The meaning of the word “volunteer” may be a little different in different countries, but it usually means “one who offers his or her services.” There are many different ways in which people can volunteer, such as taking care of sick people, working on homes for homeless children, and picking up garbage (垃圾) from beaches and parks. Volunteers may work within their countries or in other countries. They are often people with a strong wish to help those who are less fortunate than themselves. Volunteers don’t expect any kind of pay.
At the root of volunteering is the idea that one person may have the ability to offer services that can help other people. Tracy, a good friend of mine, however, recently came back from India with a new idea of what being a volunteer means. She worked for two and a half weeks in one of Mother Teresa’s homes in Calcutta. The following is her story.
“I first heard about Mother Teresa in my high school, we watched a video(录像) about her work in India and all over the world. I was so moved by her spirit to help others and her endless love for every human being that after I graduated from high school, I too wanted to try her kind of work. So with two friends I flew to Calcutta for a few weeks.”
“I was asked to work in a home for sick people. I helped wash clothes and sheets, and pass out lunch. I also fed the people who were too weak to feed themselves and tried to cheer the up. I felt it was better to share with them than to think that I have helped them. To be honest, I don’t think I was helping very much. It was then that I realized that I had not really come to help, but to learn about and experience another culture(文化) that helped improve my own understanding of life and the world.”
1.According to the text, a volunteer refers to a person who ______.
A. is willing to help those in need without pay
B. can afford to travel to different places
C. has a strong wish to be successful
D. has made a big fortune in life
2.Tracy started her work as a volunteer _______.
A. after she met Mother Teresa
B. after she finished high school
C. when she was touring Calcutta
D. when she was working in a hospital
3.Why did Tracy choose to be a volunteer?
A. She liked to work with Mother Teresa.
B. She had already had some experience.
C. She was asked by Mother Teresa’s example.
D. She wanted to follow Mother Teresa’s example.
4.What is Tracy’s “new idea” (Paragraph 2) of being a volunteer?
A. Going abroad to help the sick.
B. Working in Mother Teresa’s home.
C. Doing simple things to help the poor.
D. Improving oneself through helping others.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
July 21st. 2007 was a typical English summer’s day — it rained for 24 hours ! As usual, I rushed home from work at midday to check on the house. Nothing was amiss. By the time I left work at 5pm. However, the road into our village was flooded. Our house had never been flooded but, as I opened the front door. a wave of waters greeted me. Thank God the kids weren’t with me, because the house was 5 feet deep in water. We lost everything downstairs. And the plaster had to be torn off the wall’s ceilings pulled down.
At first we tried to push on through. We didn’t want to move the children out of home. so we camped upstairs. We put a sheet of plastic across the floor to protect us from the damp. But after three months, we felt very sick, so we move to a wooden house in a park. The house was small. but at first we were all just delighted to be in a new place. Unfortunately, things took longer than expected and we were there for 10 months. The life there was inconvenient. What surprised me most was how much I missed being part of a community（社区）. We had lived in a friendly village with good neighbors, and I’d never thought how much I，I’d miss that.
Although our situation was very bad, it’s difficult to feel too sorry for yourself when you look at what’s happening elsewhere. I watched a news report about floods in Northern India and thought. “We didn’t have a straw hut（茅草房）that was for Christmas. But I can’t wait — I’m going to throw a party for our friends in the village to say thanks for their support. This year, I won’t need any gifts — living away from home for months has made me realize how little we actually need or miss all our possessions. Although we are replacing things, there’s really no rush — we have our home back. and that’s the main thing.
1.What does the underlined word “amiss” in the first paragraph mean ？
A. Wrong. B. Missing. C. Right. D. Found
2.It can be inferred from the text that the author .
A. was sick of staying upstairs
B. cared much about her children
C. could not stand living in a wooden house
D．did not deal well with her family affairs during the flood
3.Why does the author say that they were lucky in the third paragraph ?
A. Because her situation was not serious.
B. Because many other paces were flooded.
C. Because she had been to Northern India.
D. Because some others suffered even more.
4.What does the author mainly want to express by telling her story?
A. She valued human feelings more than before.
B. She realized she almost didn’t need possession.
C. She found Christmas gifts no longer badly needed.
D. She thought her own home was the most important.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Can dogs and cats live in perfect harmony in the same home? People who are thinking about adopting a dog as a friend for their cats are worried that they will fight. A recent research has found a new recipe of success. According to the study, if the cat is adopted before the dog, and if they are introduced when still young (less than 6 months for cats, a year for dogs), it is highly probable that the two pets will get along swimmingly. Two-thirds of the homes interviewed reported a positive relationship between their cat and dog.
However, it wasn't all sweetness and light. There was a reported coldness between the cat and dog in 25% of the homes, while aggression and fighting were observed in 10% of the homes. One reason for this is probably that some of their body signals were just opposite. For example, when a cat turns its head away it signals aggression, while a dog doing the same signals submission.
In homes with cats and dogs living peacefully, researchers observed a surprising behavior. They are learning how to talk each other's language. It is a surprise that cats can learn how to talk ‘dog’ and dogs can learn how to talk ‘Cat’.
What's interesting is that both cats and dogs have appeared to develop their intelligence. They can learn how to read each other's body signals, suggesting that the two may have more in common than we previously suspected. Once familiar with each other's presence and body language, cats and dogs can play together, greet each other nose to nose, and enjoy sleeping together on the sofa. They can easily share the same water bowl and in some cases groom (梳理) each other.
The significance of the research on cats and dogs may go beyond pets ─ to people who don't get along, including neighbors, colleagues at work, and even world superpowers. If cats and dogs can learn to get along, surely people have a good chance.
1.Some cats and dogs may fight when ________.
A. they misunderstood each other's signals
B. they look away from each other
C. they are cold to each other
D. they are introduced at an early age
2.What is found surprising about cats and dogs?
A. They eat and sleep each other.
B. They learn to speak each other's language.
C. They observe each other's behaviors.
D. They know something from each other's voices.
3.It is suggested in Paragraph 4 that cats and dogs ________.
A. have common interests
B. have a common body language
C. are less different than was thought
D. are less intelligent than was expected
4.What can we human beings learn from cats and dogs?
A. We should live in peace with animals.
B. We should know more about animals.
C. We should learn to live in harmony.
D. We should learn more body languages.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
On my first day of high school, I asked an eleventh-grader where my class was. And he told me it was “on the fourth floor, next to the pool.” I found out five minutes later that we don’t even have a fourth floor and there’s no pool either! Besides that, I didn’t have any trouble with the older kid.
I think the biggest difference between middle and high school is the homework load (工作量) and size of the school. I went from maybe fifteen minutes of homework a night to several hours, so I had to learn how to make full use of time! Our class size is around 550, but joining in clubs, sports, music, and other activities at school makes it easier to get to know people in every grade.
The best advice I can give about the years you spend in high school is to learn things for yourself, not just to get a good grade. There have been so many tests that I’ve prepared for the night before, gotten an A, and not remembered anything later. I’ve changed that this year, and I enjoy school so much more. Don’t take easy classes just to have a simple year. If you have a choice between chemistry and sports, the first will prove to be a lot more useful!
While drinking and smoking might be present in some middle schools, they’re also around in high school. I have a lot of friends who promised they’d never drink or smoke, but are now partying every weekend. If you have “fun”and spend your nights wasted instead of studying, you will regret it when you’re applying for (申请) college. The “friends” who say you’re a loser for not partying are really not your friends at all. It’s hard to see your closest friends grow apart and go in different directions, but don’t follow their footsteps. Create your own path in life and make your own decisions.
1. What happened to the author on his first day of high school?
A. He had a fight with an eleventh-grader.
B. He fell into a pool on the fourth floor.
C. He was five minutes late for class.
D. He was fooled by a schoolboy.
2.The author advises high school students to _____.
A. choose useful classes
B.give up sports
C. try their best to get good grades
D. get ready for tests the night before
3. The last paragraph mainly tells us _____.
A. not to lose ourselves in high school
B. about the importance of making friends
C. not to go to any party in high school
D.about the trouble caused by drinking and smoking
D. Different views on the topic are presented.
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。
When the morning sun looks in through your bedroom window, do you jump out of bed? 1. An adequate amount of sleep can make the difference between a great day and a terrible one!
A good night’s sleep doesn’t just happen. You need to prepare for it. 2. First, go to bed at the same time every day, and get up at the same time. If you haven’t gotten a good night’s sleep, don’t oversleep the next morning. Get up at your regular time. Sleeping late for just a couples of days can change your body clock to a different cycle. You don’t want that if you have a set daily schedule.
Also, avoid big meals at night. 3. Your stomach works hard to digest those fatty foods, and that may keep you up.
Your body produces a chemical called melatonin (褪黑色素) that helps you sleep. Light affects the amount of melatonin your body makes. 4. So at night turn off your TV and computer. Also, don’t read from a backlit (背光) electronic equipment like an IPad. Some scientists think that the light from those stops your body from making melatonin. So turn those screens off at least an hour before bedtime.
Maybe you can’t sleep or you wake up in the middle of the night. 5. Get up and do something relaxing elsewhere. Then go back to bed when you feel sleepy again. If you worry a lot, make a list of things you need to do the next day.Do that an hour before bed. That way you get your worrying out of the way before you go to bed.
After a good night’s sleep, you’ll be able to face a new day.
A. Don’t just lie in bed.
B. You can have three meals a day.
C. Or do you roll over and complain?
D. Various experts have given tips to help.
E. Your TV and computers might affect your sleep.
F. It produces more in the evening and less in the daytime.
G. Eating heavy, rich foods within two hours of bedtime can keep you awake.
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。
One day,Raul was miles away from the small ranch（牧场） house in a large valley. _________seemed to be all right, yet he felt strange and somewhat uneasy. The wind had picked up, and angry,dark clouds _________ across the sky. He could smell the rain coming. And it did. _________ ,the lightning flashed through the clouds, nearly _________ Raul. The thunder（雷声） was so loud that he buried his _________ in his hands and rubbed his eyes.Then he heard it. Hoofbeats（蹄声）.He _________ .There before him stood a tall, white _________. An old man stared down at him from its back.“Wh-wh-who are y-y-you?” asked Raul. “My name is Gray Cloud,” the old man answered _________.“Come with me.”Raul followed on his horse. A _________ feeling came over him. All _________ them the rain was pouring down, _________ not a drop fell on them. They seemed to be_________ back toward Raul’s home. Raul lost track of time. Then all at once he found 53 at the ranch gate. The old man turned his horse, _________his hand, and smiled. Lightning flashed again. The old man and his horse were_________.
Raul’s father ran out across the yard to _________ him. “we have been _________sick about you. Are you okay? Hurry. Let’s get in out of the_________.”
“Wait,” said Raul. “Have you ever heard of an old man called Gray Cloud?”
“Can’t say I … wait. I _________ my great-grandfather used to tell storied about a man called Gray Cloud. He died a long time ago. They say he was _________by lightning during a terrible thunderstorm. Why do you ask?”
1.A. Something B. Everything C. Anything D. Nothing
2.A.dropped B. fell C. rolled D. covered
3.A.Suddenly B. Strongly C. Quickly D. Hardly
4.A.beating B. blinding C. burning D. touching
5.A.nose B. hair C. neck D. head
6.A.looked up B. woke up C. lay down D. sat down
7.A.tiger B. horse C. lion D. elephant
8.A.lazily B. angrily C. coldly D. slowly
9.A.natural B. common C. strange D. bad
10.A.around B. beside C. through D. above
11.A.yet B. for C. so D. or
12.A.walking B. leading C. heading D. returning
13.A.them B. themselves C. him D. himself
14.A.shook B. waved C. held D. took
15.A.gone B. left C. followed D. lost
16.A.see B. meet C. beat D. ask
17.A.waited B. thought C. worried D. excited
18.A.yard B. wind C. grass D. rain
19.A.believe B. consider C. doubt D. forget
20.A.defeated B. caught C. damaged D. Struck
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或括号内单词的正确形式。
Scientists have discovered that_1. (stay) in the cold could help us lose weight. Researchers at the University of California found that exposure to the cold increases levels of a protein that helps form brown fat--the type of fat that produces heat and keeps us warm. Brown fat burns energy, 2. helps us lose weight. White fat stores extra energy, which results 3. weight gain. The researchers said that because air conditioning and heating give us constant, 4. (comfort) temperatures, our body’s need for brown fat has decreased. They found that: “Outdoor workers in northern Finland who 5. (expose) to cold temperature have 6. significant amount of brown fat when 7. (compare) to same-aged indoor workers.” The research was conducted on two different control groups of mice. 8. group was injected with the protein that helps create brown fat. This group later gained 30% less weight after both groups were fed high-fat diets. The researchers say this could be good news in the fight against obesity. People who are obese have 9. (low) levels of brown fat than thinner people. Head researcher Hei Sook Sul said, “This protein could become an important target for research into the treatment and prevention of obesity and obesity-related diseases.” She added, “If you can somehow increase levels of this protein, you could 10. (possible) lose more weight even if eating the same amount of food.”
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
短文改错
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.只允许修改10处,多者(从第11处起)不计分。
I love camping. It is my favouritest way to spend the summer vacation. Last year, my families and I went camping in the countryside. It was one of the excited experiences I had never had. We slept in a tent and took a long walk every day. We cooked over a fire and the food always tasted wonderfully. For a whole week, I saw lovely mountain views or breathed fresh air. At night, I heard the gentle wind blowing in the trees, and I feel so peaceful. It doesn’t cost many to camp. What I believe it’s the best way to get close nature and enjoy its beauty.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
书面表达
假设你是李华，你们班的英语老师要求每个同学在课堂上分享自己交友的经验。请你根据所给提示，用英语写一篇发言稿。
1. 你是如何看待友谊的；
2. 你是怎么选择朋友的；
3. 你是如何维持与朋友之间的友谊的。
注意: 1. 词数100左右；2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
难度: 中等查看答案及解析