Valentine’s Day is a popular festival of love and romance. There are ________ legends associated with the festival along with the belief that birds began to mate from this day. Historians trace (追踪)its ________ to an ancient Roman festival. It is said that in ancient Rome, people ________ a holiday on February 14th to honor Juno—the Queen of Roman Gods and Goddesses. On the following day, February 15th，the festival of Lupercalia was celebrated to honor the Roman God of Agriculture.
An interesting ________ was followed on the festival of Lupercalia to bring together young boys and girls who otherwise were strictly ________ . On the eve of the festival, names of young Roman girls were written on a slip of paper and placed into jars. Each young man ________ a girl's name from the jar and was paired with the girl during the festival. Sometimes the ________ lasted for a year until next year's celebration. Quite often，the couple would fall in love with each other and ________ marry. The custom lasted for a long time until people felt that it was un-Christian and that mates should be chosen by sight, not ________ .
The pairing of young boys and girls set the mood of the Valentine's Day Festival as we know today. But it was ________ due to the efforts and daring of a priest St Valentine that the festival got its ________ and clearer meaning. The story goes that Emperor Claudius II of Rome found it ________ to get soldiers and felt the reason why men did not join the ________ was that they did not wish to leave their wives and families. As a result, Claudius cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome. St Valentine challenged Claudius's ________ order and secretly married couples. When his disobedience was ________，Valentine was put to death on February 14, around 270 AD. After his death Valentine was named a saint.
1.A. acceptable B. familiar C. various D. unrelated
2.A. possibility B. development C. event D. origin
3.A. studied B. observed C. handled D. discussed
4.A. movement B. celebration C. competition D. custom
5.A. respected B. educated C. separated D. organized
6.A. spoke out B. brought out C. pulled out D. drew out
7.A. pairing B. dating C. playing D. celebrating
8.A. fortunately B. occasionally C. finally D. surprisingly
9.A. order B. risk C. name D. luck
10.A. usually B. actually C. really D. factually
11.A. history B. story C. fame D. name
12.A. strange B. slow C. awful D. tough
13.A. war B. party C. army D. game
14.A. unfinished B. unjustified C. unrecognized D. unconcerned
15.A. discovered B. attacked C. memorized D. promised
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求，在空格处填入一个适当的词或使用括号中所给词语的正确形式填空。
American Idol is a TV show and annual American singing competition, which began its first season on June 11, 2002. It is based on the British show Pop Idol, in which thousands of young singers, aged 16-28, audition（试演）for the chance ________1. (choose) as the new singing idol. The program seeks to discover the ________2. (good) young singer in the country through ________3. series of nationwide auditions.
Auditions ________4. (hold) in key cities around the country, with judges removing some contestants(选手), ________5. there are only 30 left. These 30 compete, on air, and the viewing public votes for ________6. three favorites each week, over the course of the next three weeks. Those nine contestants, along ________7. one “wild card” chosen by judges, continue on to the next stage of the competition, ________8. takes place over several weeks. The outcome of the latter stages of this competition is wholly determined by public voting. There are three judges assessing the contestants’________9.________(perform) in order to facilitate(推动) the voting.
Of these ten, two winners are chosen to appear in a live half-hour telecast（电视广播）the following evening to compete ________10. a top-dollar record deal.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
Imagine someone has crossed the seas joining five continents by swimming. It is a major success for anyone. But it is an even greater success for Philippe Croizon, who has no arms, and no legs! His achievements show that we can all achieve great things—no matter who we are.
Philippe Croizon was 26 years old when he had an accident. The doctors had to remove both of his arms and legs. “When they cut off my last leg I wanted to die. I suffered great depression and my spirit was as low as you can get. But you have to choose—and I chose to live!” said Croizon.
While he was recovering in hospital, Croizon saw a television programme about a woman who had been swimming across the English Channel. After watching the programme Croizon decided to do it. He began to exercise every day to make him strong and it took him two years to prepare.
Finally in 2010, Croizon was ready. He entered the cold, grey sea of the English Channel. He was now 42 years old. It took him from early morning until night to swim the distance. He felt a lot of pain. But he had become the first person without arms and legs to swim between France and England. Croizon had achieved his dream, but he did not stop there. He looked for a new goal.
Early in 2012 he planned to swim across the seas that join five major continents. During the next few months he swam between the four continents of Australia, Asia, Africa and Europe and finally in the cold waters of the Bering Strait between the continents of Asia and the Americas.
“We want to show people something. If disabled people have courage and a lot of training they can do the same things as those who are not disabled,” said Croizon.
1.According to the passage, Philippe Croizon _____.
A. was born with disability
B. suffered a lot from the accident
C. chose to live because of a TV programme
D. was fond of swimming since he was young
2.What do we know about Philippe Croizon’s swimming across the English Channel?
A. It took him two years to finish it.
B. He was the first person to achieve it.
C. It was easy for him to finish the swim.
D. He spent a lot of time preparing for it.
3.Philippe Croizon’s crossing the seas joining five continents______.
A. lasted a month
B. ended in the Bering Strait
C. happened when he was 42 years old
D. was inspired by a television programme
4.Which of the following can best describe Philippe Croizon’s story?
A. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.
B. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
C. Actions speak louder than words.
D. The finest diamond must be cut.
5.What’s the best title for the passage?
A. Hope in the corner
B. A disabled man’s dream
C. Challenges to Philippe Croizon
D. Philippe Croizon’s amazing swim
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
The relationship between humans and animals has always been complex. Some cultures have developed entire belief systems around favored animals. Even in cultures with less formal belief systems, connections between people and animals still lead to commonly accepted opinions about animals.
These belief systems usually develop around the animals that interact (互动) with humans most frequently. Therefore, it should not be surprising that so many stories surround the most common of animals: rats. Rats live side by side with humans all over the world and regularly interact with people. Human-rat coexistence may be common all around the world, but different cultures respond to that closeness in different ways.
In the United States and Europe, one typical attitude is that the rat is a pest. This could be due to the common belief that rats spread disease. Actually, they don’t, at least not directly, but many people don’t know that. The Pied Piper of Hamlin, a well-known children’s story, is one example of how rats have been described in Western literature: in that story, rats cause such a problem that a town has to hire a piper to call them all away.
In many Latin American countries, the rat is described in a very different way. The story of the tooth fairy (a fairy believed by children to leave money while they sleep in exchange for a tooth that has come out) is common all over the world, but in Latin America, the “fairy” is a rat! Rats do have very strong teeth, which could explain the association. Clearly, this shows another attitude toward rats that is much more positive.
Yet another attitude toward the rat can be seen in the Chinese Zodiac (生肖). The Rat is one of the animals of the Zodiac. Like the other zodiac animals, the Rat is neither entirely good nor entirely bad. It’s described as clever and friendly, but also tricky and not entirely honest. That may be the most accurate description of the rat so far. Whether you like rats or not, it’s hard to deny their reputation for cleverness.
As many people are discovering these days, rats can even make excellent pets, so long as you remember to close the cage carefully!
1.What does the passage mainly talk about?
A. A trend of keeping rats as pets.
B. How different cultures look at rats.
C. How humans get along with animals.
D. Favored animals in different cultures.
2.The rats in The Pied Piper of Hamlin appear______.
A. unpleasant B. honest C. smart D. unusual
3.The tooth fairy in Latin America mentioned in Paragraph4 is to show______.
A. the tooth fairy is lovely
B. rats look very frightening
C. rats are welcome in Latin American countries
D. the story of the tooth fairy is common all over the world
4.According to the author, rats______.
A. don’t spread disease
B. should be treated as pests
C. are fairly described in the Chinese Zodiac
D. are kept as pets by more and more people
5.The passage is probably taken from a ______.
A. travel guide B. news report C. nature magazine D. history textbook
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
President Barack Obama rode a bicycle at the White House Science Fair on April 22. But it wasn’t an ordinary bike. As he pedaled, the President stayed in place, while the energy from his pedaling powered a water filtration (过滤) system. He was testing an invention created by a team of 14 students from Northeast High School, in Oakland Park, Florida.
Payton Karr, 16, and Kiona Elliot, 18, attended the fair as representatives of the project.“We were hoping President Obama would ride the bike, but we didn’t actually expect him to,” Payton told TFK. “ It really meant a lot.” Kiona agreed. “It was pretty awesome to see the invention, which was invented by a group of 14 high school students and one teacher, along with the help of community members, got the interest of the leader of our nation,” she said.
The project was an idea that came about after one of the Northeast students, Kalie Hoke, visited Haiti after the terrible 2010 earthquake and saw how difficult it was to find clean water. The students invented a portable(便携的), bicycle-powered emergency water filtration system, which can provide 20-30 people with drinking water in a 15-hour period. The teens hope their invention will one day be used by relief organizations like the Red Cross. “ They can take it to places after natural disasters so that water can be clean for the people there,” said Payton.
Payton and Kiona were among the 100 students from more than 40 states invited to the third annual White House Science Fair, in Washington, D.C., which is also attended by leaders in science and education. President Obama started the event in 2010 to stimulate students interested in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths).“Well, if you’re a young person and you produce the best experiment or design, you ought to be recognized for that achievement,” Obama said when he first announced the fair.
President Obama praised the projects during a speech to attendees after the fair. “The science fair projects of today could become the products and businesses of tomorrow,” he said. “If you’re inventing things in the third grade, what are you going to do by the time you get to college?”
1.What is special about the bicycle President Obama rode?
A. It can move very fast.
B. It is extremely beautiful.
C. It is used to make water clean.
D. It is made of eco-friendly materials.
2.The representatives of the bicycle-powered water filtration system_________.
A. were both community members
B. graduated from a famous university
C. finished the project with the help of their parents
D. were surprised that their invention interested Obama
3.The bicycle-powered water filtration system was designed ________________.
A. at the request of the Red Cross
B. for city families to get pure water
C. during the terrible 2010 earthquake in Haiti
D. to provide people in disaster areas with clean water
4.The underlined word “stimulate” in Paragraph 4 can be replaced by _________.
A. help B. inspire C. change D. entertain
5.We can know from the last sentence in the passage that President Obama _____.
A. wanted the youth to have big dreams
B. encouraged the youth to go to college
C. worried the young inventors would do nothing in college
D. believed the young inventors would have a promising future
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Life on Mars could become a reality and it could happen in your lifetime.
A welcoming planet
Scientists say Earth’s neighbor Mars, a bright red planet about half Earth’s size, is the most likely to support human life. Mars even has frozen water on its surface.
Since the late 1990s, NASA has been exploring Mars using remote-controlled vehicles（装置）. Most recently Curiosity, a car-size vehicle, traveled through space on an unpiloted spacecraft(航天器) and landed on Mars in August 2012. Directed by NASA scientists , the vehicles move on the surface, taking pictures , collecting and analyzing soil, and looking for signs of life.
But what about human explorers? Plans are already in the works to send astronauts to Mars as soon as the mid-2030s.
_____________________________________
But before you start packing your bags, let’s consider the challenges. For starters, Mars is far away. Just getting there could take up to 10 months.
Scientists already know that time away from Earth’s gravity harms the human body. Bones and muscles get weaker. The body produces less blood. What damage would months and months of living in space do?
And then there is the matter of water, oxygen, food and fuel. Scientists will have to find solutions to these problems, or the first humans on Mars won’t survive very long in their new home.
Tiny Dangers
There’s another tinier risk. It’s so tiny that you can’t even see it: germs.
Some scientists believe that our germs could pollute the whole planet of Mars. Potentially killing Martian life before we have the chance to discover it. Worse, there is a small but terrifying chance that any microscopic life already there might be harmful to us .
Worse still, if any of those Martian germs(火星细菌) were brought back to Earth, the result could be disastrous. Animals, plants, and people could be wiped out.
Worth the $$$?
A more practical concern is the cost. The price could approach $ 1 trillion(万亿). How can we justify spending that much when so many problems—poverty, disease—could use the cash here on Earth?
1.Which of the following is TRUE according to the “A welcoming planet” part?
A. Mars is a little bigger than Earth.
B. There are flowing rivers on Mars.
C. People haven’t been to Mars so far.
D. Scientists have discovered signs of life on Mars.
2.Which of the following can best fill in the blank in the passage?
A. Living in space. B. Limited resources.
C. Extreme conditions. D. Interesting challenges.
3.By “Tiny dangers” the author means ________________.
A. there is no serious danger
B. people won’t be in any danger
C. it’s difficult for people to realize the danger
D. the danger may be caused by very small things
4.Which may cause the biggest danger?
A. Martian germs may be different from those on Earth.
B. Martian germs may be brought back to Earth.
C. People may carry germs to Mars.
D. There may be germs on Mars.
5.Which section of a newspaper is the passage most probably taken from?
A. People B. History C. Science D. Business
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下列应用文及相关信息，并按要求匹配信息，在答题卡上将对应题号的相应选项字母涂黑。
首先，请阅读以下网页信息。
A. Shaolin Kungfu
Shaolin Kungfu is one of the most influential genres of Chinese martial arts, and it’s named after where it originated—the Shaolin Temple, founded on the Songshan Mountain in Dengfeng County, Henan Province in Central China. The monks in the Shaolin Temple began to study martial arts during the Northern and Southern dynasties and this tradition prevailed during the Sui and Tang dynasties.
B. Kunqu Opera
Kunqu Opera is one of the oldest forms of opera still existing in China, with its origins dating
back to the end of the Yuan dynasty. It has distinguished itself by the virtuosity of its rhythmic patterns and has exerted a dominant influence on all the more recent forms of opera in China, including the Sichuan and Beijing operas. In 2001, UNESCO proclaimed Kunqu Opera as a masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
C. Puppet Shows
Chinese puppetry has a long history. It is noted for its many types of puppets and superb manipulative skills. It’s a truly unique art combining opera, music, fine art and craftsmanship. It creates magic with a beam of light. Puppet shows from various places have their own unique characteristics with strong local color in terms of figure modeling.
D. T’ai Chi Ch’uan
T’ai Chi Ch’uan is a major division of Chinese martial arts. Literally, T’ai Chi Ch’uan means “supreme ultimate fist”; T’ai means “supreme”, Chi means “ultimate”, and Ch’uan means “fist”. T’ai Chi Ch’uan has its philosophical roots in Taoism and is considered an internal martial art, utilizing internal energy, or Qi, and following the simple principle of “subduing the vigorous by the soft.”
E. Traditional Chinese Medicine
In Chinese medicine, doctors use various diagnostic methods to get full and detailed information about the patients and to guide their treatment. The methods include observation, auscultation and olfaction, interrogation, and checking the pulse and heart rate. They are also known as the four major methods, each having a distinctive function.
F. Xianzi Dance
The Xianzi dance, also called Xie or Ye, is danced to the accompaniment of a Tibetan-style
two-string instrument. The most typical kind of Xianzi Dance is Batang Xianzi in Ganzi, Sichuan Province . Batang is a Tibetan inhabited area. The dancers dance in a circle or randomly, sometimes resembling a winding dragon. They sing to each other to express their feelings.
以下是相关人物信息，请将相关人物信息与适合他们的网页信息匹配起来。
1.Janet, who likes Chinese traditional art very much, is a dancing teacher in California University. She wants to know more about a truly unique art combining opera, music, fine art and craftsmanship.
2.Cathy is a medical college student in UK. Now she is preparing her thesis about other countries’ medicine, so she wants to find some information online.
3.Kate is a college student in America. She wants to get more information about Chinese traditional art, especially Chinese traditional music.
4. Jason, who has been living in America for about 30 years, wants to learn some Chinese Kungfu which is represented by the famous symbol of Yin and Yang.
5.Freda, a 23-year-old girl, is fond of playing Tibetan-style instrument. This time she decides to visit Sichuan and plans to know more about its typical dance.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
基础写作(共1题，满分15分)
【写作内容】
请根据以下信息，介绍一下吴斌。
| 姓 名：吴斌 出生日期：1965年3月8日 出 生 地：浙江杭州 事迹介绍： 1. 2012年5月29日中午，吴斌驾驶长途车行驶在无锡至杭州路段。突然一块金属板穿透挡风玻璃砸向吴斌； 2. 吴斌虽然严重受伤，但在倒下前，他刹车（brake）、换挡，缓行路边停车，还对车上的24名乘客说不要在高速路上乱走； 3. 吴斌的肝脏几乎被击碎，最终于6月1日不幸去世。 相关报道： 1.吴斌的英雄事迹深深感动了社会各界； 2.他被称之为“最美司机”。 |
参考词汇：挡风玻璃windscreen 换挡shift gears 肝脏 liver
【写作要求】
只能用5个句子表达全部内容
【评分标准】
句子结构准确，信息内容完整，篇章连贯。
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难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，然后按照要求写一篇150词左右的英语短文。
As a person in modern society，you should never forget that everyone needs encouragement. And everybody who receives it is changed by it. It was novelist Mark Twain who said :“One compliment can keep me going for a whole month.”
The impact that encouragement makes on people can be deep and significant. A word of encouragement from a teacher to a child can change a life. A word of encouragement from a spouse
can save a marriage. A word of encouragement from a leader can inspire a person to reach his potential. Like Zig Ziglar says,” You never know when a few sincere words can have an impact on a life.”
I’ve read that the 19th century writer Walt Whitman struggled for years to get anyone interested in his poetry. In the midst of his discouragement，Whitman received a life-changing letter from an admirer of his work. The note read:“ Dear sir, I am not blind to the worth of the wonderful gift of Leaves of Grass. I find it the most extraordinary piece of wit and wisdom that America has yet contributed. I greet you at the beginning of a great career.” It was signed by Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Whitman enjoyed a long career and is now considered one of the giants of' American literature. But when times were tough，he needed encouragement to keep him going.
This season is the perfect time to give a gift everybody wants—and everyone needs.
【写作内容】
1．以约30个词概括上文的主要内容；
2．然后以约120个词就¨鼓励对人生的影响”进行议论，内容包括：
(1) 以事例说明鼓励对人的影响；
(2) 谈谈你的认识或感想。
【写作要求】
1．作文中可以使用亲身经历或虚构的故事，也可以参照阅读材料的内容，但不得直接引用原文中的句子；
2．作文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称。
【评分标准】
概括准确，语言规范，内容合适，篇章连贯。
难度: 困难查看答案及解析