There are many kinds of friends. Some are always 1 you, but don't understand you. Some say only a few words to you, but understand you. Many people will step in your life, but only 2 friends leave footprints.
I shall always recall the autumn and the girl with the 3. She will always bring back the friendship between us, I know she will always be my best friend.
It was the golden season. I could see the yellow leaves 4on the cool 5. In such a season, I liked walking alone in the leaves, 6to the sound of them.
Autumn is a 7season and life is uninteresting. The free days always get me8. But one day, the sound of a violin 9 into my ears like a stream （小溪） flowing in the mountains. I was so surprised that I jumped to see what it was. A young girl, standing in the wind, was 10 in playing her violin.
I had 11seen her before. The music was so nice that I listened quietly. Lost in the music, I didn't know that I had been 12there for so long but my existence did not seem to disturb her.
Leaves were still falling. Every day she played the violin in the corner of the building 13 I went downstairs to watch her performance. I was the only listener. The autumn seemed no longer lonely and life became 14. 15we didn't know each other, I thought we were already good friends. I believe she also loved me.
Autumn was nearly over. One day, when I was listening carefully, the sound suddenly16. To my astonishment, the girl came over to me.
“You must like violin. ” she said.
“Yes. And you play very well. Why did you stop?” I asked.
Suddenly, a 17expression appeared on her face and I could feel something unusual.
“I came here to see my grandmother, but now I must leave. I once played very badly. It was your listening every day that 18me. ” she said.
“In fact, it was your playing 19gave me a meaningful autumn,” I answered, “Let's be friends.”
The girl smiled, and so did I.
I never heard her play again in my life. I no longer went downstairs to listen like before. Only thick leaves were left behind. But I will always remember the fine figure of the girl. She is like a 20 — so short, so bright, like a shooting star giving off so much light that it makes the autumn beautiful.
be bound to; junior to; take... seriously; as long as; help out; in all; be attached to; at one time |
Farms of the Future
Skyscrapers(摩天大楼) are the ultimate symbol of urban life. By 2050, almost 80 percent of the earth's population could live in cities. The human population could increase to 9.1 billion people yet the amount of land available for farming will be the same.
Vertical farms, where farmers could grow crops in environmentally friendly skyscrapers, could be the solution. In spite of concerns over high costs, experts want to make these urban farms a reality and use these skyscrapers to grow crops.
Vertical farms would have many advantages, experts say. The food would be grown with minimal effects on the environment. Unlike traditional farming, vertical farming would not force animals out of their habitats by taking over large areas of land, nor would it pollute the air with the use of heavy farming equipment. These have been well recognized.
Growing prosperity has led to many people demanding that all foods are available all year round. Indoor farming could produce crops constantly and crops would not suffer from weather-related problems like drought or flooding. In addition, the use of agricultural chemicals for controlling insects would be minimal.
They point out that although crops growing in a tall glass building would get natural sunlight during the day, it wouldn't be enough. The plants closest to the windows would grow much more quickly than the plants further inside. The plants growing away from the windows may not produce as many or as high quality vegetables. They would need additional light sources.
Experts agree that the new farming practices are needed to support the planet's need for more and more food at affordable costs, both to the farmer and to the consumer. Vertical farms may be a small-scale answer, but the best ideas could be yet to come.
A. Still, there are some people who are critical of vertical farms.
B. That is where vertical farms are often needed for year-round crops.
C. So how to meet the increasing food needs of our planet could be a big problem.
D. For these reasons, natural light cannot be a workable solution for vertical farms.
E. Vertically grown food is grown in environmentally controlled conditions in big cities.
F. Those farms would also reduce the cost and negative effects of transporting food over distances.
G. They believe that we can increase the food production by changing our thinking from out to up.
If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would you say?
要求：（1）作出回答并说出理由；（2）词数不少于60。
Alibaba started taking the lead in China by connecting big Chinese manufacturers（制造商）with big buyers across the world. Its business-to-business site, Alibaba.com allowed business to buy almost everything. Alibaba's advantage wasn't hard to judge: size. Alibaba is just big, even by Chinese standards. Its market attracts 231 million active buyers, 8 million sellers, 11.3 billion orders a year—and Alibaba is just the middleman. It encourages people to use its markets—not charging small sellers a percentage of the sale.
If you want a quick look into the influence of Alibaba on daily Chinese life, take my experience. I moved to Beijing a year ago and quickly got tired of visiting small stores across the crowded, polluted city of 20 million people in search of new electronics, bathroom furnishings, and anything else my wife wanted. “You're looking for what exactly? Why not try it?” My Chinese teacher asked me one day. With that, my wonderful new relationship with Alibaba began.
Alibaba's original business-to-business model now is second to consumer buying. Chinese retail（零售）buying makes up 80% of Alibaba's profit, and leading that group is Taobao, with 800 million items for sale and the most unbelievable selection of things you'll ever find. TMall.com is Alibaba's other big site, where you can find brand name goods from Nike and Unilever near the lowest prices.
What I have a hard time explaining to friends and family back in the U.S.is how China has gone beyond traditional shopping—big-box retailers especially—in favor of online purchases on Taobao and a few other sites. In smaller towns than Beijing, where big retailers have not yet traveled, shopping online is shopping, and shopping is Taobao.
I have a list of some of my recent purchases on Taobao for a sense of how wide the marketplace is. Almost everything arrived a day or two after ordering with free shipping. I'm not even a big buyer, because I need friends to help me search the Chinese-language site. When I was searching my purchase history on my Chinese teacher's iPad, which helps me buy goods, I looked through with great difficulty about 10 of her purchases for every one of mine.
When her five daughters were young, Helene An always told them that there was strength in unity (团结). To show this, she held up one chopstick, representing one person. Then she easily broke it into two pieces. Next, she tied several chopsticks together, representing a family. She showed the girls it was hard to break the tied chopsticks. This lesson about family unity stayed with the daughters as they grew up.
Helene An and her family own a large restaurant business in California. However, when Helene and her husband Danny left their home in Vietnam in 1975, they didn't have much money. They moved their family to San Francisco. There they joined Danny's mother, Diana, who owned a small Italian sandwich shop. Soon afterwards, Helene and Diana changed the sandwich shop into a small Vietnamese restaurant. The five daughters helped in the restaurant when they were young. However, Helene did not want her daughters to always work in the family business because she thought it was too hard.
Eventually the girls all graduated from college and went away to work for themselves, but one by one, the daughters returned to work in the family business. They opened new restaurants in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Even though family members sometimes disagreed with each other, they worked together to make the business successful. Daughter Elisabeth explains, "Our mother taught us that to succeed we must have unity, and to have unity we must have peace. Without the strength of the family, there is no business."
Their expanding business became a large corporation in 1996, with three generations of Ans working together. Now the Ans' corporation makes more than $20 million each year. Although they began with a small restaurant, they had big dreams, and they worked together. Now they are a big success.
1）询问近况；
2）你印象最深刻的片段；
3）你当时的感想。
注意:
1）词数80左右；
2）可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear William,
Yours,
Li Hua
Teenagers ________their health because they play computer games too much.
A. have damaged B. are damaging C. damaged D. will damage
____________________ (未来的生活是什么样子) is the topic for today’s class discussion. (be)
There are many superstitions(迷信) in Britain, but one of the most widelyheld is that it is unlucky to walk under a ladder—even if it means stepping off the pavement into a busy street!
①Walking under a ladder
If you must walk under a ladder you can avoid bad luck by crossing your fingers and keeping them crossed until you've seen a dog. Alternatively, you must lick your finger and make a cross on the toe of your shoe, and not look again at the shoe until the mark has dried.
②Umbrella
Another common superstition is that it is unlucky to open an umbrella in the house—it will either bring misfortune to the person that opened it or to the household. The superstition could date from the old time when its purpose was to act as a sunshade. If opened indoors, it might be considered to be an attack on the sun. Anyone opening an umbrella indoors in fine weather is unpopular, as it inevitably brings rain!
③Number 13
The number 13 is said to be unlucky for some, and when the 13th day of the month falls on a Friday, anyone wishing to avoid an inauspicious event had better stay indoors.
④Seven years bad luck
The worst misfortune that can befall you is caused by breaking a mirror, as it brings seven years of bad luck! The superstition is supposed to have originated in ancient times, when mirrors were considered to be tools of the gods.
⑤Black cat
In the UK, black cats are generally considered lucky in the UK, even though they are connected with witchcraft(巫术)：You are said to be lucky if a black cat crosses your path.
1. Which experience is considered to be lucky according to the passage?
A. walking under a ladder
B. opening an umbrella in the house
C. breaking a mirror
D. a black cat crossing your path
2. Which of the followings is RIGHT in UK according to the passage?
A. Opening an umbrella in the rain is not acceptable or unpopular.
B. Black cats are generally considered unlucky because they have something with witchcraft.
C. Bad luck brought by walking under a ladder cannot be avoided using certain ways.
D. If you are to open a clothes store on May 13 in Britain, you had better change the date.
3. Which two superstitions are related to history?...
A. ①② B. ②④
C. ④⑤ D. ③④
4. It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
A. breaking a mirror will cause bad luck because it shows your disrespect(不敬)for the God
B. crossing your fingers and keeping them crossed can help avoid bad luck brought by walking under a ladder
C. number 13 is always unlucky in any situation
D. opening an umbrella indoors might be considered to be an attack on the sun
School was over and I was both mentally and physically tired. I sat at the very front of the bus because of the 36 to get home. Sitting at the front makes you 37 out like a shiny coin in a pile of dull pennies.
Janie, the driver, tried to 38 the uncomfortable atmosphere by striking the match of a conversation.
I tried to mind my manners and 39 listen, but I was too busy thinking about my day. On this day, 40 , her conversation was worth listening to.
“ My father’s sick, ” she said to no one in 41 . I could see the anxiety and fear in her eyes. With a sudden 42 of attitude and interest, I asked, “ What’s wrong with him?”
With her eyes wet and her voice tight from 43 the tears, she responded, “Heart trouble.” Her eyes 44 as she continued. “I’ve already lost my mum, so I don’t think I can 45 losing him. ”
I couldn’t respond. I was shocked . My heart 46 for her. I sat on the old, smelly seat thinking of the great 47 my own mother was thrown into when my father died.
I saw how hard it was, 48 still is, for her. I wouldn’t like anyone to go through that .
Suddenly I realized Janie wasn’t only a bus driver. That was just her job. She had a 49 world of family and concerns too. I had never thought of her as anything but a driver.
I suddenly felt very 50 . I realized I had only thought of people as 51 as what their purposes were in my life. I paid no attention to Janie because she was a bus driver. I had judged her by her job and 52 her as unimportant.
For all I know, I’m just another person in 53 else’s world, and may not even be important. I should not have been so selfish and self-centred. Everyone 54 a place to go to, people to see and appointments to 55 . Understanding people is an art.
36. A. determination B. decision C. attempt D. anxiety
37. A. make B. give C. stand D. find
38. A. hold B. break C. take D. control
39. A. devotedly B. carelessly C. sincerely D. politely
40. A. therefore B. instead C. otherwise D. however
41. A. common B. silence C. particular D. surprise
42. A. sense B. change C. wonder D. choice
43. A. removing B. clearing C. keeping D. fighting
44. A. lowered B. closed C. widened D. Opened
45. A. mind B. regret C. bear D. escape
46. A. hurt B. ached C. struck D. impressed
47. A. pain B. pity C. disappointment D. mercy
48. A. yet B. and C. or D. but
49. A. dark B. narrow C. whole D. bright
50. A. confused B. selfish C. worried D. sad
51. A. long B. much C. well D. far
52. A. regarded B. served C. made D. taken
53. A. someone B. anyone C. no one D. everyone
54. A. has B. gets C. finds D. needs
55. A. stay B. get C. keep D. Put
Homestay（寄宿家庭） provides English language students with the opportunity to speak English outside the classroom and the experience of being part of a British home.
What to Expect
The host will provide accommodation （住宿）and meals. Rooms will be cleaned and bedcovers changed at least once a week. You will be given the house key and the host is there to offer help and advice as well as to take an interest in your physical and mental health.
Accommodation Zones(住宿区)
Homestays are located in London mainly in Zones 2, 3 and 4 of the transport system. Most hosts do not live in the town centre as much of central London is commercial and not residential(居住的). Zones 3 and 4 often offer larger accommodation in a less crowned area. It is very convenient to travel in London by Underground.
Meal Plans Available
♢ Continental Breakfast(欧式早餐)
♢ Breakfast and Dinner
♢ Breakfast, Packed Lunch and Dinner
It’s important to note that few English families still provide a traditional cooked breakfast. Your accommodation includes Continental Breakfast which normally consists of fruit juice, cereal（谷物类食品），bread and tea or coffee. Cheese, fruit and cold meat are not normally part of a Continental Breakfast in England. Dinners usually consist of meat or fish with vegetables followed by desert(甜点), fruit and coffee.
Friends
If you wish to invite a friend over to visit. you must first ask your host’s permission. You have no right to entertain friends in a family home as some families feel it is an invasion（侵犯）of their privacy（隐私）.
Self-Catering （自我服务）Accommodation in Private Homes
on a room-only basis includes shared kitchen and bathroom facilities and often a main living room. This kind of accommodation offers an independent lifestyle and is more suitable for the long-stay student. However, it does not provide the same family atmosphere as an ordinary homestay and may not benefit those who need to practise English at home quite as much.
61.The passage is probably written for
A. host willing to receive foreign students
B. foreigners hoping to build British culture
C. travelers planning to visit families in London
D. English learners applying to live in English homes
62. Which of the following will the host provide?
A . Room cleaning. B. Medical care.
C . Free transport. D. Physical training.
63. What can be inferred from Paragraph3?
A. Zone 4 is more crowded than Zone 2.
B. The business centre of London is in Zone 1.
C. Hosts dislike travelling to the city centre.
D. Accommodation in the city centre is not provided
64. According to the passage. What does continental Breakfast include?
A. dessert and coffee B. fruit and vegetables.
C. bread and fruit juice D. cereal and cold meat.
65.Why do some people choose self-catering accommodation?
A. To experience a warmer family atmosphere. B. To enrich their knowledge of English
C. To entertain friends as they like. D. To enjoy much more freedom.
There are many different taboos (禁忌) around the world. A taboo is a social action that is not ___41___ (allow). Almost every culture in the world has ___42___ (it) own taboos. When you meet people from different cultures, it is important ___43___ (understand) what you can and cannot do. If we are not aware ___44___ these differences, some unusual ___45___ (thing) might happen. For instance, in China, it ___46___ (be) rude to put the chopsticks into a bowl of rice straightly as it is often done for the dead. If you visit Nepal, you will find Nepalese often greet each other with the hands pressed together instead of shaking hands, ___47___ in North America and the UK, people greet one another by ___48___ (shake) hands. If you will do business with a South American, it seems ___49___ (impolitely) to be dressed in the light colors. What about Japanese? They dislike the lotus and ___50___ not give it as a gift to Japanese because they regard it as the mourning flower (丧花). While these different customs might seem strange to you， remember that what you consider normal probably seems just as unusual to others.
