It may seem as if Mother's Day was invented by a company named Hallmark, but people have been taking time on the calendar to give a shout-out to Mom for a long time. The Greeks and Romans had mother goddess festivals — although their celebrations didn't involve the menfolk taking their underappreciated mothers out to dinner. A more recent tradition wasMothering Sunday, which developed in the British Isles during the 16th century. On the fourth Sunday in April, young men and women who were living and working apart from their families were advised to return to their mothers’ houses.
Mother's Day as it is observed in the United States started in the 1850s with Ann Jarvis, a West Virginia woman who held “Mothers' Work Days” to promote health and hygiene(卫生) at home and in the workplace. During the Civil War, Jarvis organized women to improve sanitary conditions for soldiers on both sides, and after the war she became a peacemaker, furthering the cause by bringing together mothers of Union and Confederate soldiers and promoting a Mother's Day holiday.
Jarvis's work inspired another 19th-century woman, Julia Ward Howe. In 1870 Howe published her “Mother's Day Proclamation”, which envisioned the day not as appreciation of mothers by their children but as an opportunity for women to exercise their collective power for peace. Howe started holding annual Mother's Day celebrations in Boston, her hometown, but after about a decade she stopped footing the bill and the tradition faded away.
It was Jarvis's daughter Anna who succeeded in getting Mother’s Day recognized as a national holiday. After her mother died, in May 1905, Anna started holding yearly ceremony on the anniversary and conducting a tireless PR campaign to have the day made a holiday. In 1908 she succeeded in enlisting the support of John W anamaker, the Philadelphia department store magnate and advertising pioneer, and by 1912 West Virginia and a few other states had adopted Mother's Day. Two years later, President Woodrow Wilson signed a resolution declaring the second Sunday in May a national holiday.
It wasn't long, though, before whatever ideals the day was supposed to celebrate were buried under an amount of greeting cards and candy. By the 1920s Anna Jarvis was campaigning against the holiday she had been instrumental in creating. “I wanted it to be a day of emotionalism, not profit,” she said.
1.The first paragraph suggests that .
A.mothers didn't get enough appreciation
B.Mother's Day was invented by Hallmark
C.young people returned to their mothers' houses
D.Greeks and Romans were the first to celebrate Mother's Day
2.Who plays the most important role in creating Mother's Day?
A.Ann Jarvis. B.Julia Ward Howe.
C.Woodrow Wilson. D.Anna Jarvis.
3.Why did Anna Jarvis object to Mother's Day at last?
A.Because it was an emotional day.
B.Because the festival was not profitable.
C.Because the celebrations went against the original spirit.
D.Because the day was buried under greeting cards and candy.
4.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A.The Objection to Mother’s Day
B.The Argument on Celebrating Mother's Day
C.The Story Behind the Creation of Mother's Day
D.Different Form of Celebrations on Mother's Day
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Broken Hill was recently awarded one of Australia’s rare National Heritage (遗产) listings, but is that reason enough to make the journey?
Broken Hill, in western New South Wales, is hardly up there as a tourist attraction of international reputation (名声). It’s miles from anywhere, boiling hot and lacks the more attractive elements that often make a place popular---for example, high-end restaurants, beautiful beaches, great accommodation (膳宿). But Broken Hill’s reputation is growing with its recent National Heritage Listing Award.
We asked Broken Hill mayor to tell us what makes Broken Hill so great. These are some reasons he gave us to visit.
Perfect light
Broken Hill offers breathtaking scenery to discover and explore. The lively colours and perfect light have attracted film-makers and artists here for decades. From the wonders of the day comes an amazing light show at night.
The locals
We are always happy to greet people from “away”. In fact we love it when people come to town to visit. We are a friendly people who make you feel welcome. And we are pretty proud of our city.
The Palace Hotel
The home of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and just a great Broken Hill iconic (标志性的) pub. You can star in your own movie in the centre of town. It is a world-famous landmark and a good water hole for those nice warm days.
The living desert and sculptures
Located 9 km from the city, Broken Hill features 12 sandstone sculptures by artists from around the world as well as local artist Badger Bates. It displays the breathtaking beauty of the real outback (内地).
1.What is the real purpose of writing this passage?
A.To encourage readers to pay a visit to Broken Hill.
B.To explain the causes of awarding Broken Hill.
C.To list the reasons for Broken Hill’s greatness.
D.To express the author’s pride for Broken Hill’s award.
2.Which of the following factor is making Broken Hill better known to the world?
A.Its friendly local people.
B.Its Palace Hotel.
C.Its National Heritage Listing Award.
D.Its sandstone sculptures.
3.Which of the following topics of Broken Hill are mentioned in the passage?
A.Traditional food and friendly locals.
B.Pleasant climate and perfect light.
C.Beautiful beaches and lively sculptures.
D.Splendid Hotel and friendly locals.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
There it was. A test of will power. I was on a special diet with foods carefully selected for balanced nutrition and caloric value. A piece of cheese cake was not a good choice. So here was my dilemma: Should I not eat the cheese cake, feel dissatisfied and take out my disappointment on the annoyingly skinny physical instructor at the gym? Or should I eat the cheese cake and work off the calories?
The latter seemed like a win-win solution. Not only would I get to enjoy the cheese cake, but I’d get an exercise session (训练时段). And then it hit me: a delicate plan to use my cheese cake as an exercise incentive. I plated a thin slice of cheese cake and carefully walked it up the stairs and set it on my bedside table with a small fork. I put on my exercise outfit (全套服装) and went downstairs.
The appeal of the cheese cake got stronger so I launched my plan: I would run up and down the stairs and then back up again. My reward: one small bite of cheese cake. If I wanted another, I’d have to run down and up and down and up again. Off I went. Ah, creamy vanilla (香草) goodness without guilt. I wanted another bite so I quickly sprinted (冲刺) through another stair climbing run.
Admittedly, it was harder to enjoy the creaminess of the cheese cake when my tongue was dry from over-breathing. I placed a bottle of water next to the cake. Down and up and down and up again. When I struggled over to the cheese cake, my hand bypassed the plate and went for the water instead. I didn’t want the cake any more. I wanted all this sweat and effort to do more than cancel the calories from cheese cake. I was exhausted and sure the cheese cake tasted fine but just not good enough to make me run up and down the stairs one more time.
My plan worked. Now, any time I felt tempted to enjoy a former favorite, I remembered my stairs trick.
1.What can we infer about the author from paragraph 1?
A.She had weak will power.
B.She was bad-tempered and very critical.
C.She needed assistance with making the choice.
D.She hesitated over eating something against her diet.
2.What does the underlined word “incentive” in paragraph 2 probably mean?
A.Reason. B.Hesitation.
C.Replacement. D.Companion.
3.What do we learn about the author’s plan?
A.It involved much energy consumption (消耗).
B.It rid the cake of the pleasant taste.
C.It changed the author’s preference for food.
D.It was tiring and caused suffering.
4.What may be the best title for the passage?
A.A costly dilemma.
B.An evil cheese cake.
C.A trick that worked.
D.A sweating experience.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Mrs. Strickland did not talk much, but she had a pleasant gift for keeping the conversation general. And when there was a pause she threw in just the right remark to set it going once more.
“Why do nice women marry dull men?”
“Because intelligent men won’t marry nice women.”
Mrs. Strickland had the gift of sympathy.
There was another thing I liked in Mrs. Strickland. She managed her surroundings with elegance (优雅). Her flat was always neat and cheerful with flowers. The meals in the little dining room were pleasant; the table looked nice; the food was well cooked. It was impossible not to see that Mrs. Strickland was an excellent housekeeper. And you felt sure that she was an admirable mother. There were photographs in the drawing room of her son and daughter. The son—his name was Robert—was a boy of sixteen at Rugby. He had his mother’s fine eyes. He looked clean, healthy, and normal.
“I don’t know that he’s very clever,” she said one day, when I was looking at the photograph, “but I know he’s good. He has a charming character.”
The daughter was fourteen. Her hair, thick and dark like her mother’s, fell over her shoulders, and she had the same kindly expression and untroubled eyes.
“They both look like you,” I said.
“Yes, I think they are more like me than their father.”
“Why have you never let me meet him?” I asked.
“Would you like to?” she smiled and her smile was really very sweet.
“You know, he’s not at all literary,” she said. “He has no interest in literature.”
“He’s on the Stock Exchange (证券交易所), and he’s a typical broker (经纪人). I think he’d bore you to death.”
“Does he bore you?” I asked.
“You see, I happen to be his wife. I’m very fond of him.” She smiled to cover her shyness, and her eyes grew tender.
“He doesn’t pretend to be a talent. He doesn’t even make much money on the Stock Exchange. But he’s awfully good and kind.”
“I think I should like him very much.”
“I’ll ask you to dine with us quietly some time, but mind, you come at your own risk; don’t blame me if you have a very dull evening.”
1.Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A.Mrs. Strickland is a very good housekeeper.
B.Her daughter looks more like her than her husband.
C.Her son, clever or not, has a pleasant character.
D.Mrs. Strickland doesn’t love her husband because of his dullness.
2.What does the sentence “I think he’d bore you to death” in paragraph 13 imply?
A.Mrs. Strickland doesn’t think her husband is a dull man.
B.It must be boring for the guest to talk with Mr. Strickland because of different interests.
C.Mrs. Strickland fears that her husband will make the guest die.
D.The guest will finally find Mr. Strickland is a humorous host.
3.Which is the closest meaning to the underlined word “awfully”?
A.Personally. B.Gradually.
C.Extremely. D.Eventually.
4.What does the author think of Mrs. Strickland in this passage?
A.Elegant and attractive. B.Dull and unconfident.
C.Beautiful and unlucky. D.Bitter and foolish.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
During a job interview, your body language will have already given people their first impression of you before a word has even been spoken. The interviewers will not only pay attention to what you say during the interview, but also to how you say it!1.
2. Body language shows your serious attitude toward that interview. Then after the introduction you will usually be directed to take a seat. Choose a place from where you can clearly see all the interviewers.
During a job interview, try to keep a posture (姿势) that shows you are interested and relaxed. Sit up straight in your chair. What to do with your hands? 3. From these positions it’s also easy to support your words with hand gestures.
Then it is important to look at all the interviewers. When one of them explains something or asks a question, keep looking at this person. 4. When answering, you should look first at the person who asked the question and take turns to look at other interviewers as well.
All in all, body language will decide first if it “clicks”, and sometimes all it takes is just a few seconds. Everybody uses body language, but it takes place mostly at a subconscious (潜意识的) level. 5.
A.Being more aware of your body language can increase your chances of getting the job.
B.This shows that you are listening.
C.Always wear a smile from the beginning of the interview.
D.It is better to put them on your lap or on the armrests of your chair.
E.It is important to look directly into the eyes of interviewers.
F.Here are some advice on your body language during a job interview.
G.Remember to arrive in time for a job interview.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
In China, square dancing is an exercise routine performed to music in squares or parks. Recent years have _________ the growing popularity of square dancing among elderly people in China, _________ it provides them with a good platform to _________ and make new friends in their ordinary lives. Although the practice has roots in both ancient and modern Chinese history, today the Chinese hold _________ views towards it. Some people, the young in particular, argue that it has disturbed their peaceful lives.
As for _________ citizens, square dancing is relatively easy to learn compared to traditional _________ and thus win their _________. Moreover, practicing square dancing doesn’t need special equipment. All it needs are open ground and loudspeakers. _________, it can be found across the country.
_________, many young people have showed their dissatisfaction. They think that square dancing __________ too much space in their neighborhood and disturbs their life. In fact, it is the noise __________ square dancing that young people __________ most.
Therefore, concessions (让步) should be made by both __________ so that they can live in __________ with each other.
People taking part in square dancing are expected to dance in areas far away from residential communities (居民区), while the young are called on to show more __________ of square dancing.
They will also become old and one day may be one of the dancers they dislike now.
In addition, the government should spare more suitable areas where the elderly can do their favorite activities.
1.A.proved B.witnessed C.developed D.advanced
2.A.since B.once C.until D.though
3.A.relax B.retire C.react D.recover
4.A.unique B.general C.different D.wrong
5.A.local B.honest C.responsible D.senior
6.A.customs B.dances C.approaches D.entertainments
7.A.pleasure B.celebration C.encouragement D.love
8.A.As a result B.For example C.In other words D.In particular
9.A.Though B.Therefore C.However D.Otherwise
10.A.takes off B.takes up C.makes up D.keeps up
11.A.with B.into C.against D.by
12.A.doubt B.search C.regret D.dislike
13.A.positions B.parties C.situations D.hands
14.A.connection B.hope C.harmony D.independence
15.A.tolerance B.expectation C.spirit D.service
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
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。
Strength of sisterhood
It’s been six years since the first Frozen movie 1. (become) a worldwide hit. A sequel (续集) was inevitable (不可避免的)—no one could let it go.
On Nov 22, Frozen 2 hit cinemas around the world. The film broke box office records 2. a $350 million worldwide debut (首映). Frozen 2 became Disney’s highest-grossing (票房最高的) animated feature yet, 3. (break) the record set by Frozen.
Frozen ‘s unusual twists (转折) are 4. make it special. It drops the prince-princess romance in favor of girl power. The prince is just a sidekick (次要角色). Different from princesses like Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, 5. wait around for a prince to save them, Elsa doesn’t need a prince to rescue her. She is her own savior (救星). But the two sisters have different personalities. Anna is confident and bright-eyed 6. Elsa is a loner. Perhaps inevitably, they grow apart. In the end, though, their strong love as sisters brings them back together.
7. (like) most Disney animations (动画片), the story lacks a proper villain (反派). The main “villain” is Elsa’s icy powers. Elsa’s powers represent her 8. (sad) at not being able to fit in.
While Elsa wants to learn about her power, Frozen’s biggest message is about self-acceptance. It’s illustrated (说明) by the theme song, Let It Go. Its 9. (compose) Kristen Anderson-Lopez said that it should encourage people to forget fear and 10. (ashamed). “Be yourself and be powerful!” she added.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
请认真阅读下列各小题，并根据上下文语境和所给首字母或中文的提示，写出下列各句空格中的单词，注意保持语义和形式的一致。
1.Only when everyone o__________ the social rules can the society function well.
2.Now I am interested in English lessons because my teacher takes a totally new and inspiring a _______ to teaching English.
3.China will enhance cooperation with the international community over the b________ against the novel coronavirus in an open, transparent and responsible manner.
4.It is said that the new minister has been on trial because of political c________.
5.U_______, he lost his first prize in the English competition, which made him feel disappointed.
6.Can you telephone me at your_________ (方便) to arrange a meeting?
7.In the 1950s the Chinese government introduced_________ (简化的) Chinese characters and now they have widespread use in China’s mainland.
8.The twins can't be_________ (区分) from each other, who look completely the same.
9.After ten years' separation, the daughter had a great change in her appearance. Her mother glanced briefly towards her but there was no sign of__________ (认识).
10.The film Titanic became an enormous critical and__________ (商业的) success, winning eleven Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
请根据下面的写作要点和要求写一篇100字左右的作文。
（写作要点）
1. 英语是世界上使用最广泛的语言之一，是许多国家的官方语言。
2. 纵观历史，英语已经经历了巨大的变化。可以肯定的是这一变化过程还将会持续下去。
3. 学习英语的好处（不少于二点）。
（写作要点）
1. 词数100左右；
2. 注意表达连贯，不要逐字翻译；
3. 不必写标题。
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难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假定你是苏华，是一名交换生，暑期在伦敦学习，得知当地美术馆要举办中国画展。请你写一封信申请做志愿者，内容包括：
1. 写信目的；
2. 个人优势；
3. 能做的事情。
注意：
1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯：
3. 结束语已为你写好。
参考词汇：美术馆 gallery
Dear Sir,
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Yours,
Su Hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析