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。
Carnival today is an international multicultural experience. But how did it become so? To understand 1. carnival is all about, we need to look at the history of America and the meeting of two 2. (culture)---European and African.
The 3. (arrive) of Europeans in America and the opening of huge farms and plantations to grow cotton, fruit and vegetables meant there was 4. immediate need for people to work on them, which 5. (mark) the beginning of the slave trade. Millions of people were taken 6. force to the New World to work as slaves 7. there were British and French landowners. At first, the slaves were forced to watch as their masters celebrated carnival with food, drink and masked dances. With time 8. (pass), the slave trade was abolished. So former slaves took part in the carnival together with their landowners. It became more colorful and more exciting 9. it had been before.
Carnival became a way to unite different communities, as people forgot their everyday problems and enjoyed themselves eating, drinking and dancing. Today, visitors from all over the world come to join in the fun. Carnival has become a 10. (celebrate) of life itself.
完形填空)
阅读下面短文,从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出可填入空白处的最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Love in a Box
When I was a little girl, I found love in a box all because of a class assignment (课堂作业). On a Friday night I ____________ at dinner table, “My teacher said we have to bring a box, a special box, for our valentines (情人节礼物) on Monday”.
Mother said, “We'll see,” and she continued eating.
What did “We'll see” mean? I had to have that box __________ my second grade Valentine's Day would be a disaster. Maybe they didn't love me enough to help me with my __________.
All Saturday I waited _________ and with Sunday arriving, my concern increased, but I ___________ an enquiry about the box might ___________ anger or loud voice, for in my house children only asked once. More than that_________ trouble.
Late Sunday afternoon, my father called me into the kitchen. The table was covered with colorful ________of different kinds. A(n) ___________ shoebox rested on top of it. _________ flooded through me when Daddy said, “Let's start to work _________ your project.”
In the next hour my father __________ the shoebox into impressive valentine box. Colorful paper covered the ugly cardboard with red hearts ___________ to what I considered all the right places. He sang while he worked. When he finished, he was so delighted that a________smile spread over his face. “What do you think of that?” he asked.
I answered him with a hug.
But inside, __________ danced all the way to my heart. It was the first time that my father devoted so much _________ to me, for his world consisted of work only.
The holiday party arrived, and my classmates put cards, and presents into the valentine boxes. Laughter filled our classroom until dismissal (放学) time ___________.
On the way home, I held out my valentine box for the world to __________. The love that filled it meant more to me than all the valentines inside.
The valentine box became a symbol of his love that __________ through decades of other Valentine's Days. He gave me other gifts through the years, but none ____________ compared with the love I felt within the limits of the old, empty shoebox.
1.A. sat B. appeared C. served D. announced
2.A. and B. or C. however D. so
3.A. project B. plan C. idea D. design
4.A. sadly B. disappointedly C. anxiously D. patiently
5.A. found B. knew C. realized D. imagined
6.A. start B. produce C. mark D. cause
7.A. saved B. took C. invited D. had
8.A. boxes B. gifts C. food D. paper
9.A. new B. empty C. attractive D. big.
10.A. Relief B. Excitement C. Cheer D. Calm
11.A. by B. off C. in D. on
12.A. folded B. changed C. packed. D. pressed
13.A. joined B. attached C. linked D. connected
14.A. broad B. brief C. slight D. confident
15.A. fun B. joy C. interest D. amusement
16.A. money B. hope C. support D. time
17.A. reached B. set C. spent D. came
18.A. accept B. respect C. admire D. recognize
19.A. carried B. lasted C. spread D. kept
20.A. yet B. even C. ever D. still
根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Simple ways to get happy
We are not suggesting that you can reach a permanent state called “happiness” and remain there. But there are many ways to turn the path of anxiety, anger, and sadness into a state of happiness. Here are four ideas to get you started. 1.
● Laugh out loud
Just expecting a happy, funny event can raise levels of pleasure-causing hormones (荷尔蒙) and lower production of stress hormones. Researchers at the University of California tested 16 men who all agreed they thought a certain videotape was funny. Half were told three days in advance they would watch it. 2. When they actually watched the video, their levels of stress hormones dropped greatly, while their levels of pleasure-causing hormones rose 27 percent.
● Do one thing at a time
Edward Suarez, professor of medical psychology at Duck, found that people who do several things at the same time are more likely to have high blood pressure. 3. Instead of talking on the phone while cleaning the kitchen, sit down in a comfortable chair and turn your entire attention over to the conversation.
● 4.
Although relationships help take away stress, sometimes you need time to recharge and reflect on your own. Take yourself out to lunch or to a movie, or simply spend an afternoon reading at home, or looking through books in a bookstore.
● Practice mindfulness
5. Instead of worrying about your check-up tomorrow while having dinner with your family, focus on the here and now — food, the company, and the conversation.
A. Spend time alone. B. Focus on the present. C. Take care of the soul. D. Take that finding seriously. E. Choose the ones that work for you. F. They started experiencing biological changes right away. G. Find a quiet place near your house and make it your secret place to escape. |
Science has a lot of uses. It can uncover laws of nature, cure diseases, make bombs, and help bridges to stand up. Indeed science is so good at what it does that there’s always a temptation(诱惑) to drag it into problems where it may not be helpful. David Brooks, author of The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement, appears to be the latest in a long line of writers who have failed to go against the temptation.
Brooks gained fame for several books. His latest book The Social Animal, however, is more ambitious and serious than his earlier books. It is an attempt to deal with a set of weighty topics. The book focuses on big questions: What has science uncovered about human nature? What are the sources of character? And why are some people happy and successful while others aren’t?
To answer these questions, Brooks studies a wide range of disciplines(学科). Considering this, you might expect the book to be a simple description of facts. But Brooks has formed his book in an unusual, and perhaps unfortunate way. Instead of introducing scientific theories, he tells a story, within which he tries to make his points, perhaps in order to keep the reader’s attention. So as Harold and Erica, the hero and heroine in his story, live through childhood, we hear about the science of child development and as they begin to date we hear about the theory of sexual attraction. Brooks carries this through to the death of one of his characters.
On the whole, Brooks’ story is acceptable if uninspired. As one would expect, his writing is mostly clear and, to be fair, some chapters stand out above the rest. I enjoyed, for instance, the chapter in which Harold discovers how to think on his own. While Harold and Erica are certainly not strong or memorable characters, the more serious problems with The Social Animal lie elsewhere. These problems partly involve Brooks’ attempt to translate his tale into science.
1.The author mentions the functions of science at the beginning of the passage to__________.
A. explain where science can be applied
B. show the value of Brooks’ new book
C. remind the reader of the importance of science
D. explain why many writers use science in their works
2.According to the author, which of the following could be a strength of the book?
A. Its strong basis.
B. Its clear writing.
C. Its convincing points.
D. Its memorable characters.
3.What is the author’s general attitude towards the book?
A. Contradictory. B. Supportive.
C . Cautious. D. Critical.
4.What is the author likely to write about after the last paragraph?
A. Death of the characters.
B. Brooks’ life experience.
C. Problems with the book.
D. Brooks’ translation skills.
One of my wonderful memories is about a Christmas gift. Unlike other gifts, it came without wrap(包装)
On September 11th, 1958, Mum gave birth to Richard. After she brought him home from hospital, she put him in my lap, saying,“ I promised you a gift, and here it is.” what an honor! I turned four a month earlier and none of my friends had such a baby doll of their own. I played with it day and night. I sang to it. I sang to it. I told it stories. I told it over and over how much I loved it!
One morning, however, I found its bed empty. My doll was gone! I cried for it . Mum wept and told me that the poor little thing had been sent to a hospital. It had a fever. For several days. I heard Mum and Dad whispering such words as“ hopeless”, “pitiful”, and “dying”, which sounded ominous.
Christmas was coming.“ Don’t expect any presents this year,” Dad said, pointing at the socks I hung in the living room. “If your baby brother lives, that’ll be Christmas enough.” As he spoke, his eyes filled with teas. I’d never seen him cry before.
The phone rang early on Christmas morning. Dad jumped out of bed to answer it answer it. From my bedroom I heard him say, “What? He’s all right?” He hung up and shouted upstairs. “The hospital said we can bring Richard home!”
“Thank God!” I heard Mum cry.
From the upstairs window, I watched my parents rush out to the car. I had never seen them so happy. And I was also full of joy. What a wonderful day! My baby doll would be home. I ran downstairs. My socks still hung there flat. But I knew they were not empty; they were filled with love!
1. What happened to the author on September 11th ,1958 ?
A. He became four years old.
B. He got a Christmas gift.
C. He got a baby brother.
D. He received a doll.
2.What does the underlined word “ominous” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?
A. Fearful B. Boring
C. Difficult D. Impossible.
3.Which word can best describe the feeling of the father when Christmas was coming?
A. Excitement. B. Sadness.
C. Happiness. D. Disappointment.
4.What is the passage mainly about ?
A. A sad Christmas day.
B. Life with a lovely baby.
C. Memories of a happy family.
D. A special Christmas gift.
What happens to a teenage kid when the world he thought he knew suddenly changes? Find out in Little Brother by American author Cory Doctorow. It is a fascinating book for a new generation of science fiction readers.
Marcus Yallow, 17, from San Francisco is much more comfortable in front of a computer than obeying the rules of society. Smart, fast and wise to the ways of the networked world, he has no trouble outwitting his high school's monitoring(监控) system. This way he and his friends get to head off to play a popular online game in real life.
While they are playing, a bomb explodes on the Bay Bridge. Marcus stops a military vehicle to get help for his injured friend, but this simple act throws him into a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secret prison. There he is treated as a possible terrorist. He is eventually let go after four days, but his injured friend disappears.
When he returns, Marcus discovers that there are many “security measures” in place and that now all citizens are treated like potential terrorists. While some consider this government action necessary for public safety, Marcus sees this as a complete destruction of the rights he is supposed to have as a citizen.
He knows that no one will believe his story, which leaves him with only one thing to do: to take down the DHS (数字处理系统) himself. He helps organize a large network called Xnet to spread the truth, anonymously (匿名地).
The book presents a young man who is irresponsible, but learns about himself, and grows, in the course of the story. As part of this learning and growing he becomes aware of very serious issues about his society.
1. What kind of article does this passage belong to?
A. A fascinating story B. A news report
C. A book review D. A TV programme
2.The underlined word “outwitting” in the second paragraph means ________.
A. destroying in a wise way B. buying in a wise way
C. cheating in a wise way D. helping in a wise way
3.Marcus Yallow was sent to prison because ________.
A. he killed his friend
B. he bombed a military vehicle
C. his injured friend disappeared
D. he did something that a possible terrorist could do
4.From the second paragraph we can infer that ________.
A. Marcus Yallow is expert at the network world
B. Marcus Yallow is smart, fast and wise in real life
C. Marcus Yallow always plays online games in real life
D. Marcus Yallow is much more comfortable obeying the rules of society
