A man steps on what seems like solid ground but discovers with horror that the ground is giving way beneath his feet. The man struggles desperately, but he is trapped. He cannot escape. Slowly he sinks deeper and deeper until at last he is gone, buried in the treacherous earth. The solid ground was solid only in appearance. It was actually quicksand, which is a deep mass of fine sand mixed with water.
How is quicksand formed? Water pushes up from below the surface and is held by the sand. The grains of sand are forced apart by the water. They cannot hold any weight. The subsurface water may have come from a spring, a river or a stream. Sometimes pools of water near beaches become filled with sand. When the soil under these pools does not allow for good drainage(排水), the sand can become stretches of quicksand.
Is it true that a man who steps into quicksand is doomed to(注定) die? No, for men have fought their way from quicksand to firm land again. It is panic(恐慌) that creates the condition that can result in death, for the more a person struggles, the worse matters become. Quick movements will make the sand give way temporarily(临时地), but then it rushes and settles solidly around the body. A man trapped in quicksand should either lie back, or not move at all, except to stretch out his arms. When the weight of the sand his body has displaced equals his weight, he will stop sinking. With feet held still, and with slow movements of the arms, as in the backstroke in swimming men can manage to roll to safety and reach firm ground.
1.What is quicksand?
A. A piece of solid ground mixed with water.
B. A pool near the beach filled with water.
C. A deep mass of fine sand mixed with water.
D. A piece of sinking land in the water.
2.The underlined part “giving way” in the first paragraph probably means ________.
A. shaking and moving
B. allowing others to be first
C. rising to the top
D. breaking or breaking into pieces
3.A person stops sinking when the weight of his body is ________ that of the sand his body has displaced.
A. greater thanB. the same as
C. half ofD. close to
4.Men can manage to reach firm ground by ________.
A. holding feet still and moving arms slowly
B. lying back calmly and moving arms frequently
C. stretching out arms and swimming quickly
D. swimming quickly and moving arms slowly
The London Underground (The Tube）
The main source of public transport in London revolves around the Underground (or the Tube as it is known to Londoners). This network of 12 lines can get you to most places in the center of the city quickly.
It’s most necessary to get an Oyster Card or a Travelcard. Single tickets are priced starting at the intentionally absurd (荒谬的) price of £ 4.80 (Zone 1-3), if you pay cash. Using an Oyster card, a single fare is £ 2.30 if you are traveling within the central Zone 1.
On hot days it is also advisable to take a bottle of water with you as Underground trains are not air-conditioned.
Last trains leave central London at around 00:30 weekdays, 23:30 Sundays. First trains leave the suburbs at around 5:00.
The Bus System
Outside the center of London, Tube stations are farther apart, so buses help fill the gaps. Also, the bus offers a cheaper alternative, even if it is a slower journey.
Cash fares for London buses have been abolished — you cannot pay cash. A bus fare costs £ 1.50 if using only buses, the fare is capped at £ 4.40 per day for Oyster or contactless users.
River Services
There are a number of different routes along the River Thames. The faster commuter services operate all day from Greenwich Pier to Embankment and from Putney and Chelsea harbour to Blackfriars during Peak Hours only. These routes will pass a number of places of interest including the Houses of Parliament and London Bridge. A return fare from Putney to Blackfriars will cost about 12 pounds.
National Rail
Once you leave Central London or if you are traveling South of the River Thames, the best public transport option will often be National Rail. There are numerous connections to the Rail System from the Tube. Travelcards can be used for travel on the National Rail (but not the Heathrow Express). Oyster cards can be used up to Zone 6 except certain services including Heathrow Express, Heathrow Connect and HSI.
1.When taking the London Underground, ________.
A. you should buy tickets with cash
B. you can save more money with a single ticket
C. you can go to any place in London quickly
D. you are advised to take a bottle of water along on hot days
2.If you use river services along the River Thames, you will pass ________.
A. London BridgeB. Stratford
C. Canary WharfD. Tower Hill
3.To travel South of the River Thames, it is recommended that you use ________.
A. The London UndergroundB. The Bus System
C. The DLR and the TramD. National Rail
As a boy, Sanders was much influenced by books about the sea, but by the age of fifteen he had decided to become a doctor rather than a sailor. His father was a doctor. So he was often with the doctors and got along very well with them. When he was fourteen, he was already hanging around the hospital where he was supposed to be helping to clean the medicine bottles, but was actually trying to listen to the doctors’ conversations with patients in the next room.
During the war Sanders served in the army as a surgeon(外科医生). “That was the happiest time of my life. I was dealing with real sufferers and on the whole making a success of my job.” In Rhodes he taught the country people simple facts about medicine. He saw himself as a life-saver. He had proved his skill to himself and had a firm belief that he could serve those who lived simply, and were dependent upon him. Thus, while in a position to tell them what to do he could feel he was serving them.
After the war, he married and set up a practice deep in the countryside, working under an old doctor who hated the sight of blood. This gave the younger man plenty of opportunities to go on working as a life-saver.
1.When he was a small boy, Sander was influenced by books about ________.
A. the hospitalB. the warC. the seaD. the countryside
2.At the age of 14, Sanders ________.
A. worked as a doctor in the hospital
B. got along well with the patients
C. was interested in talking with doctors and patients
D. helped to clean the medicine bottles in the hospital
3.When the war was over, he ________.
A. had the happiest time of his life
B. started to hate the sight of blood while working
C. served the countrymen under an old doctor
D. had few chances to be a “life-saver” because he was younger
假定你是李华，计划暑假期间去英国上暑假班学习英语，就这个暑假班询问你的朋友Jack一些情况，并让他帮你租一间房子，请你根据如下信息给他写一封电子邮件。
1. 询问上课的时间、学习费用和人数
2. 租一个30平米带家具的房子，租期为一月。
注意：1. 100词左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
3. 开头已经给出。
Dear Jack,
How are you doing? _____________________________________________________________
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Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
假如英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌的以下作文。文中共有10处错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏词符号∧，并在此符号下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线\划掉。
修改：在错词下面划一横线，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。
I have just got some good news to tell to you. I win a national prize for painting last week. My father was so pleasing that he suggested I go to England for a holiday. I’d like to staying there for half a month, visiting place of interest or practicing my English as well. We’ve been writing to each for nearly a year now. I have often dreamed of talk face by face with you. I imagine you’ll be on vacation yourself by that time. Perhaps I could go out to do some sightseeing together.
Best
Lily
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（不多于3个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
Are you facing a situation that looks impossible to fix?
In 1969, the pollution was terrible along the Cuyahoga River Cleveland, Ohio. It 1. (be) unimaginable that it could ever be cleaned up. The river was so polluted that it 2. (actual) caught fire and burned. Now, years later, this river is one of 3. most outstanding examples of environmental cleanup.
But the river wasn’t changed in a few days 4. even a few months. It took years of work 5. (reduce) the industrial pollution and clean the water. Finally, that hard work paid off and now the water in the river is 6. (clean) than ever.
Maybe you are facing an impossible situation. Maybe you leave a habit 7. is driving your family crazy. Possibly you drink too much or don’t know how to control your credit card use. When you face such an impossible situation, don’t you want a quick fix and something to change immediately?
While there are 8. (amaze) stories of instant transformation, for most of us the 9. (change) are gradual and require a lot of effort and work, like cleaning up a polluted river. Just be 10. (patience)
