People aren’t walking any more---if they can figure out a way to avoid it..
I felt superior about this matter until the other day I took my car to mail a small parcel. The journey is a matter of 281 steps. But I used the car. And I wasn’t in any hurry, either. I had merely become one more victim of a national sickness: motorosis.
It is an illness to which I had thought myself immune, for I was bred in the tradition of going to places on my own two legs. At that time, we regarded 25 miles as good day’s walk and the ability to cover such a distance in ten hours as sign of strength and skill. It did not occur to us that walking was a hardship. And the effect was lasting. When I was 45 years old I raced –and beat—a teenage football player the 168 steps up the Stature of Liberty.
Such enterprises today are regarded by many middle-aged persons as bad for the heart. But a well-known British physician, Sir Adolphe Abrahams, pointed out recently that hearts and bodies need proper exercise. A person who avoids exercise is more likely to have illnesses than one who exercises regularly. And walking is an ideal form of exercise--- the most familiar and natural of all.
It was Henry Thoreau who showed mankind the richness of going on foot. The man walking can learn the trees, flower, insects, birds and animals, the significance of seasons, the very feel of himself as a living creature in a living world. He cannot learn in a car.
The car is a convenient means of transport, but we have made it our way of life. Many people don’t dare to approach Nature any more; to them the world they were born to enjoy is all threat. To them security is a steel river thundering on a concrete road. And much of their thinking takes place while waiting for the traffic light to turn green.
I say that the green of forests is the mind’s best light. And none but the man on foot can evaluate what is basic and everlasting.
1.What is the national sickness?
A. Walking too much
B. Traveling too much
C. Driving cars too much
D. Climbing stairs too much.
2.What was life like when the author was young?
A. People usually went around on foot.
B. people often walked 25 miles a day
C. People used to climb the Statue of Liberty.
D. people considered a ten-hour walk as a hardship.
3.The author mentions Henry Thoreau to prove that________.
A. middle-aged people like getting back to nature
B. walking in nature helps enrich one’s mind
C. people need regular exercise to keep fit
D. going on foot prevents heart disease
4.What is compared to “a steel river” in Paragraph 6?
A. A queue of carsB. A ray of traffic light
C. A flash of lightningD. A stream of people
5.What is the author’s intention of writing this passage?
A. To tell people to reflect more on life.
B. To recommend people to give up driving
C. To advise people to do outdoor activities
D. To encourage people to return to walking
Following some of the tips for green living helps save our planet. All of these involve just a few changes to our daily habits.
Just walk and limit the use of your car. One of the poster images of pollution is our vehicles. It burns fuel. It is not as efficient as we hope it could be, and we use it every single day. To lessen the effects of the air pollution caused by our vehicles, we should limit their use. If we can walk to our destination then just let us go. Not only do we lessen our carbon dioxide emissions, but we also get a good exercise out of it.
Use a laptop instead of a computer desktop. Laptops are more energy efficient compared to their bigger counterparts. A laptop is generally 50 percent more efficient in using electricity. Aside from that there are other benefits of a laptop. It is portable so you can work anywhere you like and that you get powerful features without the large size of desktop units.
Turn off the faucet while you are brushing your teeth. It is always a better idea to use a glass when we are brushing our teeth and not to just let the faucet keep on running. Therefore，there is less water to waste while we are cleaning our pearly whites. Simply turn off the faucet when you are not using it.
Make good use of natural light. We have a great and natural lamp --- the sun, and we should learn how to take full advantage of it during daytime. So instead of turning on our lights or lamps even if it is still not evening, we should pull up the drapes and let the natural light come in from the windows.
These are just some of the best tips for green living, but of course there are still many of these tips if you just search for them. But you can do your own variation any time just always prioritize how you can use less energy and produce even lesser trash and pollution.
1.What’s the best title for the passage?
A. How to Save Our Planet
B. How to Change Our Daily Habits
C. Tips for Green Living Today
D. Green Living and Serious Pollution
2.Compared with a computer desktop, a laptop is__________.
A. less energy efficient B. faster at work
C. easy to repair D. easy to carry
3.How many tips does the passage mention for green living today?
A. Three B. Four
C. Five D. Six
4.The underlined word “prioritize” in the last paragraph can be replaced by the word
_________.
A. decrease B. consider
C. imagine D. guess
5.Which of the following is NOT true?
A. A few changes to daily habits can help a lot.
B. While washing teeth we should turn off the faucet.
C. Vehicles bring pollution and we should try to avoid.
D. In the daytime we should not pull up the drapes.
Susan was born as the ninth child in a Catholic family. She suffered from learning disabilities ever since her birth because of her mother’s poor health.
School was difficult for Susan and she was bullied because of her different behaviors. Her siblings, who were much older, had life experiences that were unknown to their little sister. From the time of her birth, Susan was a screamer. The only really safe place that she would use as a repeat was her bedroom. There she would hang posters of her musical idols on the wall and sing popular music into a hairbrush that she pretended was a microphone.
One by one the siblings moved away from home and then Susan’s father died. This left her alone with an aging mother and a cat. The siblings accused her mother of not expecting more out of Susan. She had seen many professionals and remembered hearing the word “borderline” but didn’t know what it meant. She tried volunteer work. Her best state of mind, however, was found when she was singing and so she would regularly join others in karaoke or pubs where she could show her skills and receive appreciation from the crowd.
When Susan announced at Christmas that she was planning to compete in the Britain’s Got Talent contest, her siblings tried to discourage her. It was a wonder that she was even able to do the audition considering the troubles she faced just physically getting to the right place.
“The Woman I Was Born to Be” is a beautiful story written in the simple but humorous voice of the author, Susan Boyle. She tells her story from birth to the present in an interesting and educational manner. The writing is supplemented by photos from her albums.
I love this book! In fact, I read the whole thing in one day!
There is something in the stories that not only teaches the reader but also inspires us to reach for our dreams — no matter how impossible they may seem to be!
1.This passage should be ___________.
A. a news report B. a biography
C. a book review D. an introduction
2.When Susan was young, ____________.
A. her mother died of an illness
B. her siblings liked her very much
C. she was fond of music
D. she was envied at school
3.According to the passage, which was NOT true?
A. Susan’s mother expected too much out of her.
B. Susan tried doing a lot of volunteer work.
C. Susan’s siblings tried to stop her from competing in the Britain’s Got Talent contest.
D. Susan’s performances were well received by the customers in pubs.
4.The book “The Woman I Was Born to Be” ______________.
A. is always a best-seller B. is written in a serious voice
C. is full of sad stories D. contains some photos of Susan
5.What does the author think of Susan Boyle？
A. Pitiful and selfless. B. Shy and passive.
C. Great and generous. D. Determined and inspiring.
An old man who lived in a small street in the city of Mumbai had to put up with 1.
nuisance (烦心事) of having boys play cricket（板球）outside his house at night.
One evening when the boys were particularly noisy, he went out to talk to them. He explained that the 2. (happy) time these days was when he could see or hear boys playing his favorite game, cricket. He said he would give them 25 rupees each week to play in the street at night.
The boys 3. (thrill). They were being paid to do something they enjoyed! 4. the end of the first week they knocked at the old man's door and asked him to pay for 5. ，and so he did.
The second week when they asked for 6.(pay), he said he had run out of money and sent them away with only 15 rupees. The third week the man said he had not received his pension（养老金）, only 7. (give) them only 10 rupees. The boys were very disappointed,
8. there was not much they could do about it .The fourth week the man said he could not afford to pay them 25 rupees 9. he had promised，but would give them 5 rupees each week without fail.
This was too much for the boys. “You expect us to play seven days a week 10. a merely 5 rupees!” they yelled. “Go to blazes.” They stormed away and never played on the street again.
One day, while I was walking to work, I decided to bring some flowers that I had picked from my garden that morning. On the way, I a stranger and presented the flowers to him with a smile card. by the sense of joy I felt from giving flowers to another person, and may be his day, I wanted to do it again.
When I got to my office, I had the of anonymously (匿名) leaving flowers around the workplace. The impersonal (无人味) atmosphere of the building where I work makes me
. It just feels a little boring sometimes, though it’s a nice building with great light. I considered lots of people might feel the same way, so why not put a little there, and throw in an inspirational quote (引言) while I’m at it? After all, who doesn't like flowers?
So, for the past month, I’ve been flowers in a little cup on the sink in the bathroom. Each week, I the flowers and the quote. It always feels for me to read quotes like Henry David Thoreau’s “If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, he will meet with a unexpected in common hours.”and Gandhi’s “The fragrance(香味) always
on the hand that gives the rose.” If anything, I figure, but it at least makes me each time I visit the bathroom.
Then today, when I walked in, I noticed flowers in the cup, and a quote that someone else had written! It , “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” ------- Gandhi.
This little act me that, at the end of the day, we’re all just people with hearts regardless of the various roles and different hats we may wear in the workplace.
I did a little dance and am smiling wide for the rest of the day!
1.A. picked outB. came acrossC. called up D. pointed at
2.A. StruckB. Informed C. Surprised D. Honored
3.A. calmingB. determiningC. reflecting D. brightening
4.A. beliefB. wayC. idea D. aim
5.A. uncomfortable B. impolite C. impatient D. unforgettable
6.A. mysteryB. smile C. beauty D. courage
7.A. growing B. watering C. putting D. picking
8.A. countB. checkC. cleanD. change
9.A. refreshingB. interestingC. satisfying D. puzzling
10.A. prizeB. truthC. success D. shock
11.A. holdsB. attachesC. remains D. focuses
12.A. strongB. happyC. surprised D. shocked
13.A. good B. new C. small D. special
14.A. told B. replied C. wrote D. said
15.A. introducesB. warns C. suggests D. reminds
请阅读下面的短文，然后按要求写一篇150 词左右的英语短文。
Two friends have an argument that breaks up their friendship forever, even though neither one can remember how the whole thing got started. Such sad events happen over and over in high schools across the country. In fact, according to an official report on youth violence, "In our country today, the greatest threat to the lives of children and adolescents is not disease or starvation or abandonment, but the terrible reality of violence". Given that this is the case, why aren't students taught to manage conflicts the way they are taught to solve math problems, or stay physically fit?
A report on violence among high school students indicates that most violent incidents between students begin with daily small matters such as a relatively minor insult (侮辱). For example, a fight could start over the fact that one student eats a peanut butter sandwich each lunchtime. Laughter over the sandwich can lead to insults, which in turn can lead to violence. The problem isn't in the sandwich, but in the way students deal with the conflict.
There will always be conflicts in schools, but that doesn't mean there needs to be violence. Learning to resolve（化解）conflicts can help students deal with friends, teachers, parents, bosses, and coworkers. In that way, conflict resolution is a basic life skill that should be taught in schools across the country.
【写作内容】
1.以约30词概括上文的主要内容。
2.以约120词对“中学生产生矛盾或冲突”的现象进行议论，内容包括：
1) 中学生产生矛盾或冲突的原因；
2 ) 描述一次你和你的同学产生矛盾的经历（包括起因，经过和结果）；
3) 谈谈如何正确解决和同学的矛盾。
【写作要求】
1.作文中可以使用亲身经历或虚构的故事，也可以参照阅读材料的内容，但不得直接引用原文中的句子。
2.作文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称。
【评分标准】 概括准确，语言规范，内容合适，语篇连贯。
