What’s On?
Electric Underground
7.30pm－1.00am Free at the Cyclops Theatre
Do you know who’s playing in your area? We’re bringing you an exciting evening of live rock and pop music from the best local bands. Are you interested in becoming a musician and getting a recording contract(合同)? If so, come early to the talk at 7.30pm by Jules Skye, a successful record producer. He’s going to talk about how you can find the right person to produce your music.
Gee Whizz
8.30pm-10.30pm Comedy at Kaleidoscope
Come and see Gee Whizz perform. He’s the funniest stand-up comedian on the comedy scene. This joyful show will please everyone, from the youngest to the oldest. Gee Whizz really knows how to make you laugh! Our bar is open from 7.00pm for drinks and snacks(快餐).
Simon’s Workshop
5.00pm-7.30pm Wednesdays at Victoria Stage
This is a good chance for anyone who wants to learn how to do comedy. The workshop looks at every kind of comedy, and practices many different ways of making people laugh. Simon is a comedian and actor who has 10 years’ experience of teaching comedy. His workshops are exciting and fun. An evening with Simon will give you the confidence to be funny.
Charlotte Stone
8.00pm-11.00pm Pizza World
Fine food with beautiful jazz music; this is a great evening out. Charlotte Stone will perform songs from her new best-selling CD, with James Pickering on the piano. The menu is Italian, with excellent meat and fresh fish, pizzas and pasta(面食). Book early to get a table. Our bar is open all day, and serves cocktails, coffee, beer, and white wine.
1.Who can help you if you want to have your music produced?
A.Jules Skye. B.Gee Whizz.
C.Charlotte Stone. D.James Pickering.
2.At which place can people of different ages enjoy a good laugh?
A.The Cyclops Theatre B.Kaleidoscope
C.Victoria Stage D.Pizza World
3.When will Charlotte Stone perform her songs?
A.5.00pm-7.30pm. B.7.30pm－1.00am.
C.8.00pm-11.00pm. D.8.30pm-10.30pm.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Avi Wortis, known simply as Avi, writes historical novels. Historical novels mix historical facts with storytelling skills. These stories take place in the past. The main characters are not always real；they exist only in stories.
Avi decided to become a writer when he was a student in senior high school. This was quite a decision because he did not write well in school. He had a problem called dysgraphia, a writing disability. The problem caused people to spell words wrongly. Avi always enjoyed reading. He read many types of books as a child. Avi believed that reading is the most important activity for a person who wants to be a writer.
Avi also believes that strong characters make strong stories. He creates characters that can help to bring his ideas to life. His books often deal with questions about life. Writing stories lets him explore many sides of a subject. His favorite part is to make improvements in his writing. For him the hardest part is writing the first draft (草稿).
Avi’s first book was published in 1970. He has written more than 45 books ever since. Most of them are for youngadult readers. Besides historical novels, he writes comedies, short stories about adventures, animals and so on. Fighting Ground, which was published in 1984, is an example of Avi’s historical novels. This attractive story takes place during the American Revolutionary War.
1.What can we learn from Paragraph 2 ?
A.How Avi developed characters. B.Why Avi liked reading.
C.How Avi became a writer. D.Why Avi decided to become a writer.
2.We learn from the text that Avi________.
A.published his first story in 1984
B.thinks reading is not the most important for writers
C.seldom changes his first drafts when writing
D.believes in the importance of good characters in stories
3.According to Avi, what’s the most difficult thing in writing?
A.Making improvements. B.Writing the first draft.
C.Finding an attractive character. D.Writing the first part of a novel.
4.What is the author’s purpose of writing the text?
A.To discuss how to become a writer.
B.To introduce a writer of historical novels.
C.To describe an important historical novel.
D.To show how a historical novel is written.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
Speaking of children--what child doesn’t like to jump around and act silly sometimes? Monkeys are also known for acting silly. So, when kids act up, parents or teachers may tell them to stop monkeying around. It means to do things that are not useful or serious, or to simply waste time.
Now, in the United States, children do not usually have monkeys as pets, but they do often have dogs. And dogs make most children feel happy. But for some reason, we use “dog” in a phrase that means to feel unwell. If you are as sick as a dog, you are really sick and will most likely stay home from work or school.
Besides, dogs and cats are also favorite pets here in the States. This next phrase combines cats and secrets to make a very common expression. Let’s say you know a secret, a big secret. And let’s say you tell it to people. You have just let the cat out of the bag! This idiom means revealing (揭示) a secret or telling facts that were previously (先前) unknown.
If you let the cat out of the bag, you spoil a surprise. So, if your friend is planning a big surprise birthday for another friend, don’t let the cat out of the bag by accidentally saying it in front of the birthday girl. Even though this is a very common idiom, the origin of “to let the cat out of the bag” is also unknown.
If you are doing an outdoor activity--such as hiking in the woods, or having a picnic in a park--what are some things that may disturb your good time? Bad weather could. And so could bugs! Crawling pests like ants, and flying ones like mosquitoes, could make your experience uncomfortable or annoying.
So, when we bug people we bother them so much that we affect their good time. This common expression is often said as a command: “Stop bugging me !”
1.According to the passage, “monkeying around” is considered _______.
A.silly B.wrong
C.proper D.happy
2.If you ask somebody to reveal a secret, you may use the phrase “_______”.
A.stop bugging me B.as sick as a dog
C.monkeying around D.let the cat out of the bag
3.What is the meaning of the phrase “stop bugging me”?
A.Don’t trouble me. B.Give up your good time.
C.Stop feeling annoyed. D.Don’t comfort me.
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A.The names of animals in the English language.
B.The meaning of some English phrases.
C.The origins of phrases about animals.
D.The strange usages of some words.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Everybody sleeps, but what people stay up late to catch or wake up early in order not to miss varies by culture. From data collected, it seems the things that cause us to lose the most sleep, on average, are sporting events, time changes, and holidays.
Russia’s late nights and early mornings generally correspond(相一致)to public holidays. On New Year’s Eve, Russians have the world’s latest bedtime, hitting the hay at around 3:30 a. m. Russians also get up an hour later on International Women’s Day, the day for treating and celebrating female relatives.
Similarly, Americans’ late nights, late mornings, and longest sleep fall on three-day weekends.
Canada got the least sleep of the year the night it beat Sweden in the Olympic hockey(冰球)final.
The World Cup is also chiefly responsible for sleep deprivation. The worst night for sleep in the U. K. was the night of the England-Italy match on June 14. British people stayed up a half-hour later to watch it, and then they woke up earlier than usual the next morning thanks to summer nights, the phenomenon in which the sun barely sets in northern countries in the summertime. That was nothing, though, compared to Germans, Italians, and the French, who stayed up around an hour and a half later on various days throughout the summer to watch the World Cup.
It should be made clear that not everyone has a tool to record their sleep patterns; in some of these nations, it’s likely that only the richest people do. And people who select to track their sleep may try to get more sleep than the average person. Even if that’s the case, the above findings are still striking. If the most health-conscious (注重健康的) among us have such deep swings(明显改变)in our sleep levels throughout the year, how much sleep are the rest of us losing?
1.What do we learn about the Russians regarding sleep?
A.They don’t fall asleep until very late.
B.They don’t sleep much on weekends.
C.They get less sleep on public holidays.
D.They sleep longer than people elsewhere.
2.The underlined word “deprivation” in the last paragraph but one means_______.
A.depression B.trouble
C.observation D.loss
3.Why do some rich people use a tool to record their sleep patterns?
A.They want to get more sleep.
B.They have trouble falling asleep.
C.They are involved in a sleep research.
D.They want to go to bed on regular hours.
4.What does the author imply in the last paragraph?
A.It is important to study our sleep patterns.
B.Few people really know the importance of sleep.
C.Sleeplessness does harm to people’s health.
D.Average people probably sleep more than the rich.
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
Doing What You Love
What do you want to be when you grow up? 1. When asked the question, did you have an answer at the ready, or did you need a few minutes to think about it? We all have dreams of becoming something great, like a fireman, a teacher, or a rock star. Well, how did you do? Maybe you never desire to be what you set out to be or said that you would become. 2.
The older we get, our tastes change, our view of the world changes, even our goals change.
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned during my career path is to do something you love to do. I feel that if you enjoy what you make a living at, you end up being happy in more ways than one. 3.
While no job or business is perfect, the important thing is to enjoy it, even learn from it. If you are unhappy in your current situation, why not take steps now to change it? 4. If you are already there, I applaud you. If not , realize that it may take some time to figure out what you really want to do, and even more time to actually get there. That’s all right! I can tell you from experience that finding and doing what you love are absolutely worth it. All of the research, training, and hands-on experience have made me a stronger, happier person.
5. You’ll be happier for it.Trust me. I promise you will never look back.
A. But then again, things change.
B. Do what you love and love what you do.
C. Life itself becomes much more interesting and fun.
D. You must have met with such situation as a little child.
E. Maybe you will find that the new job is more suitable for you.
F. Somewhere out there is a job or business that is perfect for you.
G. I’m sure you were asked this question at least once when you were a youngster.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
The 600-year-old Forbidden City is the world’s largest palace. It _______ more than 17 million _______ every year. If we were to travel back to the past, this _______ palace would be a _______ to us with a lot remaining to be discovered.
It was when all _______ in Beijing were low except for the Forbidden City, which was surrounded by high _______ and a wide moat (护城河). After _______ the golden roof (屋顶) from the outside, people could only _______ what it looked like inside.
_______ an area of 720,000 square meters in the heart of Beijing, the Forbidden City was built from 1406 to 1420 by the third ________ of the Ming Dynasty. In the past, the Forbidden City was where the highest ________ of the country laid. Emperors were born, lived, fought and ________there. Various ________ events happened there. It saw the ________ and downs of the Ming and Qing dynasties, as well as how feudal monarchy (封建帝制) ________ came to an end in China.
The lives of the royal families were ________ through many documents (文件). They ________a large amount of valuable material for today’s historical ________, as well as inspiration for literature and entertainment.
In 1987, the Forbidden City was ________ as a UNESCO World Heritage site. For world leaders who visit China, it is a must-see tourist ________. When they pay a state visit to China, our top leaders may show them around there.
1.A.relieves B.receives C.guides D.sells
2.A.visitors B.students C.teachers D.citizens
3.A.red B.small C.green D.huge
4.A.dream B.hope C.wonder D.mystery
5.A.museums B.rooms C.buildings D.houses
6.A.towers B.walls C.trees D.hills
7.A.looking at B.giving up C.setting down D.jumping at
8.A.tell B.think C.imagine D.admire
9.A.Owning B.Covering C.Having D.Taking
10.A.emperor B.designer C.painter D.soldier
11.A.altitude B.power C.figure D.position
12.A.studied B.worked C.gathered D.died
13.A.happy B.sad C.historical D.national
14.A.above B.best C.worst D.ups
15.A.finally B.quickly C.gradually D.suddenly
16.A.recorded B.settled C.connected D.copied
17.A.grasp B.ignore C.write D.provide
18.A.background B.research C.exam D.survey
19.A.treated B.remembered C.listed D.honored
20.A.palace B.scenery C.attraction D.place
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
I am a poor black worker in South Africa. The time when I first 1. (meet) Nelson Mandela was a very difficult period of my life. It was in 1953 and Mandela was the black lawyer to whom I went for advice. He offered guidance to poor black people on their legal 2. (problem). He was generous with his time, 3. which I was grateful. I needed his help because I had very little 4. (educate). I could not read 5. write well. After 6. (try) hard, I got a job in a gold mine. However, this was a time when one had got to have a passbook to live in Johannesburg. 7. (sad) I did not have one because I was not born there, and I worried about 8. I would become out of work. I became more 9. (hope) about my future when Mandela helped me get the correct papers 10. (stay) in Johannesburg. Later, I joined the ANC Youth League organized by Mandela. I was sure it was a way to achieve our dream of making black and white people equal.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
句型转换
1.Bob said to his brother, “Don’t touch my computer.”
Bob told his brother _________ _________ touch _________ computer.
2.“Have you read the book written by Rowling?” asked Tom.
Tom asked me _________ I _________ _________ the book written by Rowling.
3.You can make progress by studying hard. (改为only的倒装句）
_________ _________ studying hard _________ you make progress.
4.Spring Festival is around the corner. It is a time for family reunion. (用定语从句合并)
Spring Festival, _________is a time for family reunion, is around the corner.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假定你是李华，你得知学校附近的一间书店要招聘一名兼职。请你给在校就读的美国交换生朋友John写一封信，内容如下：
1. 向他推荐这份兼职工作；
2. 鼓励他去应聘。
注意：1. 词数100左右；2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：交换生 an exchange student
Dear John,
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析