The best bikes for the beginners
When it comes to purchasing your first bike, the choice is endless, making it tough to know what to go for. Here are the best buys on the market right now.
Boardman CX Comp
This is a cross-country bike, and it’s so versatile(多用途的)that you can handle any terrain(地势)on it, making it a great choice for those wanting to try various cycling subjects. If you leave on the thick tires it comes with, it can ride on various paths and can even handle some less demanding mountain bike routes. Alternatively, put on thin, slick tires and treat it as a road bike. It has basket and comes with Shimano Sora gears, which are outstanding for its price.
￡650, Halfords.
Planet X RT-58 v2
Planet X is based in Yorkshire, which means you'd probably have to buy this bike without seeing it. But it’s worth it, because this is an excellent machine at a lower price. Planet X is a highly rated manufacture and this model comes with Shimano Sora gears.
￡439, Planet X
Specialized Allez ES
Specialized is one of the biggest and most popular brands in cycling, and this is its hugely popular primary road bike. It comes with solid components from front to back and you'll look great out on the road.
￡575, Evans Cycles
Boardman Road Team Carbon
If you can push your budget further still, this bike is worth the extra investment. The frame is made entirely from carbon, which is lighter, faster and more comfortable than the composition metal models above and gives you an all-round more enjoyable ride. It also means that if you get really serious about cycling, you don't have to upgrade as quickly as you would with a cheaper bike
￡800, Halfords
1.Compared with other bikes, what is the strength of the Boardman CX Comp?
A. Its outstanding price B. Its Shimano Sora gears
C. Dealing with any terrain D. Putting on very firm tires
2.Which is suitable for you if you want to buy at an economical price but with Shimano Sora gears?
A. Planet X RT-58 v2 B. Specialized Allez ES
C. Boardman CX Comp D. Boardman Road Team Carbon
3.What can we know about the bikes mentioned in the text?
A. The second has sold out so fast.
B. You should be careful when riding the third.
C. The forth is very expensive but with special material.
D. You can only ride the first on the mountainous road。
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
With rapid advances in medical science, cloning is slowly but surely looking like it could be in our near future. However, is it really an option that should be considered as a way to extend human life?
Reproductive cloning may help human families gain children, but there's also a benefit for the animal world. It brings hope to people eager for children but unable to have their own or adopt. It can also bring about the recreation of species that have long since died, allowing scientists to fully study the species as a living creature instead of simply looking at images or bones.
Many believe that cloning can be used to replace failing organs. This will reduce the waiting list for organ donations and allow more people to be saved. Not only that, but because the organ is, in fact, your own organ, there would be less chance of rejection.
Cloning could prove helpful in genetic research. Using cloning technologies, genetic researchers would have a better understanding of the composition of genes and the effects of genetic constituents (成分) on human characters. There's also the possibility of changing genetic constituents in cloned humans, and cloning could help fight genetic diseases.
While the cloning of body organs can help extend human life, it could also cause a lot of malpractice (玩忽职守). Along with the ability to clone desired characters, there could be the possibility of people deliberately reproducing undesired characters. This could lead to a rise in malpractices within society.
Cloning involves a process of creating identical genes. As such, there would be a lack of diversity in humankind. Scientists believe this lack of diversity will lower the human race's ability to adapt.
Whatever your view on cloning may be, studies show that the clone would in fact not be completely identical to the original just as twins are not completely identical. Though they might look alike, twins have different personalities and enjoy different things. The same could be said of clones. Even if technology were created in which your memories and thoughts could be transmitted (传送) to the clone, your clone would still be a different person.
1.What good might reproductive cloning bring?
A. It may help improve human well-being.
B. It could contribute to the rising birthrate.
C. It could help animals survive deadly diseases.
D. It may enable scientists to better study extinct species.
2.According to the text, cloning can also be used for ________________________________________________.
A. organ transplant
B. solving the aging problem
C. infectious disease treatment
D. constructing a gene database
3.What's one problem cloning may cause?
A. Great diversity.
B. Individual security risk.
C. Increased improper conduct.
D. Serious personality disorder.
4.Why are twins mentioned in the last paragraph?
A. To stress twins' similarities.
B. To show twins are quite common.
C. To carry out deeper research on twins.
D. To better illustrate what a clone will be like.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
My parents both left school at 14. They could read and write, but except for a quick look at the daily newspaper, reading and writing didn't play a big part in their lives. There were very few books in the house. When I was only 14 years old my father gave me an important letter that he'd written to the bank and asked me to check it for grammar and spelling mistakes. And there were quite a lot. He never wrote letters or postcards or even Christmas cards. So when he had to write he wasn't comfortable or confident. Does that mean that my father had a ‘low level of literacy (读写能力)’? I don't think so.
There are lots of different definitions (定义) of literacy. Some experts define it as having the reading and writing skills that you need to be independent in your everyday life. So, for example, if you can read instructions, write a cheque, fill in a form — anything that you need to do in everyday life — then you are ‘functionally literate’.
If you live in a society where most people are literate then you will feel ashamed and avoid situations in which you have to read or write. A friend's father finally admitted to his family that he couldn't read when he was 45 years old. He had bought the newspaper every day and pretended to read it.
Being illiterate can have a big effect on people's lives. Worldwide statistics show that literacy problems are associated with poverty and a lack of political power. More women than men are illiterate. Illiterate people have worse health, bigger families and are more likely to go to prison. So literacy campaigns must be a good thing. But don't forget that an illiterate person, or someone with a low level of literacy, isn't necessarily stupid or ignorant (无知的) — and may not be unhappy at all. Knowledge and wisdom isn't only found in writing.
1.What do we know about the author's father?
A. He read a lot. B. He rarely wrote.
C. He couldn't write. D. He bought many books.
2.What does the author say about “functionally literate” people?
A. They are usually mind readers.
B. They can read between the lines.
C. They are mainly dependent on others.
D. They are able to read and write to survive.
3.Why did the friend's father buy the newspaper regularly?
A. To keep his secret.
B. To be fashionable.
C. To enjoy the daily news.
D. To further his study
4.What is literacy irrelevant to according to the author?
A. Health. B. Poorness.
C. Influence. D. Happiness.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Tenzing left his home when he was ten to work and help his mother，who was looking after their 2-acre ancestral farm after his father’s death. He did temporary jobs for the first few years and then joined a Malaysian construction firm，where he learnt to drive，repair machines, work on the Internet and even speak English fluently.
“In those 13 years，I learnt everything—driving, mechanic work，and how to set up a small factory. This made me gain much confidence to do almost all jobs,” says Tenzing.
However, as his mother was getting older, on December 12, 2006, Tenzing returned to his hometown in Assam. Having visited several farms, he came to know that tea could be easily exported and many tea companies were buying tea; so he also decided to grow tea on his farm. But as his family had never grown tea，he had no idea how to do it.
Being a layman (外行）in this field, Tenzing went to meet with many tea experts and followed their instructions. But whenever he sprayed pesticide (农药）on his farm, he’d get a headache and feel indisposed. So he started looking for alternatives, Tenzing did his research online and finally in 2007, he connected with people from a Canadian non-governmental organization and invited them to his farm, where they trained him. Thus, Tenzing started growing tea organically.
Today Tenzing has 25 acres of land, in which 7.5 acres is used for tea planting, and he grows almost all types of fruits and vegetables. His success inspired many, and farmers from other parts of the country also started coming to his farm to learn organic farming. He has trained about 30,000 farmers so far. Every year almost 100 tourists visit his farm from various parts of the world like the UK, Australia, Germany, etc.
1.What can we know about Tenzing?
A. He was mistreated at a young age. B. He lived a happy childhood.
C. He received much formal education. D. He had great learning ability.
2.Why did Tenzing want to grow tea on his farm?
A. Tea sold very well at that time. B. His mother was getting older.
C. His land was best for tea growth. D. He was tired of temporary jobs.
3.What does the underlined word “indisposed” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
A. Unfair. B. Motivated
C. Uncomfortable. D. Touched.
4.Which of the following could be the best title of this passage?
A. A hot tourist attraction in Assam
B. The biggest tea farm in Assam
C. Tenzing, Assam’s First Organic Tea Farmer
D. The conflict between experts and a layman
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
HOW TO GET MORE SLEEP
Many studies warn that not having enough sleep may lead to serious health problems, affecting our daily life, work and study. You’ve probably known this for long, yet you still don’t get a full night sleep due to an incredible work schedule. So what can you do to make more time for sleep, and get a better night’s rest overall?
• Invest in a better-quality mattress. If you’re sleeping on a years-old, worn-out mattress(床垫), it’s no wonder why you wake up feeling tired in the morning. 1. With a new mattress that’s better suited to your sleeping habits, you’ll get to sleep faster and stay asleep consistently.
• 2. There are many habits that can affect how much sleep you get, including how much caffeine you consume throughout the day (and when you consume it — even a few hours before bedtime can interfere with sleep), whether or not you physically exercise, and how long you spend staring at a digital screen before bed.
• Take a closer look at your schedule.3. In Western culture, there’s a lot of pressure to fill up our schedules to seem important and socially integrated, so your daily activities might have some faults or unnecessary tasks that can be skipped or delayed. 4.
Sleep is even more important than you probably realized, but it’s entirely within your power to reshape your sleeping habits for good. Make sleep your first priority, scheduling time for it the way you’d schedule a meeting, and work the rest of your schedule around it. 5.
A.Watch your habits.
B.Some habits contribute to a good night’s sleep.
C.Without enough sleep, you could take more risks in your life.
D.A new mattress can be a big investment, but it’s almost worth the money.
E.Draw a line between professional and personal time, and make sleep a higher priority.
F.If you feel like you’re too busy to sleep, consider taking a second look at your schedule.
G.In time, it will become the new routine, and you’ll improve your health and productivity.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
The International Space Station (ISS) is a huge space station. It is being ____ by thousands of people from 16 countries. All these people are trying to find out if humans can one day build ____ in space.
Floating 230 miles above Earth, the International Space Station currently ____ a huge building-block project out in space. US space shuttles and Russian rockets have been ____ tools and pieces of the ____ into space to help finish building it. From the beginning of its construction in 1998 to its ____, more than 100 major pieces will be put together to create this ____ space station. When ____, it will be the largest structure ever to fly above Earth. The ISS will be ____ than a football field and will weigh about one million pounds.
In addition to helping build the space station, ____ are trying to answer such questions as these: How does space travel affect germs? Does the human body break down food ____ in space? Someday, the station may even serve as a launchpad (发射台) for trips to other ____, such as Mars.
Because of its ____ size, the ISS needs a lot of ____. Like other man-made bodies in space, its power comes from the ____. To create solar energy, large panels (嵌板) are lined with special materials. These materials ____ the sun's energy and change it into electricity.
So what does it cost to build such a ____? It costs over $60 billion dollars. ____ this may seem astronomical, it may be a small price to ____ a project that enables some of the world's finest scientists to work together, exploring space for the world's ____.
1.A. discussed B. used C. driven D. constructed
2.A. schools B. shops C. homes D. factories
3.A. looks like B. comes from C. turns into D. belongs to
4.A. changing B. transporting C. breaking D. dividing
5.A. station B. material C. metal D. product
6.A. design B. progress C. popularity D. completion
7.A. ordinary B. small C. Amazing D. attractive
8.A. applied B. closed C. entered D. finished
9.A. longer B. larger C. better D. more
10.A. scientists B. professors C. architects D. workers
11.A. differently B. actively C. instantly D. wholly
12.A. surfaces B. planets C. locations D. lands
13.A. limited B. standard C. middle D. impressive
14.A. astronauts B. experts C. power D. space
15.A. wind B. air C. sun D. water
16.A. collect B. produce C. provide D. consume
17.A. house B. structure C. mode D. system
18.A. Since B. If C. When D. Although
19.A. take ove B. set up C. pay for D. lead to
20.A. existence B. future C. peace D. dream
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。
Lots of kids hate school, a new study found. This kind of feeling usually doesn’t last long. But what 1. (happen) if you feel this way too much? Getting a good 2. (educate) can help you build the kind of future life you want. So let’s talk about school and3.to do when you don’t like it.
If you don’t like school,4.first step is to find out why. You might not like school because you don’t have enough friends,5.maybe you don’t get along with your teacher. Sometimes it’s a big problem with your classes and school-work. You may be getting 6.(far) behind, and it may seem like you’ll never catch up.
When you know why you don’t like school, you can set about 7.(take) steps to make things better. It’s a good idea to talk to someone about 8.(you) problems with school. Your mum, dad or teacher will be able to help you. Another good idea is to write clown your 9.(feeling) about school in a notebook. It’s a great way 10.(let) out emotions. Remember, you don’t have to share what you’ve written with others.
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：在错的词下画一横线，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。
High school is a time that we may meet many good teachers. When I was in Senior One, I met my chemistry teacher calling John, who devoted himself in teaching. He tried his best to make her classes lively. He usually made good preparation for the lessons and was strict with us, too. Whenever we made mistakes in our homework, he would ask us to correcting them. I was used to be poor in chemistry. He often helps me with my studies very patient. Because of his help, I made rapid progress and caught up with the class. He was always very kind to every student. As experienced teacher, he was respected and loved by all the students.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假定你是校学生会主席李华。请给在你校学习汉语的英国交换生Leslie写一封电子邮件，邀请他参加本周五下午3:00在学校报告厅举办的以“我的梦，中国梦”为主题的演讲比赛。内容包括：
1.发出邀请；
2.时间和地点；
3.要求：提前准备素材，演讲要用汉语。
注意：1.词数120左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Leslie,
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析