Places to Spend Christmas in Canada
Quebec City
Quebec City would be a great place to spend the holidays, with stone streets, soft white snow, and some of the most historic and striking architecture in Canada. And there's a lot going on in the capital of La Belle Province, including an authentic German Christmas market where you can drink hot wine and look for gifts, and the chance to meet Santa Claus himself at Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac Hotel.
St. John's, Newfoundland
In St. John's, Newfoundland, people would disguise （伪装）themselves in whatever small objects they could find in their homes and show up on their neighbours doorsteps singing, dancing and celebrating—and not removing their masks until the neighbours correctly guessed their identities. This fun and festive tradition lives on with an annual Christmas festival, complete with workshops and a big parade that shows these simple disguises.
Niagara Falls, Ontario
The illumination （照明）of the magnificent waterfalls is part of Niagara Falls' annual Winter Festival of Lights, which sees more than three million lights lighted throughout the city. There are also weekly fireworks over the falls during the whole festival, and a number of other festive events, including musicals, shopping fairs and concerts.
Saskatoon
There are few bigger thrills than being a kid at Christmas, especially if you live in Saskatoon. A recent study by the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management found that Saskatoon has the highest number of candy and toy stores, in the country, and a very good probability of having snow on December 25. It's the perfect combination for a magical Christmas! Grown-ups will also appreciate the booming food scene.
1.Which place will you go if you are interested in historic buildings?
A.Quebec City. B.St. John's.
C.Niagara Falls. D.Saskatoon.
2.What is special about Niagara Falls, Ontario during Christmas?
A.Market. B.Wine.
C.Light. D.Snow.
3.Who will be the most excited at Christmas in Saskatoon?
A.Babies. B.Children.
C.Grown-ups. D.Senior citizens.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
When Tony took up running as a hobby he was 42 years old. Now 42 years later he's a national champion and a world record holder.
He never imagined at the age of 84 this is where he'd be, but then he doesn't meet many people in their 80s who are out training four times a week.
"I can see it's a bit unusual, yes. But it's been my life, " he told the reporter.
The retired officer runs at a track near his home in Leeds.
At an event in Italy last month he set a world record in the 80 metres hurdles （跨栏）with a time of under 17 seconds. But he sees no reason to slow down and his ambition is still to be competing when he passes a hundred.
"I probably won't be doing a crouch start （蹲式起跑）,but it's only 16 years away," he joked. Like anyone his age, he's had health problems. He's had a string of severe heart attacks, but doctors have told him as long as it makes him feel good, he should carry on running.
"I can't let my heart get in the way of my training. When I am sprinting I have to give it my absolute all. My heart is the last thing on my mind." he said.
He trains every other day, dances and plays hockey and he recently cuts down on alcohol and chocolate. He said, "I've heard alcohol can lead to dementia and I don't want that. I've cut down to one glass of wine every other day. I now have to stay as fit as I can be to keep up my lifestyle."
Tony's next birthday is next September. And the first thing he wants to do is become the world's fastest 85-year-old.
1.What will Tony do after the competition in Italy?
A.He decides to slow down.
B.He decides to retire as an officer.
C.He plans on running until he's 100.
D.He plans to compete in the 100 metres hurdles.
2.What do the doctors suggest to Tony?
A.Continuing to run if he feels good.
B.Stopping running to treat his heart disease.
C.Trying to run as fast as he can.
D.Cutting down on alcohol and chocolate.
3.Which of the following best describes Tony?
A.Imaginative. B.Positive.
C.Caring. D.Demanding.
4.What's the best title of the text?
A.The Fastest Man in the World.
B.The World's Fastest 85-year-old.
C.A National Champion and a World Record Holder.
D.Granddad Crowned Fastest 84-year-old in the World.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Screens during meals rob kids of opportunities to improve language and communication skills （storytelling, making jokes, etc.）, as well as to develop patience and even imagination as they entertain themselves waiting for food to arrive.
Meals are an opportunity to connect, to learn more about and enjoy each other. They strengthen the bonds that will bring benefits to the rest of our lives. We squander that opportunity when we stick a screen in front of our kids during dinner.
Of course, we all want to have enjoyable family meals, which is why I love Bruce Feiller's book "The Secrets of Happy Families", in which he devotes an entire chapter to ways to make them fun and meaningful for everyone---such as "fill in the blank" sentences you make up. Sharing something good and something challenging makes for pleasant conversations, too. And I've had fun playing Uno with my daughters until the food arrives in a restaurant.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (小儿科）also offers guidelines to help families manage children's screen time. The academy recommends avoiding digital media for children under 2, except for video-chatting, and limiting screen time to just one hour a day of high-quality programming for children ages 2 to 5.
Fundamentally, we all benefit from more human connection, not less — and that's especially true for children. Schools, airplane trips, most jobs, games, even "social" interaction were all once done without screens but now are filled with them. And while we have gained some advantages, including new connections, we have lost something fundamental, as well.
Less is always more when it comes to screens, even if they are effective at keeping kids quiet. But soon after complaining that they are "bored, ” kids have a natural tendency to fill the screenless void （空虚）with creative games, art, exploration and conversation. There are no studies that warn against having too many hours of those activities.
Let's all work harder to keep family meals special by getting rid of the iPads and nourishing our personal connections as we nourish our bodies.
1.What's the author's attitude to the kids' staring at screens during meals?
A.Disapproving. B.Favorable.
C.Cautious. D.Unconcerned.
2.What does the underlined word "squander" in paragraph 2 probably mean?
A.Take. B.Waste.
C.Expect. D.Create.
3.What will kids do if they have no access to screens?
A.Keep quiet.
B.Refuse to eat.
C.Feel bored all the time.
D.Find ways to entertain themselves.
4.What is the author's purpose in writing this passage?
A.To introduce the iPads to the children.
B.To stress the importance of family meals.
C.To appeal for family meals without screens.
D.To teach parents how to punish their children.
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
A 23-year-old British woman has invented a product that she hopes will one day take the place of single-use plastic. The new product is made by combining fishing waste and algae （藻类）.
Lucy Hughes created the material, called MarinaTex, for her final year project at the University of Sussex. She continued her research after she left the university.
On November 13, the James Dyson Foundation announced that Hughes was the international winner of the 2019 James Dyson Award for design.
MarinaTex is edible, meaning it can be eaten without danger. Hughes says it also is strong and stable. But unlike plastic, MarinaTex breaks down in four to six weeks under normal conditions and does not pollute the soil.
The inventor said she is concerned about the growing amounts of plastics in ocean waters. She noted one report that there would be more plastic than fish in the world's oceans by the year 2050. The United Nations estimates that 100 million tons of plastic waste has already been left in the oceans.
Hughes also was investigating ways to reduce the amount of waste from the fishing industry. The industry produces an estimated 50 million tons of waste worldwide each year, UN officials say.
Hughes told Reuters that she was "trying to work out how I could use the waste stream and add value to that waste." Examining fish parts left over from processing helped to give her the idea for a material that was useful and did not harm the environment.
To create a strong material, Hughes added the molecule chitosan, which comes from sea creatures like crabs, and agar, a material from red algae.
After months of testing, Hughes produced a strong, flexible sheet that forms at temperatures below 100 degrees Celsius.
Inventor James Dyson said that MarinaTex is "stronger, safer and much more sustainable" than the plastic polyethylene. It is also easier to break down than other possible replacement products for polyethylene, the material that single-use plastic bags are made of.
Hughes will receive about $41,000 in prize money as the first place winner of the James Dyson Award. She told Reuters that she plans to use the money to better develop the product and ways to mass produce it.
1.When did Lucy Hughes create MarinaTex?
A.At university. B.After graduation.
C.Before going to university. D.After winning the James Dyson Award.
2.What's true about MarinaTex?
A.It is delicious. B.It is environmentally friendly.
C.It is a type of plastics. D.It exists for a long time in nature.
3.What helped to give her the idea for MarinaTex?
A.Observing the process of fishing.
B.Studying different parts of a fish.
C.Checking waste from the fishing industry.
D.Examining left-over fish parts after cooking.
4.In which section of a newspaper may this text appear?
A.Entertainment. B.Education.
C.Lifestyle. D.Technology.
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
Eight-year-old Tyler Stallings has been helping homeless veterans（老兵）since he was 4 years old, and so far, this little boy has raised over $50,000 for his cause.
Tyler’s mother, Andrea Blackstone, said when Tyler was 4 she wanted to teach him about the importance of veterans. 1. As Tyler was watching these YouTube videos, he asked his mother, "If they're heroes why should they be on the street?”
Blackstone said 4-year-old Tyler then begged her to take him to buy wood and nails and build the veterans houses. 2.
So the mother got Tyler in touch with Maryland's Governor, and Tyler was given a grant of $100. With the help of the grant, Tyler decided that once a year on Veteran's Day, he would gather items like clothes to give homeless veterans care packages. This went on so well, however, that they decided just "Veteran's Day wasn't enough. 3.
Tyler's goal is to raise people's awareness of the veterans, sacrifices and bring "hero bags" to veterans who are homeless or need basic supplies. 4. Recently, he was able to partner with a mattress company that donated 250 beds and a backpack company that gifted Tyler backpacks to hold his "hero bag" products.
5. "They should have the things they need because of all the good things they've done for our country, " Tyler said. "It makes me feel very happy and very good when they have a happy reaction."
A. She explained to him they couldn't afford it.
B. For Tyler, his work is both important and rewarding.
C. He saw videos of homeless veterans and he thought this isn't right.
D. It was supposed to be a one-time thing, but turned into an all — the — time event.
E. Tyler hopes to raise enough fund for a truck to deliver even more items to them.
F. Tyler's "hero bags" for veterans include things such as clothes, hygiene products and bedding.
G. She turned to YouTube to show her son videos about veterans and the things they did for our country.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Children remain 'bundles of joy' all over the world. We love their innocence and their need is our command. But have you ever been ______ to their healing （治愈）powers?
A good lady friend of mine, a school teacher, had _____ her beloved husband in a tragic car accident. She had been enjoying a _____ married life only for two and a half years when tragedy（悲剧）struck.
No one was able to ____ my friend. She stopped attending her school job, _____ to communicate with anyone and ____ instantly. As ____ we tried our best to bring her out of the dark and __ home but she refused stubbornly till her school principal, a _____ person visited her one day. He ____ her to get back to school and commented that the _____ of children would bring her peace of mind as nothing else could. Unwillingly, my friend started ____ school again, after nearly three or four months. I met her after a month and this is the time I was quite ______. Where was that depressed soul who I met last time? Here was my friend, back to her old self-happy, humorous and hill of ________ . When I asked her about the ______of returning to where she belonged, she squarely put the ________ onto the children in the school with whom she spent a better part of her day.
This ________left a deep impression in my mind and I started to explore deeper into the _________of healing powers of children. My friend gave me many inputs to my study and she _______ that the more time you spend with people who are innocent, who give you unconditional love, the more joy and peace of mind you can get, ______ during the troubled times.
1.A.exposed B.devoted C.committed D.attracted
2.A.saved B.missed C.lost D.deserted
3.A.typical B.happy C.simple D.hard
4.A.stop B.encourage C.comfort D.support
5.A.refused B.preferred C.tended D.liked
6.A.whispered B.complained C.sang D.cried
7.A.colleagues B.family C.leaders D.friends
8.A.pleasing B.depressing C.disappointing D.puzzling
9.A.noble-minded B.open-minded C.warm-hearted D.white-haired
10.A.advised B.begged C.forced D.allowed
11.A.nature B.attraction C.crowd D.company
12.A.appreciating B.attending C.joining D.helping
13.A.surprised B.satisfied C.moved D.encouraged
14.A.curiosity B.stress C.life D.sense
15.A.consequence B.purpose C.course D.secret
16.A.honor B.victory C.credit D.blame
17.A.incident B.phenomenon C.accident D.tragedy
18.A.description B.theory C.conclusion D.progress
19.A.expected B.realized C.confirmed D.suggested
20.A.actually B.naturally C.commonly D.especially
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
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。
Experts say the bee population is getting smaller because of climate change and other human-caused 1.（activity） . We are building houses and cities on land where they live, and using chemicals 2. are killing them. Last winter, U.S. beekeepers 3. （lose ） almost 40% of their colonies （蜂群）.
Thiele, 4. beekeeper, says the usual ways people raise honey bees 5.（ be ） bad for their health. He rejects the white boxes that 6.（tradition ） beekeepers use. He also refuses to use chemicals, smoke or protective clothing when he works with bees. He touches them 7. his bare hands. Thiele says his hives （蜂巢）are both a way to save bees and a personal project.
While bees crawled （爬）over his hands and arms he said, "It feels so close and I feel how 8.（deep） we belong and how important it is 9. （keep） them safe from harm."
He added that honey bees show how fragile life is. He made a 10. （far） remark, "As if they are really mirroring where we are on this time on this planet."
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
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：在错的词下划一横线，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. 只许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Dear friends, please allow me to share some informations about Chinese tea culture with you. Chinese tea has history of nearly 5,000 years. In the past, tea drinking takes place in a quiet place. Drinking tea is great beneficial to us. For example, it can make people relaxing. Beside, it does good to people's health. Tea is becoming increasingly popular with people whom often use them as a gift. Whenever guests arrive, offer a cup of tea to them is a basic social custom. In Guangdong, many of people enjoy morning tea with different kinds of food in hotels or restaurants.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假定你是李华，你的英国朋友Linda很喜欢中国文化，特别是丝绸。正巧你市于1月20 日至26日举行“中国丝绸文化节”，你想邀请她同去，请你给她写一封电子邮件，内容包括:
1. 写信目的；
2. 介绍文化节；
3. 约定见面时间、地点。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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难度: 困难查看答案及解析