I grew up in a house where the TV was seldom turned on and with one wall in my bedroom entirely lined with bookshelves, most of my childhood was spent on books I could get hold of. In fact, I grew up thinking of reading as natural as breathing and books unbelievably powerful in shaping perspectives (观点) by creating worlds we could step into, take part in and live in.
With this unshakable belief, I, at fourteen, decided to become a writer. Here too, reading became useful. Every writer starts off knowing that he has something to say, but being unable to find the right ways to say it. He has to find his own voice by reading widely and discovering which parts of the writers he agrees or disagrees with, or agrees with so strongly that it reshapes his own world. He cannot write without loving to read, because only through reading other people’s writing can one discover what works, what doesn’t and, in the end, together with lots of practice, what voice he has.
Now I am in college, and have come to realize how important it is to read fiction (文学作品)．As a law student, my reading is in fact limited to subject matter — the volume (量) of what I have to read for classes every week means there is little time to read anything else. Such reading made it all the clearer to me that I live in a very small part in this great place called life. Reading fiction reminds me that there is life beyond my own. It allows me to travel across the high seas and along the Silk Road, all from the comfort of my own armchair, to experience, though secondhand, exciting experiences that I wouldn’t necessarily be able to have in my lifetime.
1.What can be inferred about the author as a child?
A. He never watched TV.
B. He read what he had to.
C. He found reading unbelievable.
D. He considered reading part of his life.
2.The underlined word “voice” in the second paragraph most probably means “ ”.
A. an idea B. a sound quality
C. a way of writing D. a world to write about
3.What effect does reading have on the author?
A. It helps him to realize his dream.
B. It opens up a wider world for him.
C. It makes his college life more interesting.
D. It increases his interest in worldwide travel.
4.Which of the following can be the best title of this text?
A. Why do I read? B. How do I read?
C. What do I read? D. When do I read?
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
The US plans to extend its endangered species protection to lions in Africa. US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) will classify lions in southern and eastern Africa as threatened. The move will place tighter restrictions on the import of lion “trophies(纪念品)”, such as paws or heads.
While the US cannot regulate hunting in other countries the move is significant because around half of all lion hunting in Africa is conducted by Americans. According to FWS data, more than 5, 600 lions have been killed and imported by American hunters over the past decade.
Under the new FWS rules, bringing lion parts to the US will be banned(禁止) in most circumstances if the animal is from a country where lions are endangered. Hunters will have to show the trophies were “legally obtained” from countries that have a scientifically sound management program that benefits the subspecies in the wild.
This regulation is expected to place a far greater burden of proof upon hunters who claim that the money from lion hunting has been used to help communities in Africa and the overall conservation of lions. The persistent downward trend in lion numbers, due to habitat loss and hunting by locals and foreign tourists, suggests there has been little conservation(保护) benefit from organized hunts.
An international study, published in September, found African lion numbers have decreased by half since 1993, with a further 50% decline expected over the next 20 years for populations in west, central and east Africa.
“The lion is one of the planet’s most beloved species and an irreplaceable part of our shared global heritage,” said Dan Ashe, director of the FWS. “If we want to ensure that healthy lion populations continue to wander around the African savannas(大草原) and forests of India, it’s up to all of us—not just the people of Africa and India--to take action.”
1.Why is the move of US significant?
A. The lions have been killed and imported by American hunters.
B. That is due to habitat loss and hunting by locals and foreign tourists.
C. Around half of all lion hunting in Africa is conducted by Americans.
D. The money from lion hunting has been used to help communities in Africa .
2.Where do most of the lion hunters come from?
A. Southern Africa. B. America.
C. Eastern Africa. D. India.
3.What may be the result of the move?
A. The import of lion parts will be strictly limited.
B. Lion-hunting will be illegal all over the world.
C. communities in Africa will benefit a lot.
D. Lion parts will never be legally obtained.
4.What does Dan Ashe really want to tell us in the last paragraph?
A. Almost everybody loves lions.
B. It’s everyone’s duty to protect lions.
C. Lion populations will increase rapidly.
D. Measures must be taken to keep lions fit.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Owning a smartphone may not be as smart as you think. It may let you surf the Internet, listen to music and snap photos wherever you are…but it also turns you into a workaholic, it seems.
A study suggests that, by giving you access to emails at all times, the all-singing, all-dancing mobile phone adds as much as two hours to your working day. Researchers found that Britons work an additional 460 hours a year on average as they are able to respond to emails on their mobiles.
The study by technology retailer Pixmania reveals the average UK working day is between 9 and 10 hours, but a further two hours is spent responding to or sending work emails, or making work calls. More than 90 percent of office workers have email-enabled phones, with a third accessing them more than 20 times a day. Almost one in ten admits spending up to three hours outside their normal working day checking work emails. Some workers confess(承认) they are on call almost 24 hours a day, with nine out of ten saying they make work emails and calls outside their normal working hours. The average time for first checking emails is between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m., with more than a third checking their first emails in this period, and a quarter checking them between 11 p.m. and midnight.
Ghadi Hobeika, marketing director of Pixmania, said, “The ability to access literally millions of apps, keep in contact via social networks and take photos and video as well as text and call has made smartphones invaluable for many people. However, there are drawbacks. Many companies expect their employees to be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and smartphones mean that people literally cannot get away from work. The more constantly in contact we become , the more is expected of us in a work capacity(容量).”
1.What can we conclude from the text?
A. All that glitters is not gold.
B. It never rains but pours.
C. Every coins has two sides.
D. It’s no good crying over spilt milk.
2.The underlined word “accessing” in the third paragraph can be replaced by “________”.
A. calling B. reaching C. getting D. using
3.Which of the following is true according to the text?
A. The average UK working time is between nine and twelve hours.
B. Nine- tenths spent over three hours checking work emails.
C. One-fourth check their first mail between 11 p.m. and midnight.
D. The average time for first checking emails is between 6 a.m. and 8 .am ..
4.What’s the main idea of the text?
A. Workaholics like smartphones.
B. Smartphones bring about extra work.
C. Smartphones make our life easier.
D. Employers don’t like smartphones.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
When people reunite with their loved ones, it’s usually all extremely happy moment. But what is their most common response to seeing them again? It may seem strange，but most of the time they break down in tears.
Now a group of psychologists from Yale University say they have found the reason why, and that crying tears of joy may well be the body’s way of keeping emotional balance. “They seem to take place when people are overtaken by strong positive emotions, and people who do this seem to recover better from those strong emotions,” Oriana Aragon, the lead researcher said.
Aragon and her fellow psychologists looked at hundreds of participants’ emotional responses to different things, including happy reunions and cute babies. Many participants said they would react in a negative or aggressive way to the positive things —— to cry at happy moments and want to pinch(捏)a cute baby’s face or even tell them “I want to eat you up!” But then researchers found that these people were able to calm down from strong emotions more quickly.
There are many other examples of times when people respond to a positive experience with a negative emotional reaction. At an exciting concert, fans scream at their idols(偶像). People who have just had a big lottery win are often in floods of tears. “These findings advance our understanding of how people express and control their emotions, which is importantly related to mental and physical health, the quality of relationships with others, and even how well people work together.” said Aragon．
1.What have professors from Yale University found in their research?
A. The reason why people cry with tears.
B. Crying tears of joy helps to balance emotions.
C. Strong negative feelings are useful to people.
D. People recover slowly from strong emotions.
2.Which of the following agrees with the findings of the research?
A. Crying at good news.
B. Crying at a failure.
C. Kissing a cute baby.
D. Laughing at happy reunions.
3.Where does the passage most likely come from?
A. A science fiction novel.
B. A psychological science journal.
C. A popular biology book.
D. An adolescent literature book.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项，选项中有两项为多余选项。
According to statistics published by the University of Scranton, about 45 percent of Americans usually make New Year’s resolutions —— and the most popular resolution is losing weight. Of those who make resolutions, a mere 8 percent achieve them.
1. Are we just setting ourselves up for failure? Learn how to make realistic resolutions and how to overcome the roadblocks along the way.
Setting a resolution to lose pounds isn’t a goal that’s achievable now. It may be a good long-term goal. 2. Registered dietitian Elisa Zied says “To be real when you make a resolution. It’s okay to shoot for the stars like making a resolution, but why not set a smaller goal and train smart?”
The same concept applies to weight loss. 3. These goals should help develop healthy habits that will finally help achieve your long-term resolution.
Notice that these goals are simple and achievable. “Instead of going from zero to 60, from never going to the gym to going four to five times a week, why not start with three days a week, get consistent and build from there,” Zied says. Set yourself up for success and map out your course by making appointments with yourself to be active. 4.
You also need to be aware of your current exercise and eating habits to make achievable goals. Keeping a diary of your food and exercise habits can help. Record everything you eat and drink for three to five days and review it. 5. For example, if you notice a tendency to snack on unhealthy fare, set a goal to eat a fruit or vegetable with each snack. Building on these smaller goals over time can help you achieve your long-term goal.
A. So why do so many of us fail to achieve our goals?
B. Once you notice your not-so-good habits, start fixing them.
C. Set one to three weekly goals that you want to achieve.
D. Resolutions usually involve a commitment to sticking to your goals.
E. However, in order to reach it, you need to take baby steps to get it down.
F. If you treat your goals like set appointment, you’re more likely to achieve them.
G. Losing weight, as well as getting a better job, is among the most popular resolutions for adults.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
完形填空,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。
Accept life as it is. I learned how to do it from my father. ________ , he did not teach me acceptance when he was strong and healthy, but rather when he was ________ and ill.
My father was ________ a strong man who loved being active, but a terrible illness ________ all that away. Now he can no longer walk, and he must sit quietly in a chair all day. Even talking is ________ . One night, I went to visit him with my sisters. We started________ about life, and I told them about one of my ________. I said that we must very often give things up ________ we grow — our youth, our beauty, our friends — but it always ________ that after we give something up, we gain something new in its place. Then suddenly my father ________ up. He said, “But, Peter, I gave up ________ ! What did I gain?” I thought and thought, but I couldn’t think of anything to say. ________ , he answered his own question: “I ________ the love of my family,” I looked at my sisters and saw tears in their eyes, along with hope and thankfulness.
I was also ________ by his words. After that, when I began to feel irritated (愤怒的) at someone, I ________ remember his words and become ________ . If he could replace his great pain with a feeling of love for others, then I should be ________ to give up my small irritations. In this ________ , I learned the power of acceptance from my father.
Sometimes I ________ what other things I could have learned from him if I had listened more carefully when I was a boy. For now, though, I am ________ for this one word.
1.A. However B. Therefore C. Meanwhile D. Afterward
2.A. poor B. slow C. weak D. tired
3.A. already B. once C. still D. only
4.A. sent B. threw C. put D. took
5.A. difficult B. stressful C. hopeless D. impossible
6.A. asking B. talking C. worrying D. caring
7.A. experiences B. decisions C. beliefs D. ambitions
8.A. till B. as C. before D. since
9.A. promises B. suggests C. requires D. seems
10.A. spoke B. opened C. summed D. turned
11.A. anything B. something C. everything D. nothing
12.A. Immediately B. Surprisingly C. Naturally D. Certainly
13.A. accepted B. had C. enjoyed D. gained
14.A. attracted B. warned C. touched D. astonished
15.A. would B. should C. could D. might
16.A. quiet B. relaxed C. calm D. happy
17.A. likely B. free C. ready D. able
18.A. way B. place C. case D. form
19.A. wonder B. doubt C. guess D. know
20.A. useful B. grateful C. shameful D. ashamed
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。
John Snow was a famous doctor in London — so expert, indeed, that he attended Queen Victoria as her personal 1. (physics). But he became inspired when he thought about 2. (help) ordinary people exposed to cholera. This was the 3. (die) disease of its day. 4. its cause nor its cure was understood. So thousands of 5. (terrify) people died every time there was 6. outbreak. John Snow wanted to face the challenge and solve this problem. He knew that cholera would never be controlled until its cause 7. (find).
He was interested in two 8. (theory) that possibly explained how cholera killed people. The first suggested that cholera multiplied in the air. A cloud of dangerous gas floated around until it found its victims. The second suggested that people absorbed this disease 9. their bodies with their meals. From the stomach the disease 10. (quick) attacked the body and soon the affected person died.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
短文改错
I was from Detroit in the United States. During his senior year in high school I win a scholarship to study singing in London. I went there in summer, and I stayed with someone’s home. People there were very sweetly, and it was a really fun summer. I got the inside view of that it’s like to live there. I loved it but one thing that surprising me was that people had to go to such many different stores to do their shopping. There was also a lot of differences in language. They said things like “ring you up” instead of “give you a call.” It took me a little while figure out these differences. So it was fun.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
书面表达
假如你是李华，你校学生会将为来访的美国学生们举办一个晚会，要在学校广播中宣布此事，并欢迎大家参加。为使美国学生听懂，请你用英语写一篇广播通知。
要点如下:
目的: 欢迎来访的美国学生
组织者:学生会
时间:2月18日(星期六)晚7:30
地点: 一楼报告厅
活动内容:音乐,跳舞.唱歌,游戏,交换小礼品
注意：1. 词数： 不少于100词 ；
2. 可根据内容要点适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
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难度: 中等查看答案及解析