Technology makes listening to holiday music easier than ever. There are endless sources to help you find your favorite Christmas tunes and many other songs. People have explored how to listen to holiday music with high-tech devices.
Apple Music
This is the first year you can use Apple Music to listen to holiday songs. Apple Music has more than 30 million songs and is available in over 100 countries.
Tell voice assistant Siri to "play holiday music" to open the music program on your iPhone, iPad or Apple TV. Apple Music app is available in the Google Play store, but not with a voice assistant.
For the first three months, you can use it for free. After that, users have to pay a subscription fee.
Google Play Music
Google Play Music is also in the holiday spirit. Go to the Google Play Music Holiday page and search for "holiday music."
Google Play Music is available for free if you don't mind the advertisements. If you do, buy a paid subscription to avoid them. Google Play Music offers more than 30 million songs from 58 countries.
Tune In Radio
Listen to radio stations with Tune In Radio. This is an online service and offers stations from all seven continents in the world, including Antarctica. Tune In Radio is available on your computer and is free to online users. In the United States, Britain and Canada, a paid subscription gives you more stations without advertisements.
1.What can we learn about Apple Music?
A.It is a new tool to listen to holiday music.
B.It is popular in over 100 countries.
C.It can only be used for three months.
D.It can only be used after the subscription .
2.According to the passage, Google Play Music _________.
A.is favored by young people B.can always be used for free
C.has the largest number of songs D.doesn't allow any advertisement
3.We can learn that Tune In Radio _________.
A.have over 30 million songs B.is available on our mobile device
C.offers stations from around the world D.is expensive in America and Canada
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
Mary Krupa became friends with the grey squirrels during her first week at Penn State, after spotting them running around and idly wondering what they would look like with tiny hats on their heads. Today, everyone at the university knows her as the "Squirrel Girl".
Mary started bringing them food, and gradually they began to trust her. She managed to put a hat on a squirrel and take a picture. Thinking that her colleagues could do with something to lift their spirits, she started posting similar photos on Facebook. The response was greatly positive, and before long Mary and her squirrels became an Internet sensation.
Growing up in a neighborhood outside of State College, Mary was always fond of birds and animals around her home, but she didn't interact with people very much. She was later diagnosed (诊断) with Asperger's syndrome, but the squirrels changed that. "The squirrels help me break the ice, because I'll be sitting here patting a squirrel and other people will come over and well just start like feeding the squirrels together and chatting about them," she said, "I am a lot more outgoing."
And in case you're wondering how Mary is able to get the squirrels to do what she wants for her photos, it has a lot to do with food. For example, whenever she wants them to hold or play with something, she puts peanut butter on the prop (道具), and they'll grab it. But getting to that part took a while. In the beginning, she would throw peanuts up the trees on campus and invite the squirrels to come down and get them, but they hesitated to approach her. She had the patience to earn their trust, though.
This year, Mary is graduating with a degree in English and wildlife sciences. She wants to be a science writer and educate people on how to preserve the environment. As for her furry friends, Mary plans to stay in the area and visit them as often as she can.
1.What is the third paragraph mainly about?
A.The reason why Mary likes animals.
B.The reason why Mary was ill in the past.
C.The reason why people come to chat with her.
D.The big change squirrels bring to Mary.
2.What can we infer from the passage?
A.Mary is known as the "Squirrel Girl" in the community.
B.Mary was more fond of squirrels than any other animals.
C.Mary and squirrels received great attention on the internet.
D.Mary wishes to educate people on how to protect the animals.
3.How did Mary manage to take photos of squirrels wearing hats?
A.By putting them in cages.
B.By playing music to them.
C.By attracting them with colorful food.
D.By building a close relationship with them.
4.Which words can best describe Mary?
A.Patient and caring. B.Confident and strong.
C.Sociable and healthy. D.Traditional and hard-working.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Many Beijing residents go to great lengths to avoid breathing the city's smoggy air, especially when it reaches critical pollution levels, but one local entrepreneur decided that canning(灌装) and selling this poor quality air as a souvenir would be a great idea. Believe it or not, he was right.
After seeing a number of companies achieve commercial success by canning fresh air from countries like France, Canada or Australia and selling it in China, Dominic Johnson-Hill, a British-born citizen of Beijing and owner of the Plastered 8 souvenir shop, decided to turn the idea on its head and sell canned Beijing air throughout China and abroad.
"I'd seen people going crazy to buy canned air from Canada and Australia, so I thought it was time to push business the other way," the entrepreneur said. "They' re perfect gifts! What else are you going to take home when you go home from Beijing? A roast duck? A Plastered T-shirt? These cans are light, portable, you can just imagine someone' s face when they unwrap (打开) it for Christmas."
The few mouth-fulls of Beijing air come in standard tin cans featuring a couple of iconic city landmarks as well as a bitter description of the contents: "a unique mix of nitrogen, oxygen and some other stuff". The ironic (讽刺的) souvenirs cost 28 RMB (US $4) and are available at the Plastered 8 shop, as well as on its online shop. But if you're actually considering buying some, you'd better ask shop in advance, as they are virtually flying off the shelves. Johnson-Hill said that his shop is selling hundreds of Beijing air cans every day.
Personally, the well-sold can probably is an awakening for the public to be concerned about the living conditions. Yet one thing that’ s not particularly clear is whether the air is really collected from Beijing, as the cans are labeled as "Made in Shenzhen". There's a big chance that' s just a kind of Plastered 8 humor, as they also list "Choking Hazard" and "May have unidentified objects inside." as warnings.
Anyway, it is probably a unique way to arouse public awareness of protecting the environment.
1.What contributes to Dominic’s idea of canning and selling the poor quality air?
A.Try to get used to it. B.Sell it all over the world.
C.Can it as a souvenir. D.Try to push business the other way.
2.How may one feel when receiving canned Beijing air for Christmas?
A.Satisfied. B.Surprised.
C.Frightened. D.Refreshed.
3.Which of the following can replace the underlined word "stuff" in Paragraph 4？
A.liquids B.objects
C.minerals D.risks
4.What can we infer from the passage?
A.There are unidentified objects in the canned Beijing air.
B.The Plastered 8 souvenir shop is famous for its humour.
C.People should make efforts to protect the environment.
D.Dominic Johnson-Hill likes the poor quality air in Beijing.
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
Getting rid of dirt, in the opinion of most people, is a good thing However, there is nothing fixed about attitudes to dirt.
In the early 16th century, people thought that dirt on the skin was a means to block out disease, as medical opinion had it that washing off dirt with hot water could open up the skin and let ills in. A particular danger was thought to lie in public baths. By 1538, the French king had closed the bath houses in his kingdom. So did the king of England in 1546. Thus began a long time when the rich and the poor in Europe lived with dirt in a friendly way. Henry IV, king of France, was famously dirty. Upon learning that a nobleman had taken a bath, the king ordered that, to avoid the attack of disease, the nobleman should not go out.
Though the belief in the merit(优点) of dirt was long-lived, dirt has no longer been regarded as a nice neighbor ever since the 18th century. Scientifically speaking, cleaning away dirt is good to health. Clean water supply and hand washing are practical means of preventing disease. Yet, it seems that standards of cleanliness have moved beyond science since World War II. Advertisements repeatedly sell the idea: clothes need to be whiter than white, cloths ever softer, surfaces to shine. Has the hate for dirt, however, gone too far?
Attitudes to dirt still differ hugely nowadays. Many first-time parents nervously try to warn their children off touching dirt, which might be responsible for the spread of disease. On the contrary, Mary Ruebush, an American immunologist(免疫学家), encourages children to play in the dirt to build up a strong immune system. And the latter position is gaining some ground.
1.The kings of France and England in the 16th century closed bath houses because .
A. they lived healthily in a dirty environment
B. they thought bath houses were too dirty to stay in
C. they considered bathing as cause of skin disease
D. They believed disease could be spread in public baths
2.Which of the following best describes Henry IV’s attitude to bathing?
A. Curious B. Afraid C. Approving D. Uninterested
3.How does the passage mainly develop?
A. By following the order of time. B. By making comparison.
C. By providing examples D. By following the order of importance.
4.What is the author’s purpose in writing the passages?
A. To call attention to the danger of dirt.
B. To introduce the history of dirt.
C. To present the change of views on dirt.
D. To stress the role of dirt.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Ways to Improve Your Memory
The human mind is a remarkable thing. In many ways we could consider it the original super computer, capable of astonishing feats (功绩) when it's working well. Some of the secrets of getting the most out of our minds are quite simple to carry out once we are aware of them. 1.Check out these ways to improve your memory, and you may never find yourself wondering where you left your car keys again!
Cut Stress.2. This means when anyone with these things is running wild in your life, your memory will suffer, sometimes greatly. Some methods that have worked again and again: meditation, yoga or even spending relaxing time with a pet. 3.
Get the Blood Flowing. Exercise isn't only great for your body, but it's equally good for your long and short term memory. 4.Then what you thought was a bad memory will likely be replaced by a more youthful mind that is less forgetful. So running, swimming, riding the bike or clocking in on the rowing machine are all good choices here.
5.This is a trick used by all of the world's top memory contest winners, so you know that if we accept it we should take it very seriously! Instead of thinking of words and numbers when we try to remember something, make an effort to think in visual terms. By associating what we would like to remember with images, we are much more likely to remember what we wish to without struggling. It's a law of how our minds work that can be easily used to improve our memories in seconds. Get in the habit of drawing pictures in your mind and a memory contest may be in your near future too!
A. Image Association.
B. Eat More Fish and Legumes.
C. Give these a try and see what you think.
D. Have you ever wished your memory was more sharp?
E. Get moving, and keep your blood flowing in a healthy manner consistently.
F. In fact, not sleeping well one night can take up to three good night's sleep to recover from.
G.Depression, stress and anxiety all tax the same area of your brain that is responsible for memory.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
When I was in primary school, I got into a major argument with a boy in my class. I can't _______what it was about, but I have never forgotten the ______ I learned that day.
I was _______ that I was right and he was wrong but he strongly believed that I was wrong and he was right. Our _______ decided to teach us a very important lesson and _______ a good idea. She ________ both of us up to the front of the class and placed him on one side of her desk and me on ________. In the middle of her desk was a large, round object. I could ________ see that it was black. She asked the boy what ________ the object was. "White," he answered in a ________ voice. I couldn't believe he said the object was white, ________ it was obviously black! Another ________ started between my classmate and me, this _______ about the color of the object.
The teacher told me to go to stand where the boy was standing and told him to come to stand where I had been. We changed ________, and now she asked me what the color of the object was. I ________ answer, "White." It was then ________ I realized I was wrong. In fact, it was an object with two _________ colored sides, and from his side it was white, ________ from my side was the color black.
My teacher taught me a very important lesson that day: You must ________ yourself in the other person's shoes and look at the ________ through their eyes in order to truly understand their view.
1.A.think B.remember C.forget D.determine
2.A.class B.speech C.text D.lesson
3.A.sure B.glad C.afraid D.upset
4.A.doctor B.parent C.partner D.teacher
5.A.kept up with B.went on with C.came up with D.got along with
6.A.woke B.brought C.advised D.came
7.A.the other B.other C.another D.others
8.A.clearly B.happily C.luckily D.nearly
9.A.height B.colour C.size D.shape
10.A.sweet B.loud C.fearful D.grateful
11.A.for B.unless C.if D.although
12.A.match B.fight C.argument D.conversation
13.A.day B.time C.chance D.month
14.A.desks B.seats C.attitudes D.places
15.A.hoped to B.needed to C.had to D.was able to
16.A.when B.before C.that D.since
17.A.loosely B.frequently C.differently D.surprisingly
18.A.or B.and C.but D.so
19.A.sit B.live C.lie D.put
20.A.performance B.movement C.effort D.situation
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
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
China has once again showed its ability to change the world with its "four great new 1. (invent)"---high-speed rail, electronic payment, shared bicycle, and online shopping.
China's new-generation high-speed train, the Fuxing Hao, is now one of the 2. (fast) trains in the world, which can travel at a speed of 350 km/h. Apart 3. high-speed rail, the other three 4. (improve) people's lives over the last decade. Bike sharing, for example, has made 5. much more convenient for people to get around in daily life. When riding a shared bike, you can stop 6. (buy) and eat whatever you want 7.(simple) with a tap on your phone. What's more, cashless payment has grown into a 8.(choose) for Chinese people. Bio-payments are gradually replacing passwords to become the primary means of payment in future. As high as 60.3 percent of payments made via Alibaba's T-mall and Taobao were accomplished by users' scanning their fingerprints or faces instead of entering passwords.
The four innovative ways of life are most 9.(appeal) to numerous foreign people, most of 10.wish their countries would achieve great progress like China in terms of technological achievements.
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
阅读下面句子,在空白处填入括号内对应单词或单词的正确形式。
1.Before he died he ________ (消耗) a large quantity of alcohol.
2.I hope the plan will meet with your ________ (认可).
3.Foreign ________ (交换) students get the chance to learn more about a culture and its people.
4.This advertisement is a ________(典型的) example of their marketing strategy.
5.I _______ (绝对地) believe in miracles, and believe that they are all around us, every day.
6.The few who cannot see the real person inside my body do not make me ________(惹恼) and I just ignore them.
7.With nobody ________(陪伴) her during the festival, the old lady felt lonely.
8.He is practising every day, in ________(准备) for the ice-skating championship.
9.The truck was found ________(抛弃) by the side of a rural road late the next day.
10.Alexandretta had been ________(占据) by the French in 1918 after the defeat of Turkey.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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。
删除：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
Recently, the senior three students in our school have had a discussion on if to go to a nearby university or not. Seventy percents of them prefer universities in their local city, believed it will be convenient for them and their parents to take care of each other. We can go back home much easily. However, the other students chose universities far away from home so that they can be more independence. They can also make a few of new friends and see more of the world. Personal, I favor an university outside our province, which can offer us more living and working experience in society.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假如你是李华,你校英语协会招聘志愿者，接待来访的英国中学生。请你写信应聘，内容包括：
1. 自我介绍；
2. 个人优势；
3. 相关经验；
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
Dear Sir or Madam，
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析