On numerous drives with my mom through my childhood, she would suddenly pull over the car to examine a flower by the side of the road or rescue a beetle from danger while I, in my late teens and early twenties, sat impatiently in the car.
Though Mother's Day follows Earth Day, for me, they have always been related to each other. My mom has been ''green'' since she became concerned about the environment. Part of this habit was born of thrift(节俭). Like her mother and her grandmother before her, mom saves glass jars, empty cheese containers and reuses her plastic bags.
Mom creates a kind of harmonious relationship with wildlife in her yard. She knows to pick the apples on her trees a little early to avoid the bears and that if she leaves the bird feeders out at night, it is likely that they will be knocked down by a family of raccoons(浣熊). Spiders that make their way into the house and are caught in juice glasses will be set loose in the garden.
I try to teach my children that looking out for the environment starts with being aware of the environment. On busy streets, we look for dandelions(蒲公英)to fly in the wind; we say hello to neighborhood cats and pick up plastic cups and paper bags. This teaching comes easily, I realize, because I was taught so well by example. Mom didn’t need to lecture; she didn't need to beat a drum to change the world. She simply slowed down enough to enjoy living in it and with that joy came mercy and an instinct(直觉)for protection.
I am slowing down and it isn't because of the weight of my nearly forty years on the planet, it is just out of my concern for the planet itself. I've begun to save glass jars and reuse packing envelopes. I pause in my daily tasks to watch the squirrels race each other in the trees above my house.
Last summer, I planted tomatoes in my yard. With the heat of August around me, I enjoyed my tomatoes while sitting on my low wall. I immediately wanted to share with my mom.
1.Why does the author say Earth Day is connected with Mother's Day?
A.Because Mother's Day falls shortly after Earth Day.
B.To stress that all the older women are environmentalists.
C.To stress how much her mother cares about the environment.
D.Because her mother asks her to be kind to nature on Mother’s Day.
2.Which of the following is NOT related to Mom's ''green life''?
A.Picking dandelions on busy streets. B.Rescuing a beetle from some danger.
C.Setting a caught spider free in the garden. D.Saving glass jars and empty cheese containers.
3.We can infer from the article that ________.
A.the author's mother is very impatient with her children
B.The author's mother knows how to live in harmony with nature
C.the author's mother knows how to keep the wildlife off her yard
D.the author's mother used to lecture her to protect the environment
4.The change order of the writer's attitude towards her mom's behavior should be ________.
A.doubtful—critical—positive B.approving—doubtful—negative
C.understanding—critical—approving D.negative—understanding—approving
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
Although being famous might sound like a dream come true, today's stars, feeling like zoo animals, face pressures that few of us can imagine. They are at the center of the world’s attention. Paparazzi(狗仔队)camp outside their homes, cameras ready. Tabloids(小报)publish thrilling stories about their personal lives. Just imagine not being able to do anything without being photographed or interrupted for a signature.
According to psychologist Christina Villarreal, celebrities—famous people—worry constantly about their public appearance. Eventually, they start to lose track of who they really are, seeing themselves the way their fans imagine them, not as the people they were before everyone knew their names. ''Over time,'' Villarreal says, ''they feel separated and alone.''
The phenomenon of tracking celebrities has been around for ages. In the 4th century B C., painters followed Alexander the Great into battle, hoping to picture his victories for his admirers. When Charles Dickens visited America in the 19th century, his sold-out readings attracted thousands of fans, leading him to complain about his lack of privacy. Tabloids of the 1920s and 1930s ran articles about film-stars in much the same way that modern tabloids and websites do.
Being a public figure today, however, is a lot more difficult than it used to be. Superstars cannot move about without worrying about photographers with modern cameras. When they say something silly or do something ridiculous, there is always the Internet to spread the news in minutes and keep ''their story'' alive forever.
If fame is so troublesome, why aren’t all celebrities running away from it? The answer is there are still ways to deal with it. Some stars stay calm by surrounding themselves with trusted friends and family or by escaping to remote places away from big cities. They focus not on how famous they are but on what they love to do or whatever made them famous in the first place.
Sometimes a few celebrities can get a little justice. Still, even stars who enjoy full justice often complain about how hard their lives are. They are tired of being famous already.
1.It can be learned from the passage that stars today ________.
A.are often misunderstood by the public B.can no longer have their privacy protected
C.spend too much on their public appearance D.care little about how they have come into fame
2.What is the main idea of Paragraph 3?
A.Great heroes of the past were generally admired.
B.Well-known actors are usually targets of tabloids.
C.The problem faced by celebrities has a long history.
D.Works of popular writers often have a lot of readers.
3.What makes it much harder to be a celebrity today?
A.Availability of modern media. B.Huge population of fans.
C.Lack of favorable chances. D.Inadequate social recognition
4.What is the author's attitude toward modern celebrity?
A.Indifferent. B.Respectful.
C.Critical. D.Sympathetic.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
A survey has shown that what you do on a plane can be determined by which nationality is listed on your passport. According to the results of an international passenger survey, Australians are the biggest drinkers on board with 36 percent choosing to down the hatch, compared to 35 percent of Americans and 33 percent of Brits.
The Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) spoke to around 1,500 people aged 18 and older, who have traveled by plane at least once during the last three months and were living in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, China Singapore, Australia and Brazil.
The results found Chinese travelers are most likely to nod off once the seat-belt sign switches off. They are also the first to take out their credit card for some in-flight shopping and the biggest fans of gaming. Americans on the other hand like to use their time in the air more productively—when not drinking—choosing to work while flying at 35,000 feet.
Meanwhile, Brits and Germans are the best at making a chat with random strangers—spending 50 percent more time than any other nationality. Comparatively, Brazilians conduct their conversations online via email, messaging apps or social media.
Despite plane food having a bad reputation, seven out of ten interviewees said they were happy to eat up on the selection of in-flight snacks and meals. In-flight magazines were also popular with four out of five passengers.
The international flyers, who travelled on eight major airlines, did however express their desire for better in-flight entertainment. ''The industry has greatly improved the comfort, entertainment and onboard service, and passengers are accepting those improvements'' said Russell Lemieux, APEX executive director. ''At the same time, passengers are demanding more from their air travel experiences which will drive more improvements touching all aspects of the journey.'' he added.
1.What can you probably see in the flight according to the passage?
A.Brazilians choose to drink. B.Americans do in-flight shopping.
C.Germans chat to kill the time. D.The Chinese switch off the seat-belt sign.
2.When on board the plane, ________.
A.most passengers like to read in-flight magazines
B.passengers from one nation have little in common
C.more than half of the passengers don’t enjoy plane food
D.most people tend to have a good sleep during in-flight time
3.What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A.Flyers care not a little about entertainment.
B.Flyers are expecting better flight experiences.
C.Flyers are not satisfied with the improvements.
D.Flyers have more and more demands from airlines.
4.What's the purpose of the passage?
A.To entertain readers with interesting stories.
B.To criticize impolite behaviors on the plane.
C.To encourage people to take flight if possible.
D.To inform readers about the results of a survey.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Holding a cell phone against your ear or storing it in your pocket may be dangerous to your health. This explains a warning that cell phone makers include in the small print that is often ignored when a new phone is purchased Apple, for example, doesn’t want iPhones to come closer to you than 1.5 centimeters.
If health issues arise from cell phone use, the possible effects are huge. According to Devra Davis, an expert who has worked for the University of Pittsburgh, brain cancer is a concern. Over all, there has not been an increase in its incidence since cell phones arrived. But the average masks an increase in brain cancer in the 20—29 age group and a drop for the older population.
“Most cancers have many causes,” she says, but she points to laboratory research that suggests low energy radiation could damage cells that could possibly lead to cancer.
Children are more vulnerable to radiation than adults, Ms. Davis and other scientists point out: Radiation that penetrates（穿透）only five centimeters into the brain of an adult will reach much deeper into the brains of children because their skulls（头骨）are thinner and their brains contain more absorptive（易吸收的）fluid.
Henry Lai, a research professor in the bioengineering department at the University of Washington, began laboratory radiation studies in 1980 and found that rats exposed to radiation had damaged DNA in their brains.
Ms. Davis recommends using wired headsets or the phone’s speaker. Children should text rather than call, she said, and pregnant women should keep phones away from the belly（腹部）.
1.Why is the warning in the small print?
A.They think people will not mind it. B.The warning is not important at all.
C.They don’t want the users to notice it. D.There is too little space for the warning.
2.What does the underlined word “vulnerable” in the 4th paragraph probably mean?
A.elegant B.sensitive
C.dynamic D.relevant
3.Why do children easily be affected by radiation?
A.Because they don’t know about such dangerous radiation.
B.Because they enjoy using cell phones more often than adults.
C.Because they are not strong enough to fight against radiation.
D.Because their skulls are thinner and their brains are easily hurt.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Africa is a very diverse land with many different tribes （部落）. One tradition that many of these groups share is painting or marking their bodies and faces in color. They do this for many reasons. Some marks are used to identify people as part of a group. 1. Let’s look at some different examples of body painting.
2. Among the Masai of East Africa, when men are old enough to marry and make decisions for their people, they participate in a special ceremony in which they paint their heads and faces red. This ceremony takes place every seven to fourteen years, so there is not an exact age far participating in it. The Samburu, also from East Africa, like to paint their faces and hair red because they think it looks attractive.
3. To show that he has killed a lion, a man will paint his body with a natural white material, making special marks to represent this accomplishment. The Masai men also use this white to show that they are no longer boys and are considered adults.
One quite unusual example of face painting is done by the Wodaabe people of West Africa. Once a year, they have a beauty contest for men. 4. Then they add white and black circles and lines. Black paint is used near the eyes and on the lips to draw attention to the whiteness of their eyes and teeth, which the Wodaabe consider most beautiful. 5..
As you travel, enjoy the beautiful and bright colors of Africa.
A.The men pretend to fight each other.
B.The ceremony expresses hope for rain.
C.The men paint their faces yellow and red.
D.The women then decide which man they like best.
E.The Masai men also have a unique way of showing that they are brave.
F.Other marks are used for ceremonies such as weddings and during times of war.
G.Often representing health and long life, red is the common color in body painting.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Late one recent night, Carol Spale picked up the phone and heard quiet sobbing on the line. It was her _______, an old lady who had lived on her own across the street for many years.
Spale runs the local “Neighborhood Services” committee, so she’s _________ to receiving calls like this. The committee is_______ to those living in North Riverside, Illinois, where being good to neighbors is taken _________ by everyone in the small village. The commitee is the _________ of Mayor Richard N. Scheck’s 1992 call for community-building ideas. The committee _________ 90 “block captains”, each of whom looks over a street in North Riverside.
For people nearby, Spale is the guardian（监护人）. But why was the old lady _________? As the story goes, Spale called up the lady after _______ her garage was open later than usual. Spale became _______ when the lady called back in tears. Spale’s first ________ was that she was in trouble, but it turned out to be a lot ________ than that. “She was crying because my call let her know someone is ________ her. It made her feel good now that she’s __________.” Spale said.
Three times a year, the committee has __________ where the locals come together to talk about the good-neighbor things they’ve __________. The speakers are often children, __________ by their parents to do good. At a recent gathering, one little girl __________ how she made a card for a neighboring old gentleman she made __________ with, who had had a heart __________.” It seems there’s no age difference between them,” Spale said.
These kindnesses are __________ in a book sold on Amazon called We Can Build Community with the money going to the locals in need.
1.A.mother B.captain C.neighbor D.minister
2.A.used B.reduced C.devoted D.limited
3.A.equal B.simple C.similar D.familiar
4.A.secretly B.recently C.seriously D.obviously
5.A.choice B.product C.discover D.suggestion
6.A.trains B.employs C.manages D.controls
7.A.laughing B.crying C.singing D.shouting
8.A.noticing B.admitting C.mentioning D.predicting
9.A.sorry B.angry C.happy D.nervous
10.A.memory B.thought C.impression D.recognition
11.A.safer B.luckier C.better D.stronger
12.A.seeking B.minding C.changing D.honoring
13.A.alone B.stressed C.healthy D.energetic
14.A.competitions B.debates C.congratulations D.meetings
15.A.performed B.expected C.witnessed D.remembered
16.A.reminded B.required C.persuaded D.encouraged
17.A.showed B.shared C.explained D.confirmed
18.A.bets B.promises C.friends D.decisions
19.A.operation B.treatment C.application D.emergency
20.A.taken B.printed C.written D.recorded
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，每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其正下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（╲）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词正下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均限一词，请严格按照要求格式修改。
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
My cousin and I usually stay out lately with some friends on Saturday evenings, left Grandpa alone at home. It was so cold yesterday, however, that none of us wanted to suffer from the frozen wind outside. So after dinner we stay at home sitting around a fire and listening to Grandpa tell his experiences in Second World War. In fact they sounded familiar to us, so we were still listening attentively so as to make him be happy. Now and then we asked Grandpa some questions, that he answered in a humorous way. We burst out laughing from time to time and he laughed too. Full of joy, we all felt especially warm in the cold evening.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
假如你是李华，是一名中牟三高高二年级的学生。你听说美国哥伦比亚大学对外交流部暑假期间对中国中学生进行英语培训，你有意参加。请你给该校对外交流部写一封报名信。
内容包括：1). 学习时间。
2). 学习目标。
注意：1. 词数100左右。
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Sir or Madam,
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Best wishes,
Li Hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析