Home to an interesting political history and many archaeological finds, South Africa has lots of options for travelers other than wildlife parks and great beaches.
The Cradle of Humankind
The cradle of Humankind, in Gauteng, is home to 40% of the world’s discovered human ancestor fossils. The Maropeng Visitor Center offers impressive shows of the 3.5 million-year evolution of man, plus the opportunity to gaze at the stars as storytellers recount the daily life of our human ancestors. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a 40-minute drive from Johannesburg.
Vredefort Dome
Vredefort Dome is the world’s oldest meteorite impact scar, or astrobleme(陨星坑). With a radius of 190km, it is also the largest and the most deeply eroded. Situated 120km southwest of Johannesburg, the astrobleme is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Nelson Mandela’s Legacy
Officially, there are places of interest throughout South Africa for tourists wishing to follow the respected statesman’s life journey. Now a World Heritage Site, Robben Island, lies off Cape Town, and is where he spent 18 of his 27 years in prison. Tourists also make the trip to the Eastern Cape village of Qunu, which was both his home during his young years and his burial place.
Vilakazi Street
Vilakazi Street, Orlando West, Soweto, is the only street in the world that has been home to two Nobel winners, Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Mandela’s house is now a museum. Also in Orlando West is the Hector Pieterson Memorial, in honor of youth resistance against apartheid(种族隔离制度).
1.Which of the following would you visit if you are interested in the history of mankind?
A.The Cradle of Humankind. B.Nelson Mandela’s Legacy.
C.Vredefort Dome. D.Vilakazi Street.
2.Why is Vilakazi Street famous?
A.It saw the birth of two famous persons.
B.Nelson Mandela is buried here after his death.
C.It is the only street in the world with a museum.
D.Coincidently, two Nobel Prize winners once lived here.
3.What’s the author’s purpose in writing the text?
A.To memorize the respected statesman Nelson Mandela.
B.To show the abundance of culture in South Africa.
C.To attract the readers to take a trip to South Africa.
D.To introduce some cultural relics in South Africa.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Jon Steward, a 10-year-old boy with autism(自闭症), came home from Cumberland Head Elementary School in Plattsburgh, New York, on April 7 more excited than ever. To celebrate National Poetry Month, his fifth-grade teacher asked her students to write a poem about themselves, beginning every sentence with ''I am''.
Jon couldn't wait to start writing, so he sat down and didn't look up until it was finished. A few hours later, he showed the poem to his parents, who immediately got chock up.
''I am odd. I am new, '' Jon wrote in the poem. ''I wonder if you are too. I hear voices in the air. I see you don't and that's not fair. ''
''I feel like a boy in outer space. I touch the stars and feel out of place, '' he went on to write.
''At first, we felt sad and hurt that he felt lonely, misunderstood and odd at school, '' Steward said. ''As the poem went on, we realized that he understood that he was odd and that so was everyone else in their own way. This is what Jon wants everyone to know. ''
Jon was supposed to read his poem aloud to the class the following day, but upon waking up that morning, he refused to go to school. Instead, he stayed at home.
He didn't think his poem was any good, so his dad posted it on Facebook in the hope of getting some encouraging comments. Once the National Autism Association saw the photo, they posted it on their page, where thousands of strangers shared how much the poem inspired them. Now the family has heard from hundreds of parents thanking Jon for showing how their own kids may be feeling at school.
1.Why did Jon feel very excited on April 7?
A.He had a task to finish. B.He wrote a good poem.
C.He had good news to share. D.He had been praised at school.
2.How should Jon feel the next day?
A.Pleased. B.Anxious.
C.Puzzled. D.Bored.
3.After the poem was posted online, it ________．
A.was ignored for a short time
B.won much encouragement for Jon
C.started a hot debate immediately
D.made many parents know more about Jon
4.Who will be most interested in the poem?
A.Doctors. B.Students.
C.Parents. D.Educators.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
NASA said its Kepler spacecraft has spotted ''Earth's bigger, older cousin'': the first nearly Earth-size planet to be found in the habitable zone of a star similar to our own.
Though NASA can’t say for sure whether the planet is rocky like ours or has water and air, it's the closest match yet found.
The planet, Kepler-452b, is about 60% bigger than Earth, NASA says, and is located in its star's habitable zone, where life-sustaining liquid water is possible on the surface of a planet.
A visitor there would experience gravity about twice that of Earth's, and scientists say the possibility of it having a rocky surface are ''better than ever''. While it's a bit farther from its star than Earth is from the sun, its star is brighter, so the planet receives about the same amount of energy from its star as Earth does from the sun.
Kepler researcher Jeff Jenkins said, ''The planet almost certainly has an atmosphere, although scientists can't say what it's made of. But if the assumptions are correct, kepler-452b's atmosphere may be thicker than Earth's. ''
It takes 385 days for the planet to orbit its star. ''Because it has spent so long orbiting in this zone—6 billion years—it's had plenty of time to brew life,'' Jenkins said.
''That's an opportunity for life to arise, if all the necessary ingredients and conditions for life exist on this planet, '' he said in a statement.
Kepler-452b is too far away for humans to visit. But the discovery of this new Earth-like planet can tell us a lot about what’s possible for the future of space travel. ''The next step in the process is to do follow-up missions to find planets similar to kepler-452b, but much closer to Earth, '' said Peter Coughlin, a Kepler research scientist. ''We could do a lot more research into those planets, and even start to think about visiting one day. ''
1.The researchers are sure that Kepler-452b ________．
A.is larger than Earth B.has an atmosphere
C.has air and water D.has many rocks
2.What is the similarity between Kepler-452b and the Earth?
A.They are both located in the sun's habitable zone．
B.Their distances from the sun are almost the same．
C.Their atmospheres are made of the same compositions．
D.They get almost the same amount of energy from their stars.．
3.The underlined word ''brew'' in paragraph 6 most probably means ________.
A.improve B.endanger
C.produce D.protect
4.What should be the best title for the text?
A.Kepler-452b Is Compared to the Earth.
B.NASA Discovers a New Earth-Like Planet.
C.A Spacecraft Was Launched to Find Super-Earth.
D.A New Planet With Life Is Discovered.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Sweden is so good at recycling that, for several years, it has imported rubbish from other countries to keep its recycling plants going. Less than 1% of Swedish household waste was sent to landfills(垃圾填埋场) last year or any year since 2011.
We can only dream of such an effective system in the UK, which is why we end up paying expensive transport costs to send rubbish to be recycled overseas rather than paying fines to send it to landfills under The Landfill Tax of 1996.
Sweden has a culture of looking after the environment. “We Swedish people are aware of what we need to do on environmental issues. We worked on communications for long to make people not throw things outdoors so that we can recycle and reuse,” says Anna-Carin Gripwall, director of communications for Avfall Sverige, the Swedish Waste Management’s recycling association.
Over time, Sweden has carried out a national recycling policy so that even though private companies undertake most of the business of importing and burning waste, the energy goes into a national heating network to heat homes through the freezing Swedish winter.
However, some people argue that the country is escaping real recycling. Paper plant managers say wood fiber can be used up to six times before it becomes dust. If Sweden burns paper before that point, it’s exhausting the potential for true recycling and replacing used paper with fresh raw material.
Ms Gripwall describes Sweden’s policy of importing waste to recycle from other countries as a temporary situation. “There’s a ban on landfill in EU countries, so instead of paying the fine they send it to us as a service. They should and will build their own plants, to reduce their own waste, as we’re doing in Sweden,” Ms Gripwall says.
1.Why is a low amount of household waste sent to landfills in Sweden?
A.A little bit of household waste is produced here.
B.Its people get waste recycled at home.
C.Much rubbish is imported overseas.
D.They have good public environmental awareness.
2.What measure is taken in the UK to deal with waste according to the text?
A.An effective recycling system is adopted.
B.People are encouraged to sell rubbish abroad.
C.People are forbidden to send waste to landfills.
D.An increasing number of landfills are being built.
3.What can we infer about Sweden’s recycling system?
A.It’s being spread around the world.
B.It’s also thought to have some shortcomings.
C.It’s so perfect to receive good evaluation.
D.It solves the problems with the local energy.
4.What opinion should Ms Gripwall hold according to the text?
A.It’s partly wrong to import rubbish from other countries.
B.The technology of handling waste will be developed wildly.
C.It’s possible to completely solve all environmental problems.
D.All countries should work together to protect the environment.
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
School success means different things to different people. No matter what success means to you, strong study skills, confidence and goals are key components. 1., therefore, why not try the following tips to achieve it?
Organize yourself
When a student lacks organization, he struggles to complete schoolwork on time, or find time to study. 2.. When you sit down to study, you need to organize your time well by allowing enough time for each task. You also need an organized backpack that allows you to transport materials to and from classes.
3.
Spending time with friends, working a part-time job and pursuing other interests has a place. However, you also need to leave time to achieve academic goals, or else your studies will be affected negatively. For example, working too many hours at a job reduces study and sleep time, possibly meaning missed school and difficulty concentrating due to being tired.
Look for support
Whether or not you struggle in school, a support network helps you succeed. So communicate with your teacher outside of class time to ask for help when you struggle. 4.. If your friends think school is a waste of time, you may be influenced to think so.
Go beyond the classroom
Learning doesn’t stop at the classroom doors.5.. When a topic in the classroom interests you, you should do a little research on your own. For example, set up your own experiment based on something you learned in science class.
A.Balance activities and your studies
B.It isn’t limited to the information on the next exam
C.You may discover new information that helps you in school
D.Surround yourself with classmates who also want to succeed in school
E.For students who struggle in school, additional support is necessary for success
F.You need an organized study place at home for completing homework and studying
G.School success opens up doors for future achievements for students at all grade levels
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
My wife passed away a few years ago, and I went through the _______ time in my life. I even wanted to _______ myself. Just for my kids, I had to continue to live and work as a small town _______ at my medical clinic in Hawaii. My kids had gone to live on the mainland, and I was _______. Then they asked me to have a family trip.
On our trip, we turned on the TV at the motel and saw the second plane crash into the World Trade Center. Seeing it _______down, I said to my kids: “I'm going to Afghanistan.” And a few weeks later, International Medical Corps sent me to _______ 20 clinics in provinces where people had no health care. In these clinics _______by frightening shoots or deadly bombs, we were eventually serving 27,000 patients a month in a very busy schedule. Though tired and nervous, I gradually had a sense of _______, a sense of purpose, and my _______ went away.
In the years to follow, I went to Indonesia after the tsunami(海啸), Pakistan after the earthquakes, Sudan after the civil war, and Iraq after more and more ________. Each time after ________one after another, hundreds of people were________ or even killed, and many more had to ________. We once set up movable clinics in an area with 19,000 refugees(难民), and it was supposed to ________ 13,000 originally. Flu broke out, one of the biggest killers of kids in refugee camps, and it ________ like wildfire. Water and food were also serious problems. “________ or not?” I often asked myself.
When my wife passed away, I thought my life was ________. But ________, it was just getting started. At the end of her life, she went unconscious. I held her head in my hands and told her of all the places we would visit and the exciting adventures we would have. I think about the moment many times during my “adventures”. I didn't know how ________ those words would be. But I know that she is still ________ me.
1.A.best B.worst C.fastest D.shortest
2.A.kill B.amuse C.excite D.calm
3.A.engineer B.nurse C.doctor D.teacher
4.A.unattached B.upset C.annoyed D.alone
5.A.taking B.settling C.falling D.bending
6.A.take up B.pick up C.set up D.end up
7.A.surrounded B.destroyed C.established D.rebuilt
8.A.humor B.achievement C.loyalty D.relief
9.A.excitement B.embarrassment C.disappointment D.depression
10.A.invitations B.bombs C.inventions D.instructions
11.A.disasters B.accidents C.events D.wars
12.A.shot B.rescued C.helped D.wounded
13.A.run B.leave C.fly D.walk
14.A.include B.cover C.hold D.live
15.A.spread B.burnt C.lighted D.improved
16.A.History B.Entertainment C.Fun D.Adventures
17.A.interesting B.boring C.done D.complete
18.A.on purpose B.in reality C.with delight D.in turn
19.A.predictive B.creative C.imaginative D.active
20.A.against B.for C.at D.with
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。
1. (die) of a broken heart sounds like the ending of a romantic story. But it actually happens. The ''broken heart syndrome(心碎综合征) '', 2. (official) calledTakotsubo syndrome, or TTS, involves the sudden weakening of heart muscles. This causes the left ventricle(心室), which pushes oxygen-rich blood through the body, 3.(expand) abnormally at the bottom.
The scientific community has studied how unexpected emotional shocks can cause a heart attack. These shocks are usually unpleasant, such as the death of a family member or a violent 4. (argue). Recently, however, researchers discovered that even 5. (delight) events can give the same result. A team of researchers in Switzerland 6.(collect) data on 1,750 cases of the Takotsubo syndrome. The team found that emotional shocks caused 485 of those 1,750 cases. And within that group of 485, 7. total of 20 people could be said to have suffered from ''happy heart syndrome'', 8. causes include a favorite team winning a game and the birth of a grandchild. 9.interesting finding is that TTS affects mostly women.
Happy and sad life events are, of course, very different. 10.(far) studies are also needed to figure out if both events share the same pathway in the central nervous system for causing Takotsubo syndrome.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
单词填空
1.The island of Great Britain is c________of England, Scotland and Wales.
2.After studying music in Vienna, he worked as d________ of a choir at the court.
3.By ________ (查阅) to your dictionary, you can solve most of the word problems.
4.Undoubtedly, parents’ instruction has great i________ on children’s behaviour.
5.Go to a part of the world you're unfamiliar with and ________ (观察) how people live there.
6.I can’t stand your ________ (采用) the unhealthy methods of cooking.
7.The photographs will be on e________ in the gallery until the end of the month.
8.London is one of the important ________ (金融) centers of the world.
9.My daughter is fascinated by the dancers' steps and their________ (优雅的) gestures and movements.
10.He was humorous and always e________ us for hours with his stories and jokes.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
定语从句填空
1.He put aside his work to spend more time with his son, ________ just returned from abroad.
2.I would like to express my thanks in a way ______ he could never imagine.
3.The novel coronavirus has had such a deep effect on our life ______ is totally beyond expectation.
4.Lora is the very teacher I like most, with ______ help I have made progress in my study.
5.People are required to wear masks in public places, ______ is helpful for fight against the pandemic(疫情).
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
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。作文中共有10处语言错误，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：在缺词处加一个漏子符号（∧）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：在错的词下划一横线，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。
The bicycle is still popular. In some countries, people use bicycles because they are the cheapest way to getting around. In some another countries, people use them mainly because they prefer this form of transport than any other.
It is said that when a German inventor created the first bicycle in 1816. It was two-wheeled and moved along by push of the rider's feet upon the ground. This vehicle was improving in 1839 by a Scottish blacksmith, which invented pedals(踏板). Eventually, bicycles are also made specially for women. They had big rear wheels than front wheels, and riders could sit more upright. Nowadays, women’s bicycles have changed again to become more usefully to those involved in sports.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假如你是李华，你的美国笔友Jerry来信表示对中国高中生疫情复课后的学校生活感兴趣，询问你复课后高中学习的变化和感受，请根据以下提示写一封回信并询问美国的复课情况。
1.复课后的学习变化；
2.复课后你的感受；
3.询问美国的复课情况。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2．可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
3. 参考词汇：新型冠状病毒病 COVID-19; 疫情 pandemic;复课 resume classes
Dear Jerry,
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours Sincerely,
Li Hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析