Watercolor is the oldest paints known. It dates back to the early cave men who discovered they could add lifelike qualities to drawings of animals and other figures on the walls of caves by mixing the natural colors found in the earth with water.
Fresco(壁画), one of the greatest of all art forms, is done with watercolor. It is created by mixing paints and water and applying these to wet plaster(灰泥). Of the thousands of people who stand under Michelangelo's heroic ceiling in the Sistine Chapel, very few know that they are looking at perhaps the greatest watercolor painting in the world.
The invention of oil painting by the Flemish masters in the fifteenth century made fresco painting go down-hill, and for the next several centuries watercolor was used mainly for doing sketches(素描) or as a tool for study. It was not until the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that English painters put back watercolor as a serious art form. The English have a widely-known love for the outdoors and also small, private pictures. The softness of watercolor had a remarkably strong attraction for them.
The popularity of watercolor continued to grow until in the twentieth century. The United States passed England as the center for watercolor, producing such well-known watercolor artists as Thomas Eakins and Andrew Wyeth.
1.What is the passage mainly about?
A. The gradual weakness of fresco painting.
B. Oils having more power or influence over watercolor.
C. The rediscovery of watercolor in England.
D. The start and development of watercolor.
2.The first watercolor artists were ______.
A. early cave men
B. Italian fresco artists
C. Flemish masters
D. English artists of the 18th century
3.According to the passage, watercolor painting was put back in England because ______.
A. it was easy to use outdoors
B. it was a strong medium
B. it was extremely bright in color
D. it was well suited to popular tastes
4.What would the next paragraph most probably deal with?
A. the works of famous American watercolor artists.
B. The weakness of oils as popular paints.
C. Techniques of producing watercolor.
D. Modern American oil painters.
Children of America are getting fatter every time. 13% of the children at the age of 6 to 11 are overweight (too fat).
When we look at the children's lives today in the USA, we can see the root of the problem----sports and foods. Young children like sports but they don't have enough around the start of high school. That's especially true for girls. Meanwhile, to make matters worse, schools are becoming much more interested in sports teams. So children are not able to get enough exercise just when they need it the most. There is also the food problem. Children get most of their calories at restaurants or parties or somewhere else away from home. They often drink too many Cokes. Parents have a lot of fears about telling a child he needs to lose weight-- they are afraid it will push a child into an eating disorder. Some parents fear that pushing children to lose weight means their children will think they're not good enough, or not loved because of their weight. Parents need to come to terms with(向…妥协) the fact that the family is very important to the children. The most useful program for children is called "family weight control". This is good news. Mom and Dad, even if they don't have weight problems, have to go throu
gh the same program as their children and learn how to get some exercise and how to eat healthily.
1.Why are American children getting fatter? The writer thinks ______________________.
A. parents also have weight problem as their children
B. children have less exercise and eat unhealthily
C. schools are more interested in sports teams
D. children dri
nk too many Cokes
2.The writer wants to tell parents that _________________.
A. overweight children are not loved by people
B. family members can help overweight children a lot
C. children are afraid to lose weight when they have to
D. girls don't like to exercise
3.The writer thinks if mother or father is on the same program as their children, _______.
A. their children will not eat better
B. it will make the children eat much more
C. "family weight control" will be successful
D. parents will feel sorry about themselves
4.Which of the following is NOT the root of overweight problem?
A. Family weight control B. Less sports
C. Higher-calorie D. higher-fat foods.
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项 (A．B．C和D)中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
One morning, my husband Jerry went back to the kitchen as he just finished loading his car. “I guess filling my thermos(保温瓶) is all that I have left to do, and then I’m off.” Down the drain(下水道) went the hot water that had been warming his thermos.
With a nostalgic(怀旧的) look on his face, he softly said: “Anytime I fill my thermos I think of your mom.” The tone in his voice was so tender(温柔的) as he spoke of my mother, who is sadly no longer with us.
“Oh honey, I know she’s watching and listening right now with a big smile on her face,” I responded, tears in my eyes.
One morning years ago when we were leaving, mother watched as Jerry was to fill his thermos. Mom then casually said, ‘Jerry, if you filled your thermos with hot water and let it sit a while, your coffee would stay hot for longer then.” With her simple suggestion, his face showed that he was shocked by his own lack of common sense. Well, of course it would!
He poured out the small amount of coffee already in the thermos and refilled it with boiling hot water. Then he poured the water and refilled it with hot coffee. Mom smiled as Jerry did so.
Words of wisdom from a loving mother-in-law made an impact(影响) that will never be forgotten. She never dreamed her words would be a treasured and everlasting memory in the heart of her son-in-law.
The lasting memories don’t necessarily come from major moments in life. Memories are often made during those small, ordinary times. Life is about small moments we share with friends and loved ones.
1.Which word best describes the author’s feeling in Paragraph 3?
A. Concerned B. Confused
C. Interested D. Touched
2.The underlined part “don’t necessarily” is similar in meaning to ________.
A. out of the question
B. possibly but uncertainly
C. certainly and absolutely
D. without any doubt
3.The message that the story intends to convey（传达） is ______.
A. that lasting memories come from small things
B. how valuable a mother’s advice is to her children.
C. what a wise woman the mother is to her son-in-law
D. why we should respect our parents and listen to them.
书面表达
假如你是李华，某培训中心准备组织你校学生出国参加英语夏令营(English Summer Camp) ，夏令营活动安排如下：英国文化夏令营(The UK Culture Summer Camp)，美国语言夏令营(America Language Summer Camp)。 写一封申请信给该培训中心，报名参加其中的一个夏令营。信的内容必须包括：
1. 你感兴趣的夏令营。
2. 为什么想参加这个活动。
3. 对这项活动有怎样的打算和期待。
注意:
1. 词数100左右。
2. 信的开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am very glad that the English Summer Camp will be held to help us i
mprove English and learn more about English culture.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours truly,
Li Hua
短文改错
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（\）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。
It doesn't matter to fail as long as you don't give up. To my opinion, it is hard to be successful. Challenges were a necessary part of your life as you grow up. And you won't necessary succeed in everything for the first time you try. That's okay. Some of the most successful people in the world are the one who've had the most failure. J．K. Rowling, who wrote HarryPotter, had her first Harry Potter book was rejecte
d 12 times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was removed his high school basketball team. He lost hundreds of games and miss thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, “I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that's because I succeed.”
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，选出可以填人空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
There are four possible birth order positions within a family. A child may be the oldest, the youngest or the _________ child, or an only child _________ no brothers or sisters. Birth order theory says that our birth order influences what kind of person we each _________.
Children in each birth position have a _________ way to gain an advantage in the family. The oldest children often get more time with their parents. They always try to be _________ and do everything correctly. The youngest children are used to other people providing for them. They may be more _________ about themselves than about other people. As for middle children, they can sometimes feel left out, since they
don't get the _________ of being the oldest or the youngest. Some middle children become competitive and even rebel against (反抗) their parents. _________ many of them make peace in the family.
The last birth order position is only children. With no brothers or sisters they often _________ whatever they want! They don't have any _________ for their parents' time or resources. Only children often use language very well _________ they spend so much time with adults. They can also feel a lot of _________ as only children, which can make them competitive and hardworking.
Some people _________ that birth order theory describes them very well. Other people say the theory doesn't _________ There are many other different_________ that may change the effects of birth order on personality. These variables _________the sex and age of each child and the number of brothers and sisters. Culture and education _________ make a difference. So does the amount of money that the _________ has. The experiences of the family can also change how birth order affects _________ .
As family expert Frank Sulloway says, “Humans are complex. But that doesn't mean birth order isn't _________ we can learn from.”
1.A. middle B. last C. small D. cute
2.A. beyond B. under C. with D. for
3.A. become B. need C. accept D. see
4.A. new B. different C. strange D. right
5.A. perfect B. honest C. polite D. curious
6.A. concerned B. cautious C. excited D. disappointed
7.A. results B. promises C. advantages D. dreams
8.A. And B. So C. But D. Or
9.A. get B. ignore C. hide D. doubt
10.A. preparation B. excuse C. authority D. competition
11.A. until B. because C. unless D. though
12.A. sadness B. pressure C. pity D. pain
13.A. advise B. hope C. know D. find
14.A. work B. happen C. appear D. develop
15.A. forms B. situations C. standards D. purposes
16.A. influence B. change C. include D. describe
17.A. seldom B. also C. never D. ever
18.A. team B. society C. school D. family
19.A. emotion B. attitude C. personality D. behavior
20.A. anything B. nothing C. something D. everything
