Fly Alone for the First Time
I began flying lessons at the age of 14; but the Federal Aviation Administration requires you to be 16 before you make flight by yourself. So I had to wait for two long years until I could fly a plane by myself. I used that time to master the basic maneuvers (要领) of flying. I learned emergency procedures and practiced hundreds of takeoffs and landings until I could land the airplane smoothly without bouncing it down the runway. It wasn’t always easy, and many times I would come home feeling discouraged and thinking maybe everyone was right – I would never learn to fly, but by the next day, I was always eager to try again.
On the day of my 16th birthday, I made my first solo flight, which meant I could finally fly alone. The night before, my dad, who was my flight instructor, explained that the winds were forecast to be high. He said if we were in the air by dawn, the winds would probably be calm enough for me to solo. The next morning it was cold, but the sky was completely clear, and the winds were calm. I expected my dad to stay in the plane for at least three takeoffs and landings. But after the first one, he told me to pull off the runway, and he got out of the plane.
I was alone. As I climbed higher and higher, the world began to change. Everything on the ground became miniature. Houses, cars, and all looked like tiny toys that could fit in the surface of my hand. I made three takeoffs and landings that day. Each landing was perfect. It was one of the happiest days of my life.
Today, as a flight instructor, I stand alongside runways watching as my own students take to the sky on their first solo flights. I understand the joy faces, which always bring me back to that day when my dream came true. I learned that no matter how people tell you that you can’t do something, if you believe in yourself, you can succeed.
1.When practicing flying, the author ______.
A. met several times of emergencies
B. was worried about his own safety
C. couldn’t wait to fly alone in the sky
D. sometimes doubted his ability to fly
2.The underlined word “miniature” probably means “______”.
A. distant B. unclear C. small D. high
3. What was the father concerned about before his son flied alone?
A. Whether his son was brave enough.
B. Whether it would be too windy.
C. Whether he was able to protect his son.
D. Whether there were negative comments.
4.What lesson does the author learn from his experience?
A. Be confident and you will succeed.
B. Be responsible and you can grow up.
C. Give up something and you may win more.
D. Think hard and you can achieve your dream.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Are you trying to learn a new language in a foreign land? You might be better off if you stopped looking at that picture of your family and friends.
New research from Columbia University found that prompting (提示) someone who is learning a new language with images and reminders of their own culture could temporarily ruin everything that the brain was trying to build.
When native Chinese students were asked to talk with a Caucasian avatar (白种人的虚拟头像) and a Chinese avatar, their English skills were so different. Simply exposing students to a Chinese person affected their ability to speak English. Subjects who talked with the Chinese version felt more comfortable in their speech, but they produced 11% fewer words per minute. They actually became less fluent speakers.
To make sure it wasn’t just the avatar, researchers also showed people random images of China while the participants told a story. When pictures of their homeland appeared, fluency dropped 16% and volunteers were 85% more likely to use a literal (照字面的) translation, for example, calling pistachios “happy nuts”, because that’s literally what the Chinese word for pistachio means.
When the students were shown pictures of fish with one swimming ahead of the others, their culture would change how they look at the photo. With Chinese prompt, like photos of the Great Wall or Chinese Dragon, etc. they saw more students thinking that the fish was being chased, while an American prompt, like pictures of Marilyn Monroe or Superman, saw those students believing that it was a leader fish.
The bottom line is: when attempting to learn a new culture it is far better to surround yourself with that culture than create an island of the old one.
1.Why does the author use a question in the first paragraph?
A. To raise a question.
B. To arouse readers’ awareness.
C. To introduce the topic.
D. To tell a story.
2.The underlined word “pistachios” in the fourth paragraph refers to ______.
A. pictures B. volunteers
C. an image D. a kind of food
3.From the passage we can infer that ______.
A. different images would change with different people
B. different cultures would affect how students look at the photo
C. with Chinese prompts, more students thought that it was a leader fish
D. with an American prompt, more students thought that the fish was being chased
4.According to the research, which is a better way for a student in a foreign land to learn a new culture?
A. To surround himself with that culture.
B. To create an island of the old one.
C. To see random images of China.
D. To talk with a Caucasian avatar.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Of the several films Hirokazu has made about childhood and children, this one is the most modest, but no less pleasing for its delicate style and small setting. This wise and funny film works small miracles in describing such a moment when kids turn from the wishfulness of childhood into shaping the world for themselves.
The sweetly reflective hero, a sixth-grader named Koichi, starts out by wishing for a volcano to erupt. Not just any volcano, but the one that towers above his town, smoking heavily and giving off ash. An eruption would lead to a withdrawing, which would lead, at least in his mind, to a reunion with his father and kid brother, who’ve been living in Hakata while Koichi lives with his mother and retired grandparents in Kagoshima. The volcano, knowing nothing of this, refuses to erupt, but Koichi hears of another approach to realizing the desired miracle.
One of the pleasures of I Wish is watching how kids behave — how Koichi attacks his dinner, for example. Another pleasure is rediscovering how kids think. These kids can be logical and ever so tricky. But children’s thought processes can also be fancy. A boy wishes he could play baseball like one of baseball stars, who eats curry for breakfast; so he, too, starts eating curry for breakfast, instead of practicing on the field. Another boy tries to wish his dead dog, Marble, back to life. And what does Koichi finally wish for? I wish you’d see this delightful film to find out.
1. Koichi wishes the volcano to erupt so that he can ______.
A. enjoy the wonderful scene of a volcano
B. help those who suffer from the eruption
C. get together with his family members
D. work miracles during the disaster
2.Which of the following statements is true of the film?
A. It is set in a volcano eruption.
B. It is a serious science fiction movie.
C. It shows some dull and ridiculous behaviors.
D. It shows a lively and thoughtful world of children.
3.What does the writer intend to do in this text?
A. To recommend a film.
B. To make a review on a film.
C. To share pleasures of watching a film.
D. To discuss kids’ behavior and thoughts.
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
In 2009, the Taiwu Elementary School Folk Singers were invited to perform in Belgium, France, Germany, and Luxemburg. In 2011, they were voted as one of the world’s top five performance groups by audiences of Japan Broadcasting Corporation’s Amazing Voice program.
Thinking back the group’s first tour in Europe, Camake Valaule, a physical education teacher and the founder of the Taiwu Elementary School Folk Singers, admitted that he felt very nervous. He was worried that the audience would fall asleep since most of the 75-minute performance was a cappella, that is, singing without instrumental sound. Surprisingly, the audience listened with full focus and high spirits. Camake said, “They told me afterward that through our performance, they had a vision of our country, our village, without having to visit it. This experience greatly increased our confidence.”
According to Camake Valaule, singing traditional ballads has helped students and their parents to re-understand their culture. “It used to be that the only ones who could sing these songs were tribal elders aged between 50 and 60. Now with the children performing the pieces, parents are beginning to ask, ‘Why do we not know how to sing these ballads?’ Many times nowadays, it is the children who teach the songs to their parents, putting back the pieces of a blurred memory.”
Winning international fame, however, was neither the original intention nor the main reason why Camake founded the group in 2006. The most important thing was to make children understand why they sing these songs and to preserve and pass on their culture. Referring to the relocation of Taiwu Elementary School and Taiwu Village following Typhoon Morakot in August 2009, Camake said, “We could not take the forest or our houses in the mountains with us; but we were able to bring our culture along. As long as the children are willing to sing, I will always be there for them, singing with them and leading them to experience the meaning of the ballads.”
1.Which of the following is true about Taiwu Elementary School Folk Singers?
A. The group was first established in 2009.
B. The group was founded by a PE teacher.
C. The singers usually sing popular folk songs.
D. The singers learn to sing from their parents.
2.On his first trip to Europe, why did Camake think the audience might fall asleep?
A. The average age of the audience was between fifty and sixty.
B. Most of the performance was not accompanied by any instrument.
C. Nobody could understand the language and the meaning of the songs.
D. The audience could not visualize the theme sung by the school children.
3.What does the underlined part “the pieces of a blurred memory” in the third paragraph most likely refer to?
A. The fading memories about old tribal people.
B. The children’s ignorance of their own tradition.
C. The broken pieces of knowledge taught at school.
D. The parents’ vague understanding of their own culture.
4.What did Camake realize after the incident of Typhoon Morakot?
A. The significance of the relocation of Taiwu Elementary School.
B. The need to respect nature to avoid being destroyed by it.
C. The importance of passing on the traditional culture.
D. The consequence of building houses in the forest.
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，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Do you have a spare room in your house? Do you like to share your drive way in front of your garage with others? Both of these can help you make money. 1.
Perhaps the best-known example of a company in this field is Airbnb – an American web business which allows you to rent out your spare room to holidaymakers. It says it operates in 34,000 cities and it has 800,000 listings of rooms and apartments. 2.
A British company is doing something with parking spaces. JustPark’s founder, Anthony Eskinaizi, says, “when I had the original idea, I spotted a driveway close to a sports stadium. It would have been so convenient if I could have just parked in the driveway rather than in a commercial car park.” 3. Around 20,000 people have advertised their spaces on the website, and he says around half a million drivers use it.
4. They are people who run things like traditional hotels and commercial car parks. They are afraid of ending up losing money.
5. Regulations for these new businesses are unclear. How will renting out your driveway affect your neighbour? Because this a new business world, those rules aren’t there yet.
A. And there is another problem.
B. A commercial car park is inconvenient.
C. And his great idea has proved a success.
D. But the new business of renting has its competitors.
E. They seem to have occupied the majority of the market.
F. But the government says no to the new business of renting.
G. Many people are benefiting from this new business of renting.
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。
When I was a kid, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night when she had made dinner after a long, hard day at .
On that evening so long ago, my mom a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned toast in front of my dad. I remember to see if anyone noticed! all my dad did was reach for his toast, at my mom and ask me how my day was at school… I don’t remember what I told him that night, but I do remember him spread butter and jelly on that toast and eat every bite!
When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom to my dad for burning the toast. And I’II never what he said: “Honey, I love toast.”
Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really his toast burned. He me in his arms and said, “Your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she’s really . And besides, a burned toast never anyone!”
is full of imperfect things... and imperfect people. I’m not the best at anything, and I forget and anniversaries just like everyone else. But what I’ve over the years is that learning to accept each other’s – and to celebrate each other’s differences – is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and relationship where a burned toast isn’t a deal-breaker!
1.A. in particular B. in fact C. after all D. in all
2.A. kitchen B. home C. work D. school
3.A. cooked B. placed C. broke D. ate
4.A. waiting B. hoping C. turning D. hesitating
5.A. And B. Thus C. Yet D. Instead
6.A. stare B. smile C. laugh D. shout
7.A. cheering B. admiring C. studying D. watching
8.A. shout B. explain C. talk D. apologize
9.A. believe B. doubt C. forget D. understand
10.A. broken B. buttered C. burned D. baked
11.A. cared B. liked C. knew D. minded
12.A. turned B. wrapped C. beat D. left
13.A. angry B. hungry C. depressed D. tired
14.A. poisons B. hurts C. upsets D. chokes
15.A. Society B. School C. Family D. Life
16.A. meetings B. birthdays C. holidays D. games
17.A. remembered B. expressed C. argued D. learned
18.A. concerns B. advice C. faults D. misunderstanding
19.A. choosing B. agreeing C. offering D. helping
20.A. lasting B. changing C. important D. familiar
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。
One sentence from the news in Washington has remained in my mind since a trip last summer: “When you see people run against the crowd escaping 1. the danger, they are 2. (probable) firefighters, police or journalists.”
I think this is most true for the firefighters. Whenever and wherever 3. (disaster) happen — 9/11 Attacks in New York 14 years ago or the explosion in Tianjin on Wednesday night — it is always the firefighters 4. take the lead to run to the very center, saving lives by 5. (risk) their own. I cried today near the explosion site, not because of the smoke from the ongoing fire 6. because of a short message a firefighter sent to a trusted friend that went viral online. It reads, “If I cannot make it, my father is 7. (you) father; and please remember 8. (sweep) my mother’s tomb.” I was thrilled later to learn that he did make it.
“Everyone knows it’s 9. (danger) to be a firefighter. But he has always liked it and has done it for 12 years,” his father said. “He survived this time, but no one knows what 10. (happen) next time.”
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
短文改错
请改正下面短文中的错误。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：在错的词下画一横线，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．只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
One Monday afternoon, we were playing the basketball on the playground while Isuddenly slipped and fell over. On seeing that, all my classmates rushed to me. Under the help of several other students, Li Xiang, one of my best friend put me on his back and head for the clinic immediately. It turned out that my right ankle got hurt but I had to be sent to hospital.He did not leave until ambulance arrived. The following day, he came to see me. To my
greatly relief, he brought textbooks with them and helped me with my lessons. It was a great pleasure to have such a devoting friend.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
书面表达
本学期，你校外籍教师拟开设如下课程: 1．英语口语；2．英语写作；3．今日美国。假如你是李华，请给课程负责人Mr．Smith写一份申请书，报名参加其中一门课程的学习，内容必须包括：
1．介绍你的英语能力；2．说明你感兴趣的课程及参加意图；3．表达你希望获准的愿望。
注意： 1．词数100左右；2．可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Mr. Smith,
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析