Along with soccer, basketball is a global sport. As you read this. young people somewhere in the world are happily passing, dribbling(运球) and shooting. It’s enormous fun and a joyful way to spend time with others.
Basketball is a game for everyone. Unlike golf or tennis. it doesn't require great wealth or a lot of space to play. After all, not many people have a golf course-sized backyard. and tennis equipment is expensive. Basketball, by contrast, just needs a wall with a hoop and a ball.
So after its invention by Canadian-American physical educator James Naismith in 1891, the sport took off within US citizens, who quickly became attracted to the game because it suited their circumstances. Today, 127 years later, basketball remains one of the most popular sports in the US, and the National Basketball Association (NBA)has an increasing appeal for fans around the world.
The success of basketball as global phenomenon is undoubtedly related to the way African-Americans play the game.” The basketball court reflected some of the major cultural shifts in America, such as from forbidding African-Americans to play basketball to allowing them to play in the NBA, "the LIVESTRONG website noted.
From the 1950s onwards, segregation rules, which had prohibited African-Americans from playing basketball in NBA games, were no longer used in the US. In 1950, when Earl Lloyd started to play for the Washington Capitols, things began to change. Since then, most of the greats of the game have been African-Americans, like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.
It's not difficult to see that there's a strong link between political liberation and basketball. Something of this is expressed in a quote from the US author John Edgar Wideman. He makes a connection between basketball and hope:" When it's' played the way it's supposed to be played. basketball happens in the air; flying, floating, raised above the floor, letting the oppressed(受压制的) people of this earth imagine themselves in their dreams.”
1.What advantage does basketball have over golf or tennis, according to the author?
A.It can be played everywhere.
B.It doesn't cost much.
C.It doesn't require too much skill.
D.It interests almost everyone.
2.What can we learn about basketball from Paragraph 3?
A.The sport was created by a PE teacher.
B.The sport was not popular with people at first.
C.Its rules have been changed a lot to suit new circumstances.
D.The NBA. with a history of 127 Years. attracts people worldwide
3.The main purpose of Paragraph 5 is to .
A.explain the origin and rules of NBA games in the 1950s
B.prove the popularity of basketball among African-Americans
C.stress the success African-Americans in basketball
D.show how racial integration took place in basketball
4.What do John Edgar Wideman's words mean?
A.Basketball is sometimes a useful tool for politicians.
B.American people usually have a basketball dream.
C.Basketball stands for the freedom and hopes of people.
D.Political oppression is a serious problem in the US.
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
Los Angeles is a relatively new and spreading city, which means there’s a big canvas (画布) for architects of many styles to put their 3D stamps on the city. For architecture fans, here are some must-see spots.
Watts Towers
Designed and constructed by Italian-born Simon Rodia over the course of three decades, the 17 towers—the tallest is 100 feet high—consist of metal and found objects such as broken glass, pottery chips (陶器碎片), seashells, etc. You can take a guided tour of this place, learning about the history of this attractive project. 1727 E. 107th St., LA.
Getty Center
Architect Richard Meier’s shining city on a hill took 16,000 tons of marble to build but today it’s a wonder, housing the Getty’s main art collection and offering unbelievable views of Los Angeles. 1200 Getty Center Dr., LA.
Sturges House
Frank Lloyd Wright designed nine different structures throughout Southern California. This was Wright’s first turn away from the textile (纺织) block buildings he’d been designing in California and toward stressing natural factors of the structure to mix with the natural surroundings. 449 N. Skyewiay Rd., LA.
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Frank Gehry has lived in Los Angele s for decade s and hi s world has been se en throughout the city. This one, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, is his most luxurious (奢侈的) building in Southern California. You need not sit through a symphony performance to get a glance at the interior(内饰). The concert hall offers free self-guided audio tours recorded by actor John Litligow. 111 S. Grand Ave., LA.
1.Where should you go to visit Watts Towers?
A.1200 Getty Center Dr., LA. B.1727 E. 107th St., LA.
C.449 N. S kyewiay Rd., LA. D.111 S. Grand Ave., LA.
2.What is special about Sturges House?
A.It is made up of 9 structures. B.It is a textile block building.
C.It fits in well with its environment. D.It is a luxurious building.
3.Who designed Walt Disney Concert Hall?
A.Simon Rodia. B.Richard Meier.
C.John Lithgow. D.Frank Gehry.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
People may set an alarm on the phone or clock that sounds like this: beep beep beep. That hard, unpleasant sound may be making it harder to shake off the sleepy feeling in the morning known as grogginess. So, is there a better way to wake up? A recent study says yes. The answer is music.
The study, carried out by researchers in Australia, involved 50 people. The researchers found that people who wake up to musical alarms reported feeling more awake and alert. Stuart McFarlane, a lead writer of the study stated, "We are very surprised by these findings as one might expect a harsh beeping sound to be more successful," at waking up a person.
Sleep inertia is another term for grogginess. It means a person has a heavy feeling when waking up, and has trouble getting moving again after sleeping. McFarlane said people need to better understand sleep inertia's harmful effects on human performance later in the day.
Not everyone will experience the full effect. But for those who do, "care should be taken" when performing duties that require a top performance within this period, he said. This includes "dangerous tasks like driving or riding our bikes" shortly after waking up. The same is true for people who work in dangerous situations shortly after they wake, including firefighters and pilots.
So, what makes musical alarms better for waking up? The researchers think the music may be more successful in reducing sleep inertia because it has several tones, compared to the single tone of a "beeping" alarm. McFarlane said that the changes over time between the music tones may help increase a person's attention when waking from sleep.
And is there a kind of music that is best to wake up to? There may be, McFarlane said. "We could suggest alarm sounds that are tune full and easy to hum or sing along with. The current sounds I have been using include 'Close to me' by the Cure and 'Borderline' by Madonna."
No matter how you wake up, experts say, the amount of sleep you get also matters — a lot.
1.Which of the following might be the best title for the text?
A.What is grogginess? B.Why are musical alarms better?
C.Which music is the best? D.How can we overcome grogginess?
2.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Sleep inertia is another cause for grogginess.
B.How long a person sleeps is of great importance.
C.The 'beeping' alarm is not effective mainly because of its noisy tone.
D.It is dangerous for everyone to drive or ride bicycles shortly after waking up.
3.The paragraph following this passage is likely to focus on .
A.examples of good musical alarms
B.more findings of the application of music
C.explanations about why music is more helpful
D.suggestions on how to sleep well and feel fresh each morning
4.In which section of a magazine may you find the passage?
A.Health. B.Fiction.
C.Technology. D.Entertainment
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Seasonal pumped hydropower storage（SPHS），an already established yet infrequently used technology ,could be an affordable and sustainable solution（解决方法）to store energy and water annually, according to new IIASA research published in the journal Nature Communications. Compared with other mature storage solutions, such as natural gas, the study shows that there is considerable potential for SPHS to provide highly competitive energy storage costs.
Seasonal pumped hydropower storage means pumping water into a deep storage reservoir（水库）, built parallel to a major river, during times of high water flow or low energy demand. When water is not enough or energy demand increases，stored water is then released from the reservoir to generate electricity.
The new study is the first to provide a global, high-resolution analysis of the potential and costs for SPHS technology. In their analysis, researchers assessed the theoretical global potential for storing energy and water seasonally with SPHS, focusing on the locations with the highest potential and lowest cost. They found that the technology would be particularly effective in the Himalayas, the Andes, Alps，and the Rocky Mountains, as well as mountainous regions in the Middle East, Brazil, Asia, and Russia, and many other locations around the world.
The study also addresses some of the potential environmental concerns related to hydropower. Because SPHS reservoirs are deep and constructed parallel to, rather than within the course of a river, the environmental and land use impacts can also be up to 10 to 50 times smaller than conventional hydropower plants.
Hunt, lead author of the study, says, “With the need for a change to a more sustainable world with lower CO2 emissions（排放），renewable energies and energy storage will play a major role in the near future. Given the vast untapped（未开发的）and cheap potential of SPHS, it will soon play an important role in storing energy and water on a yearly basis.”
1.What is the strength of SPHS based on the new IIASA research?
A.It’s costly. B.It’s out-dated.
C.It’s rarely used. D.It’s inexpensive.
2.What do researchers concentrate on when assessing the use of SPHS?
A.Environmental protection. B.High profits.
C.Suitable places. D.Water flow.
3.What do we know about the SPHS reservoirs in Paragraph 4?
A.They damage the river.
B.They are environmentally friendly.
C.They are similar to traditional hydropower plants.
D.They can be effective in many places globally.
4.What’s the future for SPHS according to Hunt?
A.Promising. B.Panicking.
C.Discouraging. D.Demanding.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
My son Tom taught me a beautiful lesson today. He is three years old and it is amazing hatching him grow up.
He called out to me today saying, “Papa, sit”. That usually means _______ everything and going next to him and sitting down to play with him. I did that, as he can be _______ and will not stop calling out until I _______. He was playing with beads (珠子), pushing a string through them, which is a great exercise to help _______ fine motor skills. Then, after he finished playing with the beads, it was time to put them back in the box that they are stored in. I saw him _______ pick up each bead, look at it _______ it were made of chocolate and then placed it into its box.
With over a hundred beads to go, I was getting _______. “What a long time it will take! Why cannot he _______ ten beads in one go and drop them in?” said my anxious mind. I noticed that he did this with as much_______ as he had while we were playing. I didn’t see any ________ between his play and his putting away the toy. Obviously he enjoyed both.
Then it suddenly ________ me that this boy was enjoying the whole ________. The journey was his goal. For him the ________ was in the game and after the game, not just in the fun part. What a great perspective: to live each moment as it is the ________ moment; to do each task as it is the most awesome task. Nothing else ________.
Looking at how ________ my son was putting beads into the box ________ me that the process was the goal. The joy of pilgrimage (朝圣) is not in getting there but in every ________ of the journey.
This is what living in the NOW is all ________. Tom, my son, was showing me that it was about thoroughly enjoying every moment with ________ love and peace.
1.A.wasting B.leaving C.taking D.preparing
2.A.stubborn B.innocent C.helpful D.humorous
3.A.fell down B.turned round C.burst out D.gave in
4.A.highlight B.develop C.illustrate D.identify
5.A.gratefully B.eagerly C.carefully D.quickly
6.A.as if B.even though C.in case D.in that
7.A.fascinated B.satisfied C.impatient D.energetic
8.A.package B.grab C.deliver D.replace
9.A.confidence B.strength C.inspiration D.involvement
10.A.sense B.difference C.need D.value
11.A.excited B.helped C.struck D.encouraged
12.A.process B.morning C.experiment D.design
13.A.victory B.challenge C.difficulty D.pleasure
14.A.urgent B.decisive C.perfect D.dangerous
15.A.matters B.happens C.disappears D.works
16.A.successfully B.peacefully C.responsibly D.systematically
17.A.guaranteed B.warned C.promised D.taught
18.A.plan B.destination C.step D.detail
19.A.for B.with C.about D.from
20.A.complete B.available C.additional D.precious
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
随着科技的发展和互联网的普及，网络教学得到了越来越多的推广。现请你以“The Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Education”为题，结合以下要点写一篇英语文章。
1. 网络教学的利弊以及你的理由；
2. 你的看法及建议。
注意： 1. 词数100左右；
2. 开头已经给出，不计入总词数；
3. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Education
With the popularity of the Internet,
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难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，在空白处填1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
Since Jan 23，when Wuhan, Hubei province， China’s core battlefield against the deadly novel coronavirus, came to a halt （暂停），the city has witnessed numerous sorrows, but also hope. With spring 1.（ arrive）, it is gradually returning to normal. During the winter, China and its 1.4 billion people experienced the 2. （rapid） spreading COVID -19 outbreak. It 3.（ cause） the most extensive infections and has been the most difficult disease since the founding of New China in 1949.
Zhang Wenhong, leader of the Shanghai team of experts treating COVID - 19 cases, said, “We’ve managed 4. （ contain ） the outbreak in two to four months ,5. is unprecedented （ 前所未有的） in the history of epidemics, and unprecedented in the annals of medical history. I take pride in those brave ones, of our country and of our people.” They believe the measures that have played6. key role 一 including the Wuhan lockdown, massive testing, strict quarantine （隔离） regulations and timely treatment 一are all fundamental tools to break transmission of the virus.
It was not an easy 7.（decide） to seal off Wuhan, a city of more than 11 million people and one of the country’s 8. （busy） traffic hubs. It was an unprecedented move in China’s modern history，9. other cities in Hubei took similar measures，with the lockdown swiftly extended to the whole province. According to a study10. （publish） in the journal Science on March 31, the Wuhan lockdown, together with the national emergency response， reduced the number of confirmed COVID -19 cases outside Wuhan on the mainland by 96 percent within a month of being implemented.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Some students find themselves constantly in trouble with attention at school.1.If you have trouble paying attention, sitting still, and are getting constantly called out by your teacher, you can still learn to follow the rules and channel your energy into becoming a better student.
2.If you have trouble paying attention and staying on task, changing your attitude can help a lot. Try to use your imagination to make the task cooler and more fun. It might sound stupid, but pretending your schoolwork is fun can actually make it fun.
Take notes. One great way to keep yourself focused on the class topics and the lesson is to take notes. Even if you'll be provided with a review, or you don't eventually need the information for the test, if you struggle to pay attention, focus on writing down the important things the teacher says.3.
Be prepared for class. You can't stay focused if you don't have all the necessary supplies ready, and you're in your seat on time. There's nothing worse for your classroom reputation than forgetting your math textbook, or having to ask for a pencil or a piece of paper that you forget to bring.
Get involved in the class discussions.4.Just raise your hand if you know the answer, and talk during discussions in class if they're going on.
5.Just like changing your attitude about enjoying your classes, making an active choice can be an important first step in actually getting better grades.
A.Motivate yourself to improve your grades.
B.Use your imagination and decide to like the topics.
C.Taking notes can also help you improve your writing skills.
D.If you're not active in class, make a change and try to answer questions.
E.There are so many factors to make you unfocused, and you aren't alone!
F.This will help you stay focused and you'll have something to refer to later.
G.Seeing the results of your hard work, you might become more confident at work.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用（\）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。
There was a time when I was addicted to online games. Because of that, my study was suffered a lot. Instead for scolding me, Mother gave me a book written by Helen Keller and asked me to read it. Hardly have I finished a few pages when I was great attracted by Helen Keller. Despite her disability, she didn’t abandon hope and achieve a lot. This was her determination and courage that made her huge success.
When I finished reading the book, Mother had a talk with me. “You can also accomplish which Helen Keller did.” Mother’s words ring in my ear whenever I see the book, inspired me to face challenges in life.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析