On Jan 23, 2012, I was aboard a ship on the Yangtze River, listening to the sound of fireworks and eating plate after plate of dumplings.
On Sunday Feb 10, 2013, I was preparing to celebrate Chinese New Year again – in London’s Chinatown.
It was raining. It was cold. But ever since I left Beijing in August, I had promised myself I would celebrate Chinese New Year – if only to help with my Beijing “homesickness”.
Central London was dressed up for the occasion. There was a stage for a big fireworks display for the evening. Even so, it wasn’t like my real Beijing chunjie.
Even buying a baozi didn’t cheer me up. It cost about 10 times as much as the real thing does in Beijing and got stuck to its rain-ruined paper bag.
Cold, wet and depressed, I ran into a shop for shelter. Suddenly, there it was. Between the packets of dried meat and fish, the bags of rice and the smell of dried noodles in this little Chinese supermarket, I had found home.
An hour later, I hurried into my house with bags of frozen jiaozi, packets of sauce and a large bottle of vinegar. I boiled water, tore open the packets, grabbed my chopsticks and settled down to a feast. This, I thought, is a Happy Chinese New Year.
I even watched the fireworks on TV. After all, why face the British weather when I can bring China home in one bite?
1. We can conclude from the first three paragraphs that the author ______.
A. likes watching fireworks on the boat
B. misses Chinese food more than anything else
C. finds it great fun to celebrate Chinese New Year
D. misses her life in Beijing very much
2.How did the author feel when she found some Chinese foods in a supermarket?
A. a little curious B. rather tired
C. a bit comfortable D. very depressed
3.Why did the author watch the fireworks on TV?
A. She didn’t want to get wet and cold again.
B. The square is far away from where she lives.
C. She doesn’t like fireworks very much.
D. She was too hungry to go out.
4.What is the best title of the passage?
A. Unforgettable Chunjie in Beijing B. Wonderful Experience in Britain
C. Finding Home in London D. Festival in London
Sixty-five million years ago, an asteroid (小行星) that crashed on Earth led to the disappearance of the largest animals that have ever walked our planet – the dinosaurs. At least, this is what some scientists believe. But that accident happened so long ago. People have come to believe that we are free of threats from asteroids and everything else from space.
However, what happened on Feb 15 , 2013 was a reminder that we’re just as vulnerable as the dinosaurs once were. Two objects from space – a meteor (陨石) and an asteroid called 2012 DA14 – visited Earth’s atmosphere on the same day. The former fell in Russia, injuring 1,200 people, while the latter passed by Earth at a record-setting close distance.
Scientists had been expecting the asteroid since last year, but the meteor was a surprise. NASA’s telescope system only detects asteroids at least 50 meters in diameter (直径), which is just about the size of 2012 DA14. But the meteor was much smaller, which made it harder to spot.
But what if we do spot an asteroid that is headed right for Earth? There are several possible ways in which dangerous asteroids could be made to change its orbit. Which method is best depends on several factors and most importantly – how much time we have to stop it.
If there is enough time before the hit, we can send off a heavy spacecraft to travel alongside the asteroid. The gravity from the spacecraft would gradually change the rock’s orbit. Besides that, scientists could one day use sun-powered lasers to either make asteroids disappear or change their course. If there’s not enough time, we’ll have to go after the asteroid with a spacecraft and change its orbit with a crash. Finally, if things are truly desperate, there will be only one choice left – to use a nuclear bomb. That could turn the asteroid into a meteor shower, which would be even more dangerous.
1.The author mentioned the asteroid that led to the dinosaurs’ dying out to ______.
A. show that asteroids fall from space frequently
B. alert people about the possible danger of objects falling from space
C. inform readers about the constant threats the Earth faces
D. suggest that there are still many mysteries about the universe
2.The underlined word “vulnerable” in the second paragraph probably means ______.
A. unprotected B. lonely C. stupid D. self-important
3.Which of the following statements is TRUE about the meteor that fell to the Earth in Russia?
A. It passed by the Earth at a close distance.
B. It was spotted by NASA’s telescope system a year ago.
C. It is about the same size as the asteroid that passed by the Earth.
D. It fell to the Earth and caused great damage to the local community.
4.What is the main idea of the article?
A. Learning about asteroids and meteors.
B. The threats of objects from space and possible solutions.
C. NASA’s latest technology to discover visitors to the Earth from space.
D. How to measure the damage of collisions from asteroids and meteors.
When someone says “SHARK” most people think of a big, toothy, underwater animal; basically we are imagining a Great White. In fact sharks come in all shapes, sizes and even colors! Follow me please; I’d like to show you a very special small shark commonly known as horn sharks, only found in the coastal waters of north-west North America.
Look at this shark, and you can easily see the horns on it and you will know the reason why it is called the horn shark is that it has the broad, flattened head and two large horn-like spines(脊椎) found behind its eyes and makes it one of the hardiest of all shark species. What makes it unique is that as its enemy attempts to swallow it, the spines on its back will stick into the enemy’s mouth and give a good chance for it to get away.
The horn shark is brown in color with black spots all over its body. The adults can reach up to a length of 4 feet and weigh up to 10 kg. An interesting fact about the horn shark is that it has five gills(鳃). The horn shark is a clumsy swimmer using its flexible pectoral fins(胸鳍)to push itself along the bottom of the ocean. The maximum distance that has ever been recorded for a horn shark to have traveled out from its habitat is 10 miles.
Today, as so little is known about its population off the Californian coast, they have been listed as being “Data Deficient” in the World Conservation Union. The horn shark is being threatened both by water pollution and commercial fishing in the area. Though they are not among those sea creatures hunted primarily for food, but they often get caught as a by-catch in fishing expeditions.
1.The horn shark gets its name for______.
A. its small size B. its large eyes
C. its two large spines D. its brown color with spots
2.How is paragraph 3 mainly developed?
A. By giving descriptions B. By following time order
C. By analyzing causes D. By making comparisons
3.Which factors contribute to the horn shark’s being on the “Data Deficient” list?
①That people like hunting them for pets ②That people fish them for fun
③Water pollution off the coast ④Knowing little about them
A. ①② B.②③ C. ①④ D.③④
4. According to the passage, all of the following are unique to the horn shark EXCEPT that_____.
A. it doesn’t travel far
B. it is good at swimming
C. its spines can be used to attack the enemy and escape
D. it is only found in the coastal waters of north-west North America
DEAR AMY: Last year I got a full-time job as a baby-sitter for a wonderful family with two amazing kids. They have come to treat me as one of their own. But my boyfriend and I are attempting to save much more money for the life we want to build, including marriage, a house and kids. Much as I love my “babies,” I’m looking forward to beginning a challenging career in a big company. Should I tell the family that I am looking for a new job? I don’t want to find one that requires me to begin work immediately, leaving them without child care, but I also don’t want them to assume that I’m leaving right away.
Up-in-the-Air Au Pair
DEAR AU PAIR: Whatever your arrangement, it is reasonable for them to expect you to be honest and to keep them in the loop. They see that you are making changes in your life, and surely they will also understand your desire to advance in a career. Tell them frankly and they should be happy to employ you as long as you are available.
Amy
DEAR AMY: I am a freshman in a high school. Last summer my best friend was diagnosed with skin cancer. It isn’t very serious, but she seems to be becoming more and more depressed. How can I help her be happy again?
Best Friend
DEAR FRIEND: Your best role is to prop up and encourage your friend when she seems down, and to be supportive and kind to her. You're doing a great job with that, and your friend is lucky to have you in her life.
Amy
1.What is Au Pair’s problem according to the first paragraph?
A. She has no idea whether to tell the family her plan or not.
B. She has no idea whether the family will hate her or not.
C. She has no idea where to find a new good job.
D. She has no idea how to save more money.
2.From the underlined phrase“ to keep them in the loop”, we can infer that Amy advises Au Pair_____.
A. to keep it secret to the family
B. to cheat the family for the time being
C. to tell her true impression of the family
D. to let the family know what’s going on
3. In which column of a newspaper can we probably find the passage?
A. Jobs B. culture C. Life D. Entertainment
One morning, my son, Chilly, found a carpenterworm(毛毛虫) unexpectedly and put it in a jar. Each day he couldn’t 36 to visit the little guest. Few weeks later we discovered it 37 in a cocoon (茧).
Chilly surely knew a moth (蛾) or butterfly was about to be 38 . He was 39 to know what gift nature was about to give him. Gradually we found it half transparent and we could 40 the wings of the unborn. Soon, a moth broke free, and then 41 eggs, completing its life cycle.
The next day, I 42 Chilly it was time to set it free. He took it 43 and opened the jar. It circled the yard twice, came back, and 44 on Chilly’s arm. He picked it up and threw it in the air. The moth repeated its 45 pattern. He tried over and over, but each time it would 46 to his arm so that Chilly had to give up.
The next day he attempted to set it free again, and after a few repetitions the moth finally 47 into the grass.
Like a 48 , I believe the moth was afraid to 49 what it was comfortable with. It wanted to stay with something 50 , scared to move on and experience something unknown.
I was once that little moth. My cocoon was my mother’s 51 , in which I was comfortable, and hated to fly too far away from it. I was 52 when my first job required me to move to a new city. Humans are creatures of 53 . We resist change. However, if I hadn’t moved, I would not have experienced many 54 and wonderful things or met many of my friends. So each move gave me the 55 to learn and experience, but best of all, I met friends.
1.A. help B. leave C. stop D. wait
2. A. stuck B. wrapped C. developed D. protected
3.A. born B. changed C. raised D. created
4.A. upset B. content C. lucky D. curious
5.A. count B. feel C. identify D. imagine
6.A. laid B. lay C. put D. placed
7.A. confirmed B. convinced C. concluded D. contacted
8.A. back B. down C. aside D. outside
9.A. kept B. dropped C. landed D. lived
10.A. game B. flight C. adventure D. communication
11.A. return B. cater C. turn D. stick
12.A. walked away B. ran out C. fell down D. flew off
13.A. moth B. butterfly C. human D. pet
14.A. leave B. stay C. move D. forget
15.A. friendly B. similar C. pleasant D. familiar
16.A. instruction B. love C. requirement D. expectation
17.A. excited B. crazy C. afraid D. annoyed
18.A. community B. habit C. conscience D. ambition
19. A. odd B. funny C. new D. vital
20.A. courage B. pleasure C. ability D. purpose
— May I take your order now, sir?
—_____ .
A. Thanks, I’ve really had enough B. Ok, here is my bill
C. Yes, I’d like some fish and chips D. Sure, it’s delicious
