My father had always been an alert observer of human character. Within seconds of meeting someone, he could sum up their strengths and weaknesses. It was always a challenge to see if any of my boyfriends could pass Dad’s test. None did. Dad was always right---they didn’t pass my test either. After Dad died, I wondered how I’d figure it out on my own.
That’s when Jack arrived on the scene. He was different from any other guy I’d dated. He could sit for hours on the piano bench with my mother, discussing some composers. My brother Rick loudly announced that Jack wasn’t a turkey like the other guys I’d brought home. Jack passed my family’s test. But what about Dad’s?
Then came my mother’s birthday. The day he was supposed to drive, I got a call. “Don’t worry,” he said, “but I’ve been in an accident. I’m fine, but I need you to pick me up.”
When I got there, we rushed to a flower shop for something for Mom. “How about gardenias?” Jack said, pointing at a beautiful white corsage(胸花). The florist put the corsage in a box.
The entire ride, Jack was unusually quiet. “Are you all right?” I asked. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking,” he said. “I might be moving.” Moving? Then he added, “Moving in with you.” I nearly put the car on the sidewalk. “What?” I asked. “I think we should get married,” he said. He told me he’d planned his proposal in a fancy restaurant, but after the accident, he decided to do it right away. “Yes,” I whispered. We both sat dumbfounded, tears running down our cheeks. I’d never known such a tender moment. If only Dad were here to give his final approval.
“Oh, let’s just go inside.” Jack laughed. My mother opened the door. “Happy Birthday!” we shouted. Jack handed the box to her. She opened it up. Suddenly, her eyes were filled with tears. “Mom, what’s wrong?” I asked. “I’m sorry,” she said, wiping her eyes. “This is only the second gardenia corsage I’ve ever received. I was given some years ago, long before you kids were born.” “From who?” I asked. “Your father,” Mom said. “He gave me one right before we were engaged.” My eyes locked on Jack’s as I blinked away(眨掉) tears. Dad’s test? I knew Jack had passed.
1.According to the text, we know the writer’s father was __________.
A. interested in observing things around
B. good at judging one’s character
C. strict with her boyfriend
D. fond of challenges
2.What is the main idea of Paragraph 2?
A. Jack knew a lot about piano.
B. Jack was different from any other boy.
C. Jack was getting on well with Mother.
D. Jack got the family’s approval except Dad’s.
3. The underlined word “proposal” in Paragraph 5 means __________.
A. offer of marriage B. wedding ceremony
C. celebration of birthday D. piece of advice
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
The extraordinary Eastgate Building in Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital city, is said to be the only one in the world to use the same cooling and heating principles as the termite mound(白蚁堆).
Architect Mick Pearce used precisely the same strategy when designing the Eastgate Building, which has no air-conditioning and almost no heating. The building—the country’s largest commercial and shopping complex—uses less than 10% of the energy of a conventional building of its size. The Eastgate’s owners saved $3.5 million on a $36 million building because an air-conditioning equipment didn’t have to be imported.
The complex is actually two buildings linked by bridges across a shady, glass-roofed atrium(天井) open to the air. Fans suck fresh air in from the atrium, blow it upstairs through hollow spaces under the floors and from there into each office through baseboard vents(通风口). As it rises and warms, it is drawn out via ceiling vents and finally exists through forty-eight brick chimneys.
During summer’s cool nights, big fans blow air through the building seven times an hour to cool the empty floors. By day, smaller fans blow two changes of air an hour through the building, to circulate the air which has been in contact with the cool floors. For winter days, there are small heaters in the vents.
This is all possible only because Harare is 1600 feet above sea level, has cloudless skies, little dampness and rapid temperature changes—days as warm as 31℃ commonly drop to 14℃ at night. “You couldn’t do this in New York, with its hot summers and cold winters,” Pearce said.
The engineering firm of Ove Arup & Partners monitors daily temperatures. It is found that the temperature of the building has generally stayed between 23℃ and 25℃, with the exception of the annual hot period just before the summer rains in October and three days in November, when a doorkeeper accidentally switched off the fans at night. And the air is fresh—far more so than in air-conditioned buildings, where up to 30% of the air is recycled.
1.Why was Eastgate cheaper to be built than a conventional building?
A. It was designed in a smaller size.
B. No air conditioners were fixed in.
C. Its heating system was less advanced.
D. It used rather different building materials.
2.What does “it” refer to in Paragraph 3?
A. Hollow space.
B. Baseboard vent.
C. Fresh air from outside.
D. Heat in the building.
3.Why would a building like Eastgate Not work efficiently in New York?
A. New York has less clear skies as Harare.
B. Its dampness affects the circulation of air.
C. New York covers a larger area than Harare.
D. Its temperature changes seasonally rather than daily.
4.The data in the last paragraph suggests Eastgate’s temperature control system_____.
A. works better in hot seasons
B. can recycle up to 30% of the air
C. functions well for most of the year
D. allows a wide range of temperatures
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
There is a popular belief among parents that schools are no longer interested in spelling. No school I have taught in has ever ignored spelling or considered it unimportant as a basic skill There are, however, vastly different ideas about how to teach it, or how much priority it must be given over in general language development and writing ability. The problem is, how to encourage a child to express himself freely and confidently in writing without holding him back with the complexities of spelling?
If spelling becomes the only focal point of his teacher's interest, clearly a bright child will be likely to "play safe". He will tend to write only words within his spelling range, choosing to avoid adventurous language. That's why teachers often encourage the early use of dictionaries and pay attention to content rather than technical ability.
I was once shocked to read on the bottom of a sensitive piece of writing about a personal experience: "This work is terrible! There are far too many spelling errors and your writing is illegible." It may have been a sharp criticism of the pupil's technical abilities in writing, but it was also a sad reflection on the teacher who had omitted to read the essay, which contained some beautiful expressions of the child's deep feelings. The teacher was not wrong to draw attention to the errors, but if his priorities had centered on the child's ideas, an expression of his disappointment with the presentation would have given the pupil more motivation to seek improvement.
1.Teachers differ in their opinions about ________.
A. the difficulties in teaching spelling
B. the necessity of teaching spelling
C. the complexities of the basic writing skills
D. the role of spelling in general language development
2.The expression "play safe" probably means “_______”.
A. to write carefully
B. to avoid using words one is not sure of
C. to do as teachers say
D. to use dictionaries frequently
3.Teachers encourage the use of dictionaries so that ______.
A. teachers will have less trouble in correcting mistakes
B. students will have more confidence in writing
C. students will be able to express their ideas more freely
D. students will learn to be independent of teachers
4. The major point discussed in the passage is ________.
A. the relationship between spelling and content of a composition
B. the importance of developing writhing skills
C. the correct way of marking compositions
D. the complexities of spelling
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Cheaters called “pirates” often use camcorders(便携式摄像机) and cell phones to make illegal copies of blockbusters in the local theater. These pirates then sell those recordings on the street or over the Internet for very low prices. Some share them for free.
“It’s unfair for people to pirate movies,” says 15-year-old Hadaia Azad Ezzulddin. Movie piracy “takes money out of the pockets of thousands of people in the movie industry,” she notes. Victims include famous actors and directors as well as local theater owners and their employees.
Hadaia came up with an idea that could help stop movie piracy. Hadaia’s idea uses infrared(红外线的) light. This range of light is invisible to the human eye. It is visible, however, to many types of cameras. Theater owners could place small infrared lights on their movie screens. The lights would not disturb people watching the movie. It would, however, distort the recordings made by many types of cameras.
To test her idea, Hadaia built a box with a movie screen inside. Then, she projected images on that screen through a hole in the box. She took recordings of those images, using nine different types of cameras. These included the types found in cell phones as well as camcorders. During some tests, she also turned on light emitting diodes(发光二极管), or LEDs. The LEDs were embedded（植入的）in a certain place behind the movie screen. They gave out infrared light.
Sure enough, she showed, a pirated movie included odd stripes or spots if it had been recorded while the LEDs were on. It might be possible to use the LEDs to flash the date and time on the movie screen. The information would then appear in the illegal recordings. Theater owners or police might use the information to track down the pirates.
Cutting down on piracy might get more people into theaters to watch the real movie instead of an illegal copy. Six out of every ten films now produced aren’t profitable. They don’t make enough money to recover how much was spent to make and market them. Such a poor payback can discourage filmmakers from producing anything but the types expected to become blockbuster hits. It might also keep smaller theaters from showing a wider variety of movie types.
1. From what Hadaia says in Paragraph 2, we can infer that _______.
A. most people spend less money on pirates moves
B. the pirates don’t have to pay for the movie tickets
C. theater owners will increase the price of movie tickets
D. she strongly criticizes those who video movies in the theater
2.Infrared lights are put on the movie screens to _______.
A. adjust the brightness of the movie screens
B. make sure the images of movies are dark
C. make illegal copies of movies unpleasant to see
D. protect the eyesight of viewers in the darkness
3.What is the correct order of the steps in Hadaia’s test?
a. She projected pictures on the screen.
b. She used cameras to record the pictures.
c. She turned on the LEDs placed behind the screen.
d. She made a special box with a movie screen inside.
A. d c a b B. d b a c
C. b a c d D. b c a d
4.According to the last paragraph, we can know that _______.
A. forty percent of movies now are profitable
B. small theaters often choose to show low-cost movies
C. more and more people go to theaters to fight movie piracy
D. filmmakers prefer to produce ordinary movies than blockbusters
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
根据短文内容从短文的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Taking a math test can be pretty stressful. Even if you know the material, you can still get the problem wrong. Knowing how to go through your math test and check your work can save you from handing in a test full of mistakes that can be avoided. 1.
Write it out
You can also check a math problem by writing everything out on paper. 2. Writing out math problems reduces your chances of missing anything to the lowest possible level, which is a common cause of incorrect answers.
3.
Make sure your answers work by doing the opposite procedure of what your problem calls for, including the answer you got the first time around. In other words, you would use the opposite of this addition problem—subtraction (减法)—to determine whether or not your answer is the correct one.
Plugging in
You may find that a variable isn’t good enough or have a problem where you have to solve for a variable (变量). 4. This is the only real way to assure yourself that the answer you’ve found is correct.
Check for a reasonable answer
5. For example, if you get an answer in the millions and you know it should be in the thousands, you’ve likely misplaced a point. Go back through the work on your paper to make sure all of your formulas and calculations are correct. If everything looks okay, do the problem again and compare the result of the second try to what you’ve got on the first try.
A. Do the opposite.
B. Correct the answers.
C. Plug the variable in the equation (方程) to check it out.
D. Therefore you’ll improve your grades, as well as your math skills.
E. It also helps you to figure out everything after you have already finished the test.
F. If the result of a problem seems to make no sense, it indicates that the answer is incorrect.
G. This helps you to know what information you have and what information you need to solve.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
A few years ago my mother asked me to go shopping with her because she needed a new dress. I don’t like to shop with others, and I’m not a person. However, we for the mall together at last.
We visited nearly every , and she tried on dress after dress, them all. As the day went on, I grew tired and my mother grew .
, at our last shop, my mother tried on a lovely blue three-piece dress. The blouse had a bow at the neckline. As I stood in the room with her, I watched as she tried, with much , to tie it. Her hands were so badly crippled from arthritis(关节炎) that she couldn’t do it. Immediately, my impatience to an overwhelming(无法抗拒的) wave of sympathy for her. I turned away to hide the that came up involuntarily.
Regaining my calmness, I turned back to tie the bow for her. The dress was beautiful, and she bought it. Our shopping trip was , but the event was etched(铭刻) in my memory. For the rest of the day, my kept returning to that moment in the dressing room and to the of my mother’s hands trying to tie that bow. Those hands that had fed me, bathed me, dressed me, comforted me, and, , prayed for me, were now touching me in a remarkable .
Later in the evening, I went to my mother’s room, her hands in mine, kissed them and, much to her , told her that to me they were the most hands in the world.
1.A. simply B. finally C. actually D. normally
2.A. patient B. honest C. respectful D. trustworthy
3.A. took off B. kept off C. got off D. set off
4.A. person B. store C. assistant D. boss
5.A. remembering B. buying C. rejecting D. recommending
6.A. frustrated B. worried C. tired D. upset
7.A. Immediately B. Finally C. Traditionally D. Quietly
8.A. sitting B. dining C. dressing D. waiting
9.A. time B. pride C. experience D. difficulty
10.A. gave off B. gave away C. gave way D. gave up
11.A. tears B. money C. expression D. feeling
12.A. off B. out C. on D. over
13.A. head B. mind C. heart D. brain
14.A. sense B. belief C. vision D. consciousness
15.A. loving B. lively C. live D. alive
16.A. first of all B. most of all C. all in all D. after all
17.A. style B. fashion C. manner D. form
18.A. took B. made C. removed D. replaced
19.A. sorrow B. disappointment C. regret D. surprise
20.A. common B. effective C. beautiful D. useful
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（不多于3个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
Worker: Customer Service, Anthony Grant speaking. 1. can I help you?
Customer: I can’t believe this is happening! I called and ordered a 32-inch bag last Friday, 2. today I found that you sent a 24-inch one. I was planning to use that bag during our vacation in Mexico, but it doesn’t seem possible any more because we’re taking off on Saturday. It’s only three days away. What am I 3. (suppose) to do?
Worker: I’m really sorry, madam. I 4. (check) it right away. Would you please tell me your order 5. ?
Customer: 6. is CE29.
Worker: Er, just a moment. I do apologize, madam. There does seem to be a mistake. I’ll have the correct size bag 7. (send) to you by over-night mail right away. It shall arrive by this Friday. It will be 8. time for your Saturday trip. Again I apologize for any 9. (convenient) caused by out mistake. I promise it won’t happen again.
Customer: OK. Well, thank you.
Worker: Thank you, madam, for choosing Linch Mail Order Company. I hope you have 10. wonderful vacation.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
短文改错（满分10分）
文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。错误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：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉；
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出改正后的词。
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。
What could be more refreshing than drink a can of icy cold soda after exercising? Soda is a popular drink all over the world. But drinking too many of it can have serious health consequences. For an instance, weight gain is a strongly possibility, as a result of the high sugar and calories. Drinking soda has also been linked to tooth decay(蛀牙). In fact, the acid in soda can begin damaging teeth just 20 minute after soda is drinking, according to a survey. Unfortunately, sales of soda is going down in the US, as the survey shows. That’s probably why nowadays people are more aware this sweet drink’s health risks.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
近年来，随着清明节(the Tomb-sweeping Festival)、端午节(the Dragon Boat Festival)、中秋节(Mid-Autumn Day)等传统节日成为法定假日越来越多的人选择“自驾游(self-driving travel)”作为假期出游的首选。
请你根据以下提示，以“My Views on Self-driving Travel”为题写一篇短文：
1.自驾游增加的原因（至少两条）；
2.自驾游的优势及缺点；
3.自驾游的注意事项；
注意： 词数100--120；
可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
难度: 中等查看答案及解析