Cities usually have a good reason for being where they are, like a nearby port or river. People settle in these places because they are easy to get to and naturally suited to communications and trade. New York City, for example, is near a large harbour at the mouth of the Hudson River. Over 300 years its population grew gradually from 800 people to 8 million. But not all cities develop slowly over a long period of time. Boom towns grow from nothing almost overnight. In 1896, Dawson, Canada, was unmapped wilderness(荒野). But gold was discovered there in 1897, and two years later, it was one of the largest cities in the West, with a population of 30,000.
Dawson did not have any of the natural conveniences of cities like London or Paris. People went there for gold. They travelled over snow-covered mountains and sailed hundreds of miles up icy rivers. The path to Dawson was covered with thirty feet of wet snow that could fall without warming. An avalanche(雪崩) once closed the path, killing 63 people. For many who made it to Dawson, however, the rewards were worth the difficult trip. Of the first 20,000 people who dug for gold, 4,000 got rich. About 100 of these stayed rich men for the rest of their lives.
But no matter how rich they were, Dawson was never comfortable. Necessities like food and wood were very expensive. But soon, the gold that Dawson depended on had all been found. The city was crowded with disappointed people with no interest in settling down, and when they heard there were new gold discoveries in Alaska, they left Dawson City as quickly as they had come. Today, people still come and go — to see where the Canadian gold rush happened. Tourism is now the chief industry of Dawson City — its present population is 762.
1.What attracted the early settlers to New York City?
A. Its business culture.
B. Its small population.
C. Its geographical position.
D. Its favourable climate.
2.What do we know about those who first dug for gold in Dawson?
A. Two-thirds of them stayed there.
B. One out of five people got rich.
C. Almost everyone gave up.
D. Half of them died.
3.What was the main reason for many people to leave Dawson?
A. They found the city too crowded.
B. They wanted to try their luck elsewhere.
C. They were unable to stand the winter.
D. They were short of food.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A. The rise and fall of a city.
B. The gold rush in Canada.
C. Journeys into the wilderness.
D. Tourism in Dawson.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Oxford English Language Center
Information for New Students
CLASS TIME：8:30a. m.-10:00a. m.，10:30a. m. -12:00a. m., 1:30p. m. -3:00p. m. The Language Center is open Monday to Friday. Each class has one afternoon free per week. On the first day, go to the lecture hall to check your timetable.
SELF—ACCESS：The language laboratory（Room 1110）is open Monday to Friday from 3:15p. m. to 5:00p. m. for all full-time students. You can learn how to use computers for language games or word-processing. There are tapes for students to borrow to practice their English. Go in and ask the teacher to show you. If you plan to take public examinations, there are dictation and listening comprehension tapes for you to practice with. There are cloze exercises on the computers. Ask your class teacher for a list of past exam essays. Students can borrow tapes to take home but they must be returned after two days.
ATTENDANCE: All students are expected to attend classes as it is required. Students who do not attend classes will be reported to OSS. Eighty percent attendance is required for students to receive their certificates when they finish their courses. It is also required by OSS for an extension to your visa.
BOOKS: If students are given course books, the books are their responsibility. If a book is lost, the student will be expected to pay for it. If students wish to buy books, there is a bookshop in the college specializing in English books（Room 3520）.
1.When do classes begin and end on a full day?
A. 8:30a. m. —1:30p. m.. B. 8:30a. m. —3:00p. m..
C. 8:30a. m. —3:15p. m.. D. 3:15p. m. —5:00p. m..
2.Which of the following statements is true?
A. No teachers are in the language lab.
B. 90% attendance is required for the students.
C. Books can’t be taken out of the center.
D. Students can prepare for exams by listening to tapes.
3.The books that the students wish to buy are in ________.
A. the lecture hall B. the language laboratory
C. Room 1110 D. Room 3520
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
Mom was a teacher most of her life. When she wasn’t in the classroom, she was educating her children or grandchildren; correcting our grammar; starting us on collections of butterflies, flowers or rocks; or inspiring a discussion on her most recent “Book of the Month Club” topic. Mom made learning fun.
It was sad for my three brothers and me to see her suffering in her later years. At eighty- five, she suffered a stroke and she went steadily downhill after that.
Two days before she died, my brothers and I met at her nursing home and took her for a short ride in a wheelchair. While we waited for the staff to lift her limp body back into bed, Mom fell asleep. Not wanting to wake her, we moved to the far end of the room and spoke softly.
After several minutes our conversation was interrupted by a muffled sound coming from across the room. We stopped talking and looked at Mom. Her eyes were closed, but she was clearly trying to communicate with us. We went to her side.
“Whrr,” she said weakly. “Where?” I asked. “Mom, is there something you want?” “Whrr,” she repeated a bit stronger. My brothers and I looked at each other and shook our heads sadly. Mom opened her eyes, sighed, and with all the energy she could gather said, “ Not ...was. Say were!” We suddenly realized that Mom was correcting Brother Jim’s last sentence. “If it was up to me…”
Jim leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Thanks, Mom,” he whispered. We smiled at each other and once again shook our heads.
1.What do the underlined words “went steadily downhill” mean in the 2nd paragraph?
A. went lower and lower B. went worse and worse
C. went down the hill D. went downstairs
2.When Mom said, “Whrr”, what did she really want to do?
A. She wanted to tell her sons her will.
B. She wanted to have something to eat before she died.
C. She wanted to correct the mistakes Jim made while talking.
D. She wanted to give her sons something before she died.
3.Which of the following statements is FALSE according to the passage?
A. Mom was a good teacher and never gave up her teaching.
B. Mom was always making her teaching fun.
C. Mom didn’t forget her teaching until she died.
D. Mom stopped teaching when she was at home.
4.What does the writer think of his mother?
A. He loved her but was tired of his mother’s teaching.
B. His mother should have forgotten her teaching and enjoyed the rest of her life.
C. His mother was great because she devoted herself to teaching.
D. His mother was an excellent teacher before she was retired.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
Tips for taking care of friendships
Some people are meant to come and go from your lives quickly. Other friends may grow with you as your life changes. One way to keep friendships of any level strong is to take good care of them.
Send handwritten notes
Just find a note card, write something by hand, and then mail it. 1. Since electronic communication is becoming popular these days, a handwritten note can really make an impression.
Be active in contacting friends
Many people call up friends only when they need something. The problem with this is it makes it look as if you don’t really care about your friend. 2. Regularly check in with your friends so they know you are sincere.
Call up friends
Electronic communication is great, but there is nothing like hearing your friend’s voice to give you a lift. Make a point to call up friends and check in with them. 3.. Just a few minutes every month can make a difference in your friendship.
Give meaningful gifts
Put some thought into the gifts you give a friend. 4.. In fact, often the smallest but most thoughtful ones are the biggest hit.
5.
People who argue from time to time actually have healthier friendships than those who never discuss their points of conflict（冲突）. Learn how to argue in a healthy way and work through the issues in your friendship.
A．Talk things out
B．Get together with friends
C．The phone calls don’t have to be long
D．The presents don’t have to be large or expensive
E. This will really stand out in your friend’s mailbox
F. Discuss your issues with the goal of making your relationship healthier
G. Remember to call up friends or send an email to see how they are doing
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
It was a busy morning，about 8:30,when an elderly gentleman in his 80s came to the hospital .I heard him saying to the nurse that he was in a hurry for all appointment(约会)at 9:30 The nurse had him take a _______ in the waiting area, ______ him it would be at least 40 Minutes _______ someone would be able to see him I saw him________his watch and decided，since I was__________busy—my patient didn’t_______ at the appointed hour, I would examine his wound .While taking care of his wound,I asked him if he had another doctor’s appointment .The gentleman said no and told me that he _______to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his______.He told me that she had been _______for a while and that she had a special disease I asked if she would be_________if he was a bit late. He replied that she ______ knew who he was，that she had not been able t0 _____ him for five years now. I was________, and asked him，“And you_______go every morning，even though she doesn’t know who you are?” He smiled and said．“She doesn’t know me but I know who she is” I had to hold back ______ as he left.
Now I _______ that in marriages，true love is________of all that is .The happiest people don’t _____have the best of everything；they just _______the best of everything they have ._____ isn’t about how to live through the storm，but how to dance in the rain.
1.A. breath B. test C. seat D. break
2.A. persuading B. promising C. understanding D. telling
3.A. if B. before C. since D. after
4.A. taking off B. fixing C. looking at D. winding
5.A. very B. also C. seldom D. not
6.A. turn up B. show off C. come on D. go away
7.A. needed B. forgot C. agreed D. happened
8.A. daughter B. wife C. mother D. sister
9.A. late B. well C. around D. there
10.A. lonely B. worried C. doubtful D. hungry
11.A. so far B. neither C. no longer D. already
12.A. recognize B. answer C. believe D. expect
13.A. moved B. disappointed C. surprised D. satisfied
14.A. only B. then C. thus D. still
15.A. curiosity B. tears C. words D. judgment
16.A. realize B. suggest C. hope D. prove
17.A. agreement B. expression C. acceptance D. exhibition
18.A. necessarily B. completely C. naturally D. frequently
19.A. learn B. make C. favor D. try
20.A. Adventure B. Beauty C. Trust D. Life
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。
Do you know the UK government has 1.(successful) passed a law banning branding on packs of cigarettes? That means tobacco manufacturers will be forced 2.(pack) their cigarettes in plain packets. The motivation behind this 3.(decide) is to make smoking less appealing to people, especially children. A similar law 4.was passed in Australia in 2012 has resulted 5.a fall in smoking rates from 15.1% to 12.8% for people aged 14. As for January 2015, 22% of adult men and 17% of adult women smoke in Great Britain. The possibility of smoking in the UK increases with age so that at the age of 15, 8% of school children 6.(be) regular smokers. It is thought that children will be less attracted to cigarettes 7.(sell) in unbranded boxes. Smoking is one of 8.biggest causes of preventable deaths in England. Every year about 80,000 die and over 450,000 9.(send) to hospital due to smoking. This places a large strain(压力) on the health service and is also a factor in why the government would like to prevent people from 10.(take) up smoking or help them quit.
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
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。
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 went to a supermarket yesterday. While walk around，I noticed a credit card on the floor by chances. I picked it up and waited for an owner. No one comes. Suddenly, a lady with an anxiously look rushed in. So I approached her and asked why she had lost something. She did, her credit card. I asked her name but confirmed that it matched the card. Then I returned to her. She said she had prayed to her mother, who had passed away recently, to help her find the card. We talked and I introduced for myself, “My name is Claire.” She responded, “My mother’s name is Claire, either!”
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假设你是高三学生李华，你的母校校刊编辑邀请你给初三的同学写一封公开信，内容包括：
1．你在高三的学习和生活情况；
2．你对英语学习意义的认识；
3．你对初三同学英语学习的建议．
注意：1．内容包括以上要点，但不要逐句翻译；
2．字数100左右，文章开头结尾已提供，不计入总词数．
Dear fellow students：
I'd like to share with you some of my thoughts．________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Yours，
Li hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析