737 BC. Tea production was rapidly developed, making tea a popular drink during the Tang and Song Dynasties.
The Mechanical Clock
Have you ever wondered what on earth we would be doing without any idea of time? A clock really is an invention without which things were incomplete. The credit of making the first mechanical clock goes to ancient China. The first mechanical clock was invented by Yi Xing in the Tang Dynasty. This was during 618 AD and 907 AD.
Silk Fabric
Silk, the favorite fabric of many girls out there, is also a Chinese invention. Although we all know that silk is made by silkworms, it was Chinese people who first invented a way to harvest the silk and then use it to make clothes. The oldest silk which has been found so far is in Henan Province and dates back to 3630 BC.
1.What can we learn from paragraph 2?
A.Beer was popular in the Xia Dynasty. B.Yi Di and Du Kang invented alcohol.
C.Alcohol was first invented in the US. D.It is well known that alcohol is a Chinese invention.
2.The author asks the question in paragraph 4 to show .
A.ancient Chinese inventors were wiser B.many things in our lives are incomplete
C.ancient Chinese people never wasted time D.the mechanical clock is an important invention
3.Which of the following inventions has a longer history?
A.Silk fabric. B.Tea.
C.Alcohol. D.The mechanical clock.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
I was standing in a class of wild 14-year-old girls as they threw paper and howl with laughter. They wouldn’t listen to me. І was 22 and І never wanted to teach. І wanted to be a writer. When the bell finally rang, I rushed out of the classroom, red with anger. The other teachers weren't surprised. “That's 4B, the worst class in school,” one said.
But I couldn't give up. I needed the job. So, I abandoned formal lessons. Instead, I brought topics for class discussion. One of the liveliest talks was about the arguments they had with their parents. They paid attention and shared about their lives. Then I encouraged them to write down their stories. Most wrote about families with little money and big problems. As time went on, their stories became a bridge between us. I admired their humor, toughness and insight, and I think they appreciated my interest in their lives.
The musical My Fair Lady was playing in the West End, but they had never seen a live stage performance. I suggested taking them to see it. They thought I was joking. No teacher had ever done that. A few weeks later, 4B and I were sitting in the theater. They loved the music, the costumes and the characters. It was the highlight of their year, and they talked about it for days.
Near the end of the semester, someone knocked on the door of the staff room. The two most rebellious(叛逆的) girls in 4B were there—with flowers.
Several years later, for the first time in my life, I stopped dreaming and started writing. My first story was titled "My Fair Ladies". Teaching wasn't the end of my writing career; it was the beginning.
1.How was the author's class in 4B at the beginning?
A.It was impressive. B.It was rather boring.
C.It was a total mess. D.It was lively and interesting.
2.What happened to the girls after they were encouraged to tell and write their stories?
A.They came to like the author. B.They made great progress in writing.
C.They became more humorous. D.They stopped arguing with their parents.
3.How did the students feel about the experience to the theatre?
A.Confused. B.Excited. C.Proud. D.Encouraged.
4.What can we infer from the last two paragraphs?
A.Only two girls liked the author.
B.The author became a famous writer several years later.
C.The author didn't dream any more.
D.The author's teaching experiences inspired her writing.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once said, "The British are the only people who like to be told how bad things are." This is definitely true of British comedy. Most people think humor is about happy things, but for the British, the opposite is true. We love to use our cruel sense of humor to complain and be negative.
British comedy, for example, draws a fine line between comedy and tragedy（悲剧）. BBC's The Office is a TV show, famous for its dry humor. The main character, David Brent, is a foolish man, and the show's comedy comes from his delusions. For example, he often tells himself that he is loved by everyone but the viewer can see that everyone hates him.
Stupid characters for the audience to laugh at are an old tradition in Britain. In Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night, the character Malvolio is an old man whom people play tricks on. The audience will laugh away, although the reality is that this man is a truly tragic individual.
This side of British humor is reflected in friendships as well. At university, my friends and I would always laugh at one another. I had an American friend who actually found this sarcasm（挖苦）quite upsetting. She didn't realize that in Britain, the better friends you are with someone, the more you laugh at them.
This approach—laughing at everything—may sound rather depressing（让人郁闷的）, but our strange humor played a big part in British history. In World War II, along with a stiff upper lip（坚定沉着）, the British got through it by laughing. What else was there to do?
There is a saying in English: "Laugh and the world laughs with you; cry and you cry alone." If you are ever on the receiving end of British sarcasm, you may feel like crying, but it's best to just laugh it off!
1.How is British humor special?
A.It is often surprising and boring.
B.It is often about negative things.
C.It often laughs at happy people.
D.It often makes happy things depressing.
2.From paragraph 2-5 we can know that .
A.British people will not laugh at their good friends
B.there is a great difference between comedy and tragedy
C.stupid people are often treated well in Shakespeare's plays
D.British humor used to give people courage in face of sufferings
3.How does the author advise people to react to British humor?
A.Keep silent.
B.Cry as you like.
C.Don't take it seriously.
D.Try to hold back your laughter.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
The martial art of Tai Chi is on the rise as more and more people discover the benefits that come from regular practice.1.With its gentle movements and focus on forms, it' s also a good way to relax and calm the mind while it energizes and build the body.2."Chi" means energy, and it's the focus on energy that makes it different from other martial arts. Tai Chi practitioners believe that, in a struggle, meeting force with force only hurts both parties.
Tai Chi is quite easy to learn. Many recreation centers and community groups offer classes, sometimes in parks and other public places.3.Wear loose and comfortable clothing and shoes, and you can just join in.
One of the major benefits of Tai Chi is that it's a sport you can practice for life. In China, many elderly people continue to do Tai Chi into their eighties and nineties, and the strengthening and balance moves are hugely beneficial to their continued mobility.4.As you focus on your breathing and posture, your mind can clear itself of its worries, which does good to your whole body.
5.All you need is your own body and enough room to stand in. You can do Tai Chi on a mountaintop, in a park, on an ocean beach, or in the middle of a forest. It's a perfect camping activity, and it's a lot of fun. So next time you see someone doing Tai Chi, ask them about it. They might offer to teach you the forms of this fascinating sport.
A.Tai Chi is more than a just a sport.
B.There are many styles and forms of Tai Chi.
C.Best of all, Tai Chi can be performed anywhere.
D.Tai Chi's true name in Chinese is Tai Chi Chuan.
E.More old people than young men practice Tai Chi
F.Often these classes are free and open to anyone who shows up.
G.Also, the slow moves and focus make Tai Chi a relief from stress.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
As a six- year-old Canadian schoolboy, Ryan had trouble________the words spoken by his teacher that many people in developing African countries couldn't get enough clean water. “Why do some African children have to________ten kilometres to get water everyday? And why is the water so dirty that it makes them________?” Young Ryan thought,
“Life is easy for me, but hard for those people. Why don't I help?”
At first, his plan was to________money to build a single well somewhere in Africa. He cleaned windows and did gardening for his family and neighbours. He soon reached his first________of $70,________when he gave the money to a charity, he was told that it________cost $2, 000 to build a well.
Two thousand dollars was a lot of money, but Ryan didn't give up. He was________to help other children have clean water. He started to ask for help from his classmates and neighbours and persuaded them to________money. At the same time, a friend of Ryan's mother helped make his story go________.After several months, Ryan had________the $ 2,000,________which a well was built near a primary school in Uganda. The children at the school________needed to walk for hours to get water. They were grateful to him and invited him to visit.
In Uganda, Ryan at last saw the finished________with his own eyes. But that was not all. He also saw hundreds of delighted students who had turned out to welcome him. At first Ryan was nervous, but soon, a great warmth________ him. He really had made a________for these children. He________a joyful smile.
Later, Ryan's experience led him to set up a________to encourage more people to help. Many________people gave him their support. Today, over 800, 000 people in 16 countries across Africa have________from the life-changing gift of clean, safe water.
1.A.hearing B.accepting C.believing D.remembering
2.A.drive B.run C.walk D.ride
3.A.annoyed B.injured C.sensitive D.sick
4.A.earn B.send C.give D.take
5.A.number B.target C.harvest D.request
6.A.but B.so C.or D.for
7.A.ideally B.totally C.exactly D.actually
8.A.joyful B.determined C.excited D.grateful
9.A.bring B.donate C.collect D.ignore
10.A.crazy B.wild C.public D.social
11.A.delivered B.made C.resolved D.raised
12.A.in B.about C.beyond D.with
13.A.no longer B.by accident C.in particular D.by no means
14.A.pump B.well C.house D.bridge
15.A.deceived B.affected C.filled D.shot
16.A.wish B.success C.difference D.living
17.A.rose to B.broke into C.ended up with D.picked up
18.A.business B.record C.shelter D.foundation
19.A.inspired B.elegant C.delighted D.fascinated
20.A.benefited B.survived C.suffered D.transformed
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假定你是李华，和你的英文外教Mr. Smith约好这个周末和他一起骑行，游览你所在的城市。可是因故你不得不失约，请根据以下提示写一封电子邮件，内容包括：
1.表示歉意；
2.解释原因；
3.另约时间。
注意：
1.词数80左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Mr. Smith,
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。续写的词数应为120左右。
In 1989, fresh out of high school, I was faced with a difficult choice of a career path before college started in three months. In those days in Pakistan（巴基斯坦），there were limited choices: becoming a doctor or an engineer, or entering the financial world after getting a business degree. I wasn't interested in engineering, so that I was left with medicine or business. I couldn't decide.
My uncle suggested that I do a work placement（实习工作）to experience it for a month in an international company followed by a month in a hospital. After that, I could make a decision. It seemed like a good idea.
I was accepted for a month's placement at a foreign bank in Karachi. I got a feel for how the world of finance worked, made new friends, and generally enjoyed the mostly easy-going work environment.
The month passed rapidly, and soon I began working at a leading hospital in Karachi. The experience was quite different. The hospital days started early（at 7 am, compared with 9 am at the bank）, and were filled with endless duties. And the night calls! This was crazy, working all day, through the night, and again in the next day.
I began thinking about my two experiences. The bank had offered a more relaxing atmosphere, better working hours and less stress. The hospital had an intense（严肃紧张的）environment, and the studying and training was difficult. It seemed that business was a better choice.
Near the end of my month at the hospital, I was driving home after a very busy night call. In front of me was a public bus, with some boys sitting on the top. As the driver weaved through（穿梭）traffic, I could see the boys shaking from side to side.
Paragraph 1;
Suddenly, a boy fell off the back of the bus.
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Paragraph 2:
The next day, when I went to hospital to see the boy, all his family got up, with grateful smiles on their faces.
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难度: 困难查看答案及解析