Uber
Uber is available in over 70 cities throughout 40 countries worldwide. You can either choose a typical Uber unmarked car or a regular taxi. The app can show you where drivers are, so you know how long you’ll be waiting. You can also get fare quotes(报价)in advance. Your payment source is linked to the app and is automatically charged, so no physical money is ever needed.
Lyft
Lyft is a service that is also available in many large cities in the US. However, it offers something different, one of which is Lyft Line. With this service, you can find people that take the same route on a daily basis as you and split the fare with them. Lyft’s regular service lets you easily see where rides are, catch one, and easily pay right within the app.
Easy Taxi
Easy Taxi is available in 86 cities across 26 countries and lets you quickly browse through maps and find locations you’d like to be picked up at. From there, just make sure there are taxis in your area. Confirm your ride and then pay for it within the Easy Taxi app. Once you book a ride, you should see the taxi’s plate number and phone number appear on the map, making it easy for you to pick out both the car and the driver.
Curb
Curb, formerly Taxi Magic, is currently available in around 60 cities across the United States as well as select cities in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Mexico. It ties in with taxi companies and their drivers. As your taxi makes its way to your location, you’ll be able to track its progress inside the app. You can link a payment account to Curb to pay your fare through the app. You can also pay in cash.
1.Which app is available in the most countries?
A. Uber. B. Lyft.
C. Easy Taxi. D. Curb.
2.What’s the special service of Lyft?
A. You can pay the fare in cash. B. You can see where your ride is.
C. You can get fare quotes in advance. D. You can find someone to share the fare.
3.What do the four apps have in common?
A. They are available worldwide. B. They are tied to taxi companies.
C. They allow users to pay via app. D. They can identify your location.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
Just what is a tiger mother？Amy Chua is a law professor at America's Yale University and her recent book on the subject is making waves. She's been called “dangerous”，“outrageous”，even a “monster” for her descriptions of how she brought up her two daughters.
Her book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother describes fighting with a daughter for hours at the piano to ensure the child gets a piece of music right. She rejected birthday cards made for her by her girls because she didn't think they had made enough effort. She compared one child negatively with the other，threatening to burn their toys. Her rules include：schoolwork always comes first; an A minus is a bad grade; children must be two years ahead of their classmates in math，and playing the violin or the piano is a must.
Ms. Chua considers the Chinese hard work ethic(道德) as a way of creating happy，successful children—at least in her case. Although she's had a large amount of flak for her theories，one thing can't be ignored—the success of Chinese children in the education system.
In Britain，shocking research shows that Chinese girls，for example，are outperforming all other foreign groups at GCSE—79 percent getting 5 A C Grades，compared with 58 percent of white British girls. So what is it about Chinese parenting that's leading to high achievers？And how do Amy Chua's theories play into that success?
She told me that if her daughter came back from school with 96/100 in a test，Chua would ask her what happened to the other 4 points. It's about always knowing “you can do better”，she told me.
Interestingly，in China，the birthplace of the tiger mother，people are moving away from traditional Chinese parenting. They are following more western parenting styles.
1.After reading Amy Chua's recent book，the public ______.
A.feel very sorry for their own children
B.consider her a very successful mother
C.realize their methods of bringing up children are wrong
D.don't think highly of her methods of bringing up her children
2.The underlined word in the third paragraph probably means_____.
A.Attention B.Criticism
C.Curiosity D.Contribution
3.It can be inferred from the text that ______.
A.Amy Chua will change her methods
B.Amy Chua considers her methods useful
C.Amy Chua's children don't love their mother
D.Amy Chua's children prefer western parenting styles
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
It's already challenging enough for environmentalists to keep beaches clear of washed up trash(垃圾) and plastic debris(残骸), but the most difficult problem lies in cleaning up all of the millions of tiny microplastics that are impossible to pick up and separate from the sand.
Fortunately, a group of engineering students succeeded in developing a massive new vacuum cleaner that can collect microplastics without removing any of the sand from the beach. The 12 Canadian students from the University of Sherbrooke in Quebec built their Hoola One plastic vacuum cleaner as a class project.
"We did some research and we realized there was no machine around the world to do this kind of job," Hoola One co-founder Sam Duval told Hawaii Public Radio. "So we told each other, 'We will invent it,' and we did it."
As a means of testing their machine's efficiency, they recently used it on the sands of Hawaii's Kamilo Beach, which is also notorious for being one of the dirtiest beaches in the world. Though their first prototype(原型)experienced a number of technical issues, the students managed to fix the problems and tidy up the beach.
Using a handheld tube, the machine sucks(吸入)up plastic and sand and dumps them all into a massive tank of water. Since rocks and sand are heavier than plastic, they sink to the bottom of the tank so they can be dumped back onto the beach. The plastic, on the other hand, floats to the top of the tank.
According to Hawaii Public Radio, the team left the Hoola One vacuum on the island as a donation to the state department- They are now researching the ecological effects of the vacuum on the beach while they search for funding and sponsorships(赞助)to produce more Hoola One vacuums.
1.What is the hardest problem of keeping the beach clean?
A.Picking up plastic debris.
B.Removing trash on the sea.
C.Separating plastics from the sand.
D.Clearing up all the microplastics.
2.What do we know about the Hoola One plastic vacuum cleaner?
A.It can collect plastics without removing sand from the beach.
B.It has been used widely on the beaches around the world.
C.The students tested its efficiency on Hawaii's Kamilo Beach.
D.The students gave up the first prototype due to several failures.
3.What is Paragraph 5 mainly about?
A.The working procedure of the vacuum cleaner.
B.The invention process of the vacuum cleaner.
C.The ecological impacts of the vacuum cleaner.
D.The special materials of the vacuum cleaner.
4.What words can best describe the 12 Canadian students?
A.Generous and stubborn. B.Confident and persistent.
C.Devoted and wealthy. D.Admirable and humorous.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
When everything goes wrong, always look at what you have, instead of what you have lost. Because it’s not what the world takes away from you that counts; it’s what you do with what you have left.1.
Pain is part of growing.
Sometimes life closes doors because it’s time to move forward.2.When times are tough, remind yourself that no pain comes without a purpose. Remember that there are two kinds of pain: pain that hurts and pain that changes you. When you roll with life, instead of resisting it, both kinds help you grow.
3.
Every time you get hurt, you heal. After darkness there is always light – you are reminded of this every morning, but still you often forget, and instead choose to believe that the night will last forever. It won’t. Nothing lasts forever.
Complaining changes nothing.
4.It’s always better to attempt to do something great and fail than to attempt to do nothing and succeed. It’s not over if you’ve lost; it’s over when you do nothing but complain about it. If you believe in something, keep trying. Don’t let the shadows of the past darken the doorstep of your future.
The best thing you can do is to keep going.
Don’t be afraid to get back up----to try again, to love again, to live again, and to dream again. Don’t let a hard lesson harden your heart. Life’s best lessons are often learned at the worst times and from the worst mistakes. There will be times when it seems like everything that could possibly go wrong is going wrong.5.
A. Everything in life is temporary.
B. And even if you fall short, keep going.
C. Your scars are symbols of your strength.
D. Those who complain the most, accomplish the least.
E.Here are a few tips to inspire you when you need it most.
F.That’s a good thing because we often won’t move unless life forces us to .
G.When you feel like quitting, remember that sometimes things can be right eventually.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
It was many years ago. I was a________father on my way home to my wife and baby boy after spending all day________college classes. I had gone back to school to get a degree in education. I wanted to secure a________job that would help me to build a better life for my growing family. It was a two-hour round trip to the________, so every day I would pray for my 20-year-old car to________it all the way.
As I started down a lonely stretch of highway about 12 miles from my home I _____ a car parked along the side of the road with its emergency flashers________. A small woman was struggling to_______a flat tire. This was long before the age of cell phones________I knew that any other help might not arrive for a while. I________behind her car and offered to give her a hand. Her own hands were bruised（擦伤的）and________from struggling with the lug nuts（四方螺帽）and she had tears of frustration in her eyes. The lug nuts were rusty（生锈的）and________and the lug wrench（单向扳手）a little small, but after a while I got the flat off and the________tire on. As I said goodbye the little lady hugged me with tears of_____ this time. I waved and drove off a little embarrassed at her________. After all, it had just been one kind act.
It took me a lot of years after that to learn the true________of one kind act. One kind act can change the world. One kind act can teach more________than a million words. One kind act can save a lost soul and heal（治愈）a________heart.
Never pass up the possibility of using your own________to make this world a better place. Every day we are given the choice to be________or kind. Always choose to be kind.
1.A.great B.young C.lazy D.rich
2.A.preparing B.missing C.taking D.giving
3.A.teaching B.cooking C.driving D.writing
4.A.college B.hospital C.garage D.store
5.A.forget B.ignore C.get D.make
6.A.passed B.stopped C.noticed D.heard
7.A.out B.over C.on D.off
8.A.repair B.borrow C.buy D.change
9.A.and B.but C.though D.unless
10.A.set off B.pulled up C.showed off D.lay down
11.A.moving B.bleeding C.freezing D.shaking
12.A.shiny B.simple C.useful D.tight
13.A.spare B.worn C.clean D.cheap
14.A.pride B.regret C.pain D.relief
15.A.appreciation B.doubt C.expectation D.surprise
16.A.cause B.danger C.power D.pressure
17.A.curiosity B.love C.courage D.desire
18.A.light B.broken C.brave D.cold
19.A.kindness B.patience C.interest D.wisdom
20.A.tough B.busy C.cruel D.free
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单词的正确形式。
When someone has1.(deep)hurt you, it can be very difficult to let go of your anger. But forgiveness is possible and it can be surprisingly2.(benefit) to your physical and mental health. So far, studies3.(show)that people who forgive can have more energy, better appetite and better sleep. “People who forgive show4.(little)anger and more hopefulness, ”says Dr Frederic Luskin, who wrote the book Forgive for Good. “So it can help reduce the tiredness out of the immune system and allow people5.(feel) more energetic. ”
So when someone has hurt you, cool down first. Take a couple of breaths and think of something6.gives you pleasure:a beautiful scene in nature, or someone you love. Don’t wait for an7.(apologize). “Many times the person who hurt you may never think of apologizing, ”says Dr Luskin. “They may have wanted to hurt you or they just don’t see things in the same way. So if you wait for people to say sorry, you could be waiting for a very long time. ”
Next keep8.mind that forgiveness does not necessarily mean9.(accept) the action of the person who10.(upset) you. Instead, learn to look for the love, beauty and kindness around you. Finally, try to see things from the other person’s perspective. You may realize that he or she was acting out of ignorance. To gain perspective, you may want to write a letter to yourself from that person’s point of view.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
你校校门口在放学时间经常出现交通拥堵，给师生和路人带来很多不便。假如你是李华，请用英文给你校英文报写一封信，提出解决拥堵的建议。内容包括：
1. 写信的目的；
2. 分析学校门口拥堵的原因；
3. 提出2~3点建议。
注意：1. 词数80左右；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Editor,
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
Once there was an emperor(皇帝)in the Far East who was growing old and knew it was coming time to choose his successor (继承者). Instead of choosing one of his own children, he decided to do something different.
He called all the young people together one day. He said, "It's time for me to step down and to choose the next emperor. I’ve decided to choose one of you. "The kids were shocked! But the emperor continued, “I’m going to give each of you a special seed(种子). I want you to go home, plant the seed, water and come back here one year from today with what you’ve grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants you bring, and the one I choose will be the next emperor！”
One boy named Ling was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. Back home, he planted the seed in a pot and watered it carefully. Every day he would watch to see if it had grown。
After three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Ling kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks went by. Still nothing. He felt like a failure.
Six months went by, everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Ling didn’t say anything to his friends. However, he just kept waiting for his seed to grow.
A year finally went by and all the youths brought their plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling didn't want to go, but his mother encouraged him to go and to be honest about what happened. Ling knew his mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace.
When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by all the other youths. He put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other kids laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, “Hey, nice try.”
注意：
1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2. 至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4. 续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1：
When the emperor arrived, he surveyed and greeted the young people.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
When Ling got to the front, the emperor asked his name.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
难度: 困难查看答案及解析