Plan on traveling around the USA? There are a number of outstanding websites that can make your American dream come true.
www.101usaholidays.co.uk
This is the latest offering that features 101 holiday ideas to the USA. It’s a diverse selection, ranging from touring in the footsteps of Martin Luther King to a golfing break in Arizona and a cycling and wine-tasting trip in California’s Napa Valley. Narrow down what you’re looking for—whether by price, region, theme and who will be traveling—and then just the photos of the relevant holidays remain on view. It’s a really clever design.
http://byways.org
The National Scenic Byways Program covers 150 memorable roads. Some are natural scenic routes, such as Route 1 along the California coast. Others focus on history (such as Route 66) or man-made attractions (the Las Vegas Strip). For each, you’re provided with a map telling the route’s length and how long is allowed.
www.oyster.com
This is the best website for reviews of hotels in US cities and tourist sites. There are photos of each hotel. Importantly, these are not promotional photos provided by the hotels, but more honest and revealing ones taken by inspectors. From the 243 hotels reviewed in New York, you can narrow down what you are looking for by locations, facilities and styles, or just pick out a selection of the best.
http://seaworldparks.com
SeaWorld in San Diego can make dreams come true, but the price is not affordable for the majority of people. So turn to long-established http://seaworldparks.com, giving big discounts on tickets, hotel and dining at SeaWorld.
1.The text is probably from _________.
A. a science report B. a news article
C. a travel brochure D. a book review
2.Travel ideas for wine lovers are available at _________.
A. www.101usaholidays.co.uk
B. http://byways.org
C. www.oyster.com
D. http://seaworldparks.com
3.What can be inferred from the text?
A. You can see some man-made attractions driving along Route 66.
B. The National Scenic Byways Program covers all American roads.
C. Photos on www.oyster.com can be trusted by tourists.
D. http://seaworldparks.com is a newly established website.
People always think men are more skilled than women in driving. Nowadays women appear to have a positive image of themselves as safer drivers than men.
In a survey done for insurer MetLife, 51% of women said they drive more safely. The evidence is on their side: Men are 3.4 times more likely than women to get a ticket for careless driving and 3.1 times as likely to be punished for drunk driving. “Women are on average less aggressive and more law abiding (守法的) drivers, which leads to fewer accidents.” the report says. However, not all male drivers share the same opinion. Of the men surveyed by MetLife, 39% claimed male drivers were safer. The findings did back them up on one point: automotive knowledge. The report showed that more men are familiar with current safety equipment such as electronic stability control, which helps prevent rollover accidents.
Auto safety unavoidably matters to money. Insurance companies focus on what classes of drivers have the lowest dollar amounts of claims, and for now, that mainly includes women. In general, women pay about 9% less for auto insurance than men. A study by the website Insweb also showed that auto insurance rates are lower for women in most states. Among individual states, women get the greatest advantage in Wyoming (where they pay 20% less), South Dakota and Washington, D. C., where their insurance costs are 16% lower.
“More than 11,900 male drivers died in U.S. traffic accidents in 2009, compared with just under 4,900 women drivers,” according to the study. “Based on miles traveled, men died at a rate of 2.5 deaths per 100 million miles traveled, v.s. 1.7 deaths for women.”
1. According to the study, male drivers _________.
A. are less aggressive while driving
B. are more skilled at auto knowledge
C. are more likely to stick to driving laws
D. are less familiar with safety equipment
2. Insurance companies focus on female driver clients(客户) probably because they _________.
A. cause more accidents on the road but ask for little
B. cause little damage and pay more money to the insurance companies
C. make up the most part of the insurance clients
D. are more careful drivers and cause less damage
3. We can infer from the passage that _________.
A. men are 3.1 times more likely to get tickets than women
B. all women in the USA pay the same for their auto insurance
C. more female drivers die every year than male drivers
D. women are generally safer drivers than the opposite sex
4. The writer mainly develops paragraphs by _________.
A. giving examples B. making comparisons
C. drawing a conclusion D. presenting an argument
There is a famous story about British poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. He was writing a poem when he was interrupted by a knock at the door.
This was an age before telephones. Someone was delivering a message. When Coleridge got back to his poem, he had lost his inspiration. His poetic mood had been broken by the knock on his door. His unfinished poem, which could otherwise have been a masterpiece, would now never be more than a little piece.
This story tells how unexpected communication can destroy an important thought, which brings us to the cell phone.
The most common complaint about cell phones is that people talk on them to the annoyance of people around them. But more damaging may be the cell phone’s interruption of our thoughts.
We have already entered a golden age of little white lies about our cell phones, and this is by and large (大体上) a healthy, protective development. “I didn’t hear it ring” or “I didn’t realize my phone had shut off” are among the lies we tell to give ourselves space where we’re beyond reach.
The notion of being unreachable is not a new concept—we have “Do Not Disturb” sign on the doors of hotel rooms. So why must we feel guilty when it comes to cell phones? Why must we apologize if we decide to shut off the phone for a while?
Now time alone, or a conversation with someone next to us which cannot be interrupted by a phone, is something to be cherished. Even cell phone devotees（信徒）, myself usually included, can’t help at times wanting to throw their phones away, or curse(咒骂) the day they were invented.
But we don’t and won’t, and there really is no need. All that’s required to take back our private time is a general social recognition that we have the right to it. In other words, we have to develop a healthy contempt (轻视)for the rings of our own phones.
A cell phone call deserves no greater priority than a random word from the person next to us，though the call on my cell phone may be the one-in-a-million from Steven Spielberg—who has finally read my novel and wants to make it his next movie. But most likely it is not, and I’m better off thinking about the idea I just had for a new story, or the slice of pizza I’ll eat for lunch.
1. What is the point of the anecdote about the poet Coleridge in the first three paragraphs?
A. To emphasize the disadvantage of not having a cell phone.
B. To encourage readers to read the works of this poet.
C. To show how important inspiration is to a poet.
D. To direct readers’ attention to the main topic.
2. What does the writer think about people telling “white lies” about their cell phones?
A. It is a way of signaling that you don’t like the caller.
B. It is basically a good way to protect one’s privacy.
C. We should feel guilty when we can’t tell the truth.
D. It is natural to tell lies about small things.
3. According to the author, what is the most annoying problem caused by cell phones?
A. Cell phones interrupt people’s private time.
B. With cell phones it is no longer possible to be unreachable.
C. People feel guilty when they are not able to answer their cell phones.
D. People get so obsessed with the cell phone rings that they fail to notice anything else.
4. What does the last paragraph imply?
A. Never let cell phones disturb your life too much.
B. A person who calls us from afar deserves more of our attention.
C. Steven Spielberg once called the author to talk about the author’s novel.
D. You should always finish your lunch before you answer a call on the cell phone.
Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table, reading his book. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to copy him in every way he could.
One day the grandson asked, “Grandpa, I try to read the book just like you, but I don’t understand it, and I forget what I understand as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the book do?”
The grandpa quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied, “Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water.”
The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back to the house. The grandpa laughed and said, “You’ll have to move a little faster next time,” and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned. Out of breath, he told his grandpa that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, so he went to get a bucket instead. The grandpa said, “I don’t want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You’re just not trying hard enough.” The boy again dipped the basket into the river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandpa the basket was empty again. Out of breath, he said, “Grandpa, it’s useless!”
“So, you think it is useless?” the grandpa said, “Look at the basket.”
The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket and was now clean.
“Grandson, that’s what happens when you read the book. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you’ll be changed, inside and out.”
1.What puzzled the grandson most was _________.
A. why he forgot what he read soon
B. whether it was useful to read books
C. what kind of book he could understand
D. how he could read books like his grandpa
2.Why did Grandpa ask his grandson to fetch a basket of water?
A. To get him to realize the use of reading books.
B. To punish him for not reading carefully.
C. To clean the dirty basket in the river.
D. To train him to run faster.
3.What lesson can we learn from the story?
A. The old are always wiser than the young.
B. It is foolish to carry water with a basket.
C. You can’t expect to remember all you read.
D. Reading books can change a person gradually.
4.What can be the best title for the text?
A. Grandpa and Grandson
B. Carrying Water in a Basket
C. Baskets and Books
D. Reading for Total Changing
Sarah Hughes won the gold medal in women’s figure skating at the 2002 Winter Olympics.A graduate of Yale University,she is writing her first book.She owes her success to her parents’ support.
“I started skating when I was 3 years old.Competing in the Olympic Games had been my dream from the beginning.When I was 12 years old,my mother was hospitalized with breast cancer.I was on the way to making my first national team.Seeing my excitement at each stage gave her strength through her illness.On days when she was too weak to walk,she would think,‘I have to make it through.I have to be there for my kids.’ My mom was able to leave the hospital to come to Philadelphia from New York to watch me win the Junior Ladies title.That day I was skating for more than just the judges.My parents' support made all the difference when I performed on the skating stage.When I won the Olympic medal,I was able to share more than just my skating experience with the people who were with me all along.I was raised in a stable,supportive environment."
【写作内容】
1.用约30个单词写出上文概要；
2.用约120个单词阐述你对“父母支持”的看法，并用2~3个理由或论据支撑你的看法。
【写作要求】
1.写作过程中不能直接引用原文语句；
2.作文中不能出现真实姓名；
3.不必写标题。
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Anything that poses a challenge or a threat to our well-being is a stress.Some stresses get you going and they are good for you – without any stress at all many say our lives would be boring and would probably feel pointless. However,when the stresses undermine both our mental and physical health they are bad.In this text we shall be focusing on stress that is bad for you.
When we are stressed the following happens:
Blood pressure rises
Breathing becomes more rapid
Heart rate (pulse) rises
Muscles become tense
We do not sleep (heightened state of alertness)
Most of us have varying interpretations of what stress is about and what matters.Some of us focus on what happens to us,such as breaking a bone or getting a promotion,while others think more about the event itself.How you see that stressful event will be the largest single factor that impacts on your physical and mental health.Your interpretation of event and challenges in life may decide whether they are invigorating or harmful for you.
There are three broad methods you can follow to treat stress.
Self help for treating stress
Exercise has been proven to have a beneficial effect on a person's mental and physical state.For many people exercise is an extremely useful stress buster.
Alcohol and drugs will not help you manage your stress better.Either stop consuming them completely,or cut down.
If you consumption of coffee and other drinks which contain caffeine is high,cut down.
Eat plenty of fruit and vegetable.Make sure you have a healthy and balanced diet.
Talk to your family,friends,work colleagues and your boss.Express your thoughts and worries.
Stress management techniques
Stress management can help you t keep away from the source of stress,change the way you view a stressful event,and lower the impact that stress might have on your body.Stress management therapy will have the objective of pursuing one or more of these approaches.
Medicines
Doctors will not usually prescribe medications for coping with stress,unless the patient has an underlying illness,such as depression or some type of anxiety.If that is the case,the doctor is actually treating a mental illness.In such cases,an antidepressant may be prescribed.Bear in mind that there is a risk that all the medication will do is mask the stress,rather than help you deal and cope with it.
Stress | |
Passage outline | Supporting details |
Understanding of stress | • Stress is pressure or worry 1.by the stressors in your life. • Some stresses2.you while some others make you suffer. |
3.of stress | • You have 4.blood pressure. • Your heart5.f aster. • Your become sleepless. • Your breath and muscles are abnormal. |
Attitudes towards stress | • You care about what concerns6. • You pay attention to what is7.around you. • Above all,how you look at challenges affects your health. |
Ways to deal with stress | • Exercise,a proper diet,communication help to 8.your stress while alcohol,drugs and coffee do not. • Stress management guides you how to 9.and reduce stress. • Medicines can be used to treat a mental illness but cannot solve the problem 10. |
