“The calm before the storm” is a very familiar expression. It is usually used to describe a peaceful period just before a very stressful situation or a tense argument. 1. They noted that before certain storms the seas would seem to become calm and the winds would drop.
But why is it often so calm before a storm? 2. According to US website HowStuffWorks, a calm period occurs because many storms, tornadoes and hurricanes draw in all the warm and damp air from the surrounding area. As this air rises into the storm clouds, it cools and acts as “ fuel for the storm ,like petrol in a car. “
Once the storm has taken all the energy it can from the air, it is pushed out from the top of the storm clouds and falls back down to ground level. 3. So once it covers an area, it causes a calm period before the storm.
4. First count how many seconds there are between a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder, roughly three seconds equal one kilometer. A good judgement is that if your count is below 30 seconds, you should seek shelter straight away.
However, due to the complexity of storm system ,calm doesn't always go first. So, your best bet is to keep yourself updated with weather reports for any predictions regarding a coming storm in your area. 5.
A. Science has given us the answer.
B. There is no definite answer to the question.
C. Weather reports sometimes cannot be trusted.
D. British sailors coined the phrase in the late l600s.
E. As the air declines, it becomes warm and dry, which is stable.
F. The Weather Network has a tip for working out how far away a storm is.
G. That's the most reliable way to predict the next display of nature's temper.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
The other day I was shopping at the local Chinese grocery store. There was a line at the fish counter, but only one staff person was there to take care of the customers. Some customers ordered quite an amount of fish for that staff person to work on. At last I was the second in line. All I wanted was a couple of crabs and should get out of there in no time.
Noticing it was very busy at the fish counter, another staff person came over to help. I was ready to be served, but the staff person went to the end of the line and began to help a couple of ladies with snail (蜗牛). The customers in front of me, being served, turned around and looked at me sympathetically and the customer behind me called to the staff person, “You should start here,” pointing at me. He was, well, ignored.
If someone asked me, “What is the most important rule to follow in America?” I would reply without hesitation. “Wait your turn at all times.” Wherever you go here in this country, you will find people waiting in a line quietly to get anything: whether in the supermarkets, department stores, bus stops, or gas stations, it’s just a matter of waiting your turn. In a larger sense, “wait your turn” is more than just a guideline — it is a very basic rule that reflects the fundamental value of the western cultures. But in some situations your turn does not always come based on when you get there and how long you have waited in line, just like my case at the store. Even though this did not often happen, it did make me feel upset.
1.What happened to the author at the store?
A.He was ill-treated by a customer. B.He wasn’t served upon his order.
C.He was asked to be served later. D.He was asked to do others a favor.
2.What does the underlined word “this” in the last paragraph refer to?
A.His belief. B.His culture.
C.His experience. D.His rule.
3.Why did the author write the text?
A.To emphasize his kindness to others. B.To introduce some western cultures to us.
C.To express his belief and his feeling. D.To show his disbelief in Queuing Rule.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
The stories we share with one another are important. They show wisdom and provide inspiration. They are important to our development. But sometimes people choose not to tell.
Consider the negative effects of not sharing a story in the news: People are wondering if public health officials are holding back too much information about the recent outbreak of Ebola.
There is a danger in holding back stories that ought to be told. Bobette Buster said it like this, “The fact is, history has shown us that stories not told can become like a dangerous genie (妖怪) left in a bottle. When they are finallyuncorked, their power to destroy is set free.”
There are a number of reasons why we hide parts of our story: they often show our weaknesses or expose our disadvantages; they require courage and strength to share; and of course, there are some stories that should be kept secret—especially those that embarrass someone else.
Most of us have two selves: the one we display on the outside and the one we actually are on the inside. And the better we get at hiding the stories that show our true selves, the more damage we may be causing to ourselves and to others.
Honesty and openness is important: It proves we are trustworthy. It displays we are human. We are not perfect or better. It highlights the importance of hard work and personal development. Hard work may not allow us to overcome our disadvantages completely. But with hard work, we do not have to be restricted to our mistakes.
Does this mean we admit every weakness, every disadvantage, and every secret regret to everybody we meet? No, of course not. There is a time and a place and a certain level of relationship necessary for some stories to be told in an appropriate manner.
1.What’s the function of the example in Paragraph 2?
A.It reflects that people are concerning about the spread of Ebola.
B.It shows the bad effect caused by sharing a story.
C.It proves not sharing a story can cause trouble.
D.It concludes that one should share a story at a proper time.
2.One of the reasons why people are unwilling to share experiences is that _______.
A.story-sharing highlights the importance of hard work
B.people are used to exposing their weaknesses
C.people sometimes have no courage to share their stories
D.some stories make themselves feel uneasy
3.Which is close in meaning to the underlined word “uncorked” in Paragraph 3?
A.freed B.broken C.unfolded D.untouched
4.The writer aims to convince us to _______.
A.be open to people close to you by sharing some secrets
B.share stories appropriately for the good of others and ourselves
C.remove the dangers that can be caused by untold stories
D.realize the importance of being honest when making friends
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Sometimes, you just can't help it. Maybe you're watching a sad movie, or thinking about the friend who moved away. Next thing you know, you feel pressure in your throat, your eyes are watering, and you have tears running down your cheeks.
According to Ad Vingerhoets, a professor of psychology at Tilburg University, in the Netherlands, who is one of the few scientists in the world who have studied crying, there are three types of tears. Basal tears are the first type. They act as a protective barrier between the eye and the rest of the World. Next are reflex tears. They wash your eyes clean when something gets in them. Finally, there are emotional tears. “These are released in response to emotional states,” explains Vingerhoets.
Scientists believe crying has something to do with how humans developed and learned to depend on each other. “Humans are very complex social creatures,” says Lauren Bylsma, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh, in Pennsylvania. "It seems that tears serve to arouse help and support from others,” She says.
Vingerhoets agrees, "I think that the reason why humans shed tears（流眼泪）has something to do with our childhood, " he says. "that's the time when we are still dependent on adults for love and protection and care. The major advantage of emotional tears is that you can target them at a specific person." Vingerhoets says this ability could have come in handy in prehistoric times, when humans were living among dangerous animals. Tears were a safer way to get attention. "In this case, it is better to use a silent signal to ask for help, "he says.
Vingerhoets and Byhma do frequent studies to better understand why humans cry. According to Byhma, there is still much more to discover. "It's surprising, "she says, "how much we still don't know.”
1.In the scientists' opinion, crying is ________.
A.a sign of human evolution B.a result of human kindness
C.a cause of personal growth D.a means of relying on each other
2.The underlined phrase "this ability" in the last paragraph refers to the ability to ________.
A.seek help wisely B.aim tears at someone
C.cry emotionally D.appeal to other people
3.From the text, we learn that Ad Vingerhoets and Lauren Bylsma ________.
A.hold different opinions about the causes of tears
B.think positively of the effects of tears
C.are working together to study tears
D.have learned enough about tears
4.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.The types of tears B.The components of tears
C.The science of tears D.The opinions about tears
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
After my husband's Chinese kung fu school was open for about a week, my daughters and I decided to see how it was going. We were deeply __________ to see there wasn't a single student in the school. My husband was standing __________ in the school waiting for customers.
We had to __________ ! We decided to be his __________ until he got some "real" ones. We thought it was better to have five people in the school __________ just him if a passerby looked in the window. He started teaching us __________ and forms. We found that some of them actually were __________ to ballet moves but much more difficult. It was kind of fun but __________, too! We
were attracted by then, so we __________ as learners.
______ , we got actual students in our school. There were many men and teenage boys, and we _______lots of other girls and women as well. One special student was a __________ sevenyear-old girl. She was going __________ and had other health problems. With my daughters' help and __________, this little girl got to be a real kung fu kid. Although she is now a sightless, grown adult, I'm confident she can __________ herself if she needs to.
I am __________ to say my daughters are more confident in every area of their lives. This experience taught me to __________ things I never would have __________ before kung fu. I haven't been __________ in all of my efforts, but I'll give almost __________ of niceness a try!
1.A.bored B.upset C.nervous D.moved
2.A.cheerfully B.aggressively C.alone D.forever
3.A.act B.joke C.appear D.learn
4.A.families B.workmates C.consultants D.students
5.A.more than B.in place of C.rather than D.in case of
6.A.speeches B.moves C.manners D.designs
7.A.useful B.accessible C.similar D.comparable
8.A.challenging B.astonishing C.relaxing D.inspiring
9.A.got together B.signed up C.broke away D.stayed on
10.A.Eventually B.Unfortunately C.Obviously D.Regularly
11.A.discovered B.joined C.united D.attracted
12.A.traditional B.homeless C.disabled D.typical
13.A.blind B.deaf C.lame D.stupid
14.A.threat B.encouragement C.adjustment D.approval
15.A.protect B.recognize C.feed D.educate
16.A.stubborn B.proud C.sensitive D.tentative
17.A.apply to B.give up C.try out D.hold back
18.A.appreciated B.predicted C.ignored D.considered
19.A.helpful B.successful C.cheerful D.enthusiastic
20.A.some B.either C.none D.any
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(每空至多3词)。
The cave dwelling ( Yaodong in Chinese) in Xi’an , Shaanxi Province, is laid out in rows one atop the other, looking like buildings of multiple floors in the distance . It is a sort of distinctive cave house 1. (dig) into the mountains for dwelling of many laboring people on the Loess Plateau in northwest China.
A cave house is usually six meters deep and four meters wide. Stoneslabs (厚板)2.(pile) up to form a semicircle at the entrance, 3. is decorated with beautiful wood or metal windows in a 4. (vary) of styles. The types of the cave dwelling can be divided into the earth cave dwelling , brick cave dwelling 5. stone dwelling. For centuries, they have been regarded 6.the symbol of the peasants in northern part of Shaanxi Province.
The beauty about the cave dwelling is 7.they help maintain local geography and save on farmlands by 8.(make) use of space that would have been otherwise left unused . They are warm in winter and cool in summer. The temperature inside is usually 13 degrees Celsius higher than in the open in winter and 10 degrees Celsius 9. (low) in summer. Statistics show that 40 million people live in cave dwellings that are scattered over an area of 600,000 square kilometers in 10. middle and upper reaches of the Yellow River.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假定英语课上英语老师要求同桌之间互相修改作文，请你修改你同桌的以下作文。
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。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在该词下面写出该加的词。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1、每处错误及修改均仅限一词。
2、只允许修改10处，多者（从11处起）不计分。
On the first day during the winter vacation, my classmates and I went to the Nursing Home and did some voluntary works. On our arrive, we visited the elderly in their rooms, presented them with flowers and self- made cards to show our respect and love. Then we did some cleaning or washing for them under the help of the nurses. Having been done all these, we sat in the yard chatting with the elderly people. We talked about our old days, changes of our city, and anything they were interested. When it was time for us to leave, the elderly people thank us for our kindness. They said it was so a beautiful day that they would remember it forever.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假设你是李华，你的美国网友看完“哪吒之魔童降世”（Nezha）电影海外版之后非常喜欢，写信想请你再推荐一部中国电影，请你根据以下内容给他回信。内容包括：
1. 表示高兴;
2. 推荐一部电影(电影名字可用拼音表达);
3. 推荐的理由。（至少2条）
注意：
1. 词数100左右；可以适当增加细节，已使行文连贯；
2. 开头及结尾为你写好，不计入总词数。
Dear David,
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析