I’ll be the first to admit that I am a technophobe(对技术有恐惧感的人). Who would have guessed that a website would help repay a 20-year-old loan?
I’ll always remember my last day at school. My best friend, Jenny, had organized a party in the Sixth Form Common Room.
Jenny asked me to go to the supermarket with her to buy all the snacks. “I'm really looking forward to this party, Stingy," she said. Everyone called me Stingy instead of Debbie because they thought I didn’t like to spend money. Actually, it was true.
“There’s lots of money in the kitty. Let’s go crazy!” Going crazy meant buying enough snacks to feed an army. It came to ￡19.90, which was a lot of money in 1982.
Jenny gave me a guilty(内疚的) look. “I've left-the kitty money in the common room. Can you pay and I’ll give you back the money?”
“Sure,” I replied, trying to look relaxed. “Neither a lender or a borrower be” was my motto(座右铭) but I didn’t want to look stingy. I gave ￡20 to the impatient shop assistant.
Well, the Party was a great success. So great that I completely forgot about my loan until I was flying to America the next day. I was going to live with my uncle’s family until I started university.
I tried to get in touch with Jenny but her family had moved. My ￡20 was lost. Until...
I’d heard about a website called Friends Reunited which helped people contact old school friends. My husband helped me log on and find my school. There she was, Jenny Frost.
I’m now married with a beautiful daughter called Debbie. Does anyone know how to get in touch with Debbie “Stingy” Jones? I still owe her ￡20!
We met two months later and the ￡20 was returned, plus interest(利息) of course. After all, I’m a bank manager now, so loans are my business.
1.Everyone called the author Stingy because they thought .
A. she was poor
B. she was mean
C. she was lovely
D. she was friendly
2.Why did Stingy lend her money to Jenny?
A. Because Jenny lost her money.
B. Because Jenny never borrowed money from her.
C. Because Stingy had a lot of money in the kitty.
D. Because Stingy wanted to be generous with her friend.
3.When did Stingy get her loan back?
A. The next day. B. At the last day at school.
C. Two months later. D. About 20 years later.
4.What can be the best title?
A. Neither a lender or a borrower be.
B. Always be a “Stingy”.
C. Friends and Money Reunited.
D. A loan has to be paid back.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
The United States of America is mainly an English-speaking country. The majority of the population speak English as their native language. Besides, education, social activities, etc. are conducted in English. Across but for the most part, Americans speak one common language. This language is sometimes called American English.
However, not everyone in the USA is a native speaker of English. Most immigrants(移民) are speakers of other languages. There are hundreds of communities around the USA where English is not the most commonly used languages. Chinese, Italian, German, Greek, Spanish and French are all spoken in various communities in the USA. Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language after English. It is widely spoken in New York and across the southern part of the country. For speakers of other languages, learning English is important, but teaching people to speak English as a second language was given little attention. Non-English speakers were expected to pick up the language by meeting with others in public. Recently, this has changed.
Today, most large public schools and community colleges have ESL(English as a Second Language) programs; American English teachers feel that English students should learn the language the way they will use it. Therefore, ESL programs offer different English lessons to different students. Some programs teach students to communicate in English in public. Other programs teach the kind of English people who will need for their jobs. American ESL instructional methods do not lay emphasis on grammar or translation, but on the importance of communication. The goal is to get the English learners to learn by using the language.
1. is the most widely used language in most parts of the USA.
A. Chinese B. English
C. Spanish D. French
2.In old days, the non-English immigrants .
A. paid little attention to learning English
B. didn’t have much chance to learn English
C. also spoke English as their native language
D. never thought learning English was important
3.The underlined phrase “pick up” in Para.2 means .
A. to lift up B. to recover
C. to collect D. to learn
4.What do American ESL programs think is the most important in learning English?
A. Learning difficult grammar.
B. Doing much translation.
C. Finding a good job.
D. Using the language.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
If you ask people to name the one person who had the greatest effect on the English language, you will get answers like "Shakespeare," "Samuel Johnson," and "Webster," but none of these men had any effect at all compared to a man who didn’t even speak English-William the Conqueror.
Before 1066, in the land we now call Great Britain lived peoples belonging to two major language groups. In the west-central region lived the Welsh, who spoke a Celtic language, and in the north lived the Scots, whose language, though not the same as Welsh, was also Celtic. In the rest of the country lived the Saxons, actually a mixture of Anglos, Saxons, and other Germanic and Nordic peoples, who spoke what we now call Anglo-Saxon(or Old English), a Germanic language. If this state of affairs had lasted, English today would be close to German.
But this state of affairs did not last. In 1066 the Normans led by William defeated the Saxons and began their rule over England. For about a century, French became the official language of England while Old English became the language of peasants. As a result, English words of politics and the law come from French rather than German. In some cases, modem English even shows a distinction(区别)between upper-class French and lower-class Anglo-Saxon in its words. We even have different words for some foods, meat in particular, depending on whether it is still out in the fields or at home ready to be cooked, which shows the fact that the Saxon peasants were doing the farming, while the upper-class Normans were doing most of the eating.
When Americans visit Europe for the first time, they usually find Germany more "foreign" than France because the German they see on signs and advertisements seems much more different from English than French does. Few realize that the English language is actually Germanic in its beginning and that the French influences are all the result of one man’s ambition.
1.Before 1066, people in Britain mainly spoke .
A. Welsh and Scotlish B. Nordic and Germanic
C. Anglo-Saxon and Germanic D. Celtic and Old English
2.How did William the Conqueror have a great effect on English?
A. By defeating the Saxons.
B. By speaking good English.
C. By teaching people in Britain to speak English.
D. By bringing French to Britain to greatly influence English.
3.Why does Americans feel France is less foreign than Germany?
A. They know French better than German.
B. They know little history of the English history.
C. In France most of the advertisements appear in English.
D. There are more similarities between English and French.
4.What is the main idea of this passage?
A. The history of Great Britain.
B. The French effects on English language.
C. The difference between English and French.
D. The great people who had effect on English.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
You might not get what you wish for, but you always get what you work for. I want to be a professional ballerina(芭蕾舞者) with the American Ballet Theatre in New York when I grow up, and I work toward my dream by training over 18 hours a week. I even started homeschooling so I could make more time for dance. I love dancing more than anything. It makes me feel strong and invincible(不可战胜的), like nothing could ever bother me. Most important, it’s helped me deal with the most difficult event of my life — the death of my dad when I was seven.
My dad died of a heart attack while playing hockey, his favorite sport. When my mom first told me, it didn’t hit me that I would never be able to see him again. It was also hard to tell my friends and classmates because I didn’t know what to say, and they never knew how to respond. But four years later, everything that I do, I do in memory of my dad. I did my first dance solo. “The Love Lives On.” to him when I was nine.
I would have never gotten through the experience without my mom. She comforted me when I was in grief and pain, and we wrote down all the memories I had with my dad in a special book. Now that I’m older, my mom and I do get on each other’s nerves more often — for a while, my schedule was very busy and we were so stressed that our little miscommunications would rise into huge arguments. But after we attended counseling(心理咨询) and I started homeschooling, things got much better, and now my mom and I have more quality time to spend together.
I’ve learned that talking and communicating are the most important things to do in any relationship, and that definitely includes friendships, too! When I hang out with my friends, I try not to look at my phone. It’s so awkward(尴尬的) when you’re sitting at a table with someone else, and she’s texting instead of talking to you. I think a good friend is kind, respectful, fair, and funny — and I’ll always try to be all of these things in person, not just on the phone!
1.Why did the author train ballet so hard?
A. To memory her father.
B. To please her mother.
C. To be a good friend.
D. To work for her dream.
2.What does the underlined part in Para. 3 mean?
A. Offer help to each other.
B. Be concerned about each other.
C. Argue with each other.
D. Get along with each other.
3.In a relationship, are the most important.
A. working and dancing
B. training and arguing
C. talking and communicating
D. laughing and dreaming
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Friendship is a very beautiful bond(联系) in which no one is big or small, no one is rich or poor, and no one is ugly or beautiful. 1. In friendship, there are no terms and conditions. There is no age factor in friendship. Each person has his or her own mind, own views, and own perspective on life. You can learn a lot from every one of your friends.
2. It is best to have one good friend who accepts you as you are, who bridges gaps and never lets you fall. As the ancient Greek poet Euripides put it, “Friends show their love in times of trouble, not in happiness.”
Be happy and cheerful about your friends’ success. 3. Never be selfish, and always try to give more and expect less. Give whatever you want from your friends, like honesty, love, support and understanding, and never boast to your friends when you are more successful.
If you are looking for a friend who is faultless, you will be friendless. 4. And for a good friendship, we need patience, because patience is the key to everything. A beautiful friendship is like a childhood friendship, free of jealousy and full of love. Children are unaware of bad feelings, where anger can suddenly arise. This is the quality that makes children pure and special. For a good friendship, one needs true love, and children are full of love. 5.
A.Everybody has flaws.
B.The best mirror is an old friend.
C.Friendship means understanding, bonding and helpfulness.
D.Ask your new friends questions about themselves.
E.That is why they are loved by everyone.
F.One good friend is better than thousands of ordinary friends.
G.Always stand by your friends in every situation.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
I was broke after the bankruptcy(破产) of my company and before that, my marriage also came to an end, which may be the hardest truth to me.
Suddenly, I got __________ lost. That “one can start from nothing” thing was much like nonsense. It was never easy! So I chose to __________ myself at home. Unexpectedly, my mom came to my __________ and took me to the hospital.
After my ________, she paid for my exercise class in a gym just to ________ my mind.
One day, my mom was driving me back from __________. We were talking. All was well. The __________ slowly went on. And she said, smiling, “By the way, today’s my birthday. No one __________ me so I thought I should just say so.”
I went __________.
She laughed. A laugh so ________! I wanted to cry. She hadn’t had a proper birthday celebration in twenty years.
She ______ again, “It’s OK. It’s a little thing. But do you know what the ________ truth is? That is, love is one sided, most of the time. That’s _________ most people want love but not the responsibility(责任) it ________. Parents take all that responsibility. They take it ________. I promise you. They’ll take it to their grave, even if they __________ get it back.”
I bowed my head.
She continued, “When you were __________, I was as heartbroken as you, if not more heartbroken __________ you. When you were killing yourself, you were __________ my body. I would always like to be tortured by the one-sided love. Very much! But I just expect you to become __________. Much braver.”
1.A. actually B. hopelessly C. gradually D. surprisingly
2.A. kill B. calm C. upset D. thank
3.A. power B. apartment C. company D. office
4.A. job B. success C. recovery D. graduation
5.A. pack B. change C. swap D. strengthen
6.A. survey B. study C. practice D. examination
7.A. car B. talk C. road D. day
8.A. reminded B. asked C. praised D. ignored
9.A. blank B. loose C. fluent D. straight
10.A. happy B. sweet C. strange D. painful
11.A. stopped B. gossiped C. requested D. laughed
12.A. hardest B. interesting C. half D. entire
13.A. why B. because C. when D. how
14.A. comes up B. comes across C. comes with D. comes out
15.A. little B. some C. much D. all
16.A. never B. frequently C. always D. maybe
17.A. smiling B. listening C. speaking D. crying
18.A. before B. than C. for D. as
19.A. suffering from B. adding up C. cutting off D. setting down
20.A. free B. lonely C. brave D. grateful
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
阅读下面材料,在空白处填入适当的内容(每空最多不超过3个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。
Do you want to learn a foreign language? Choose one of the most 1. (use) languages suggested below to learn.
In most countries all over the world, English is 2. most widely used second language. Whether a person is traveling to a foreign country or communicating 3. people from other 4. (country) for business purposes, English is one language which will come in handy at every step.
Spanish is the language of business in about twenty countries. There are many jobs in the United States as well as in many other countries, which specially ask for people 5. know how to speak and write Spanish.
The Chinese economy is booming! In the future, China 6. (become) the economic world leader, which makes 7. the perfect time to learn Mandarin Chinese, a language 8. (speak) by millions of people.
French is recognized as one of the top languages to learn, 9. (simple) because it is a chief language in northern and western Africa. Anyone trying to understand European history can benefit a lot from 10. (learn) this language.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
用所给单词首字母或根据汉语提示填写单词，每空一词。
1.As far as I am c_______, children should often play outdoors instead of studying all the time.
2.To be honest, I was e________ frightened by the Typhoon Mangkhut and the damage she caused to Hong Kong.
3.— Would you like to see a movie or to play football with us?
— I would prefer the l___________.
4.For what he has done to all the people, he is well r___________ as a great leader.
5.All the students in high school will be expected to have a good c___________ of English.
6.It is time that you should ____________(解决) the differences between you and your father.
7.During your English study in high school, you will learn more different _______(用法) of different words.
8.He has paid several ______________(正式的) visits to our country since he came to power.
9.______________(逐渐地), you will get to know me and understand why I have done that.
10._______________(根据) on a true story, the film touched so many people.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
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处错误,每句中最多有两处。错误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。
Dear Dr. Fang,
I read your magazines every month. I myself is a teenager, almost 16, and have some problem at home and I hope you can help me. The mainly problem is that I can’t get along my father. Whenever I want to do something or suggest a idea, he didn’t listen to me. Then, when I refuse to listen to her, my father shouts at me angrily. He and my mother always make me to do things I don’t like, such as playing the piano and do housework. How should I do?
Yours,
Li Hua
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
请根据以下提示，用英语写一篇短文。
假如你是李华，你报名参加了本校举行的英语演讲比赛 (the English Speech Contest)，并且进入了总决赛。而你在准备资料和比赛心态等方面遇到了困难。请你给你的外教Laura写一封信，寻求帮助。
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