I was desperately nervous about becoming car-free. But eight months ago our car was hit by a passing vehicle and it was destroyed. No problem, I thought: we’ll buy another. But the insurance payout didn’t even begin to cover the costs of buying a new car－I worked out that, with the loan, we’d need plus petrol, insurance, parking permits and tax, we would make a payment as much as £600 a month.
And that’s when I had my fancy idea. Why not just give up having a car at all? I live in London. We have a railway station behind our house, a tube station 10 minutes’ walk away, and a bus stop at the end of the street. A new car club had just opened in our area, and one of its shiny little red Peugeots was parked nearby. If any family in Britain could live without a car, I reasoned, then surely we were that family.
But my new car-free idea, sadly, wasn’t shared by my family. My teenage daughters were horrified. What would their friends think about our family being “too poor to afford a car”? (I wasn’t that bothered what they thought, and I suggested the girls should take the same approach.)
My friends, too, were astonished at our plan. What would happen if someone got seriously ill overnight and needed to go to hospital? (an ambulance) How would the children get to and from their many events? (buses and trains) People smiled as though this was another of my mad ideas, before saying they were sure I’d soon realize that a car was a necessity.
Eight months on, I wonder whether we’ll ever own a car again. The idea that you “have to” own a car, especially if you live in a city, is all in the mind. I live—and many other citizens do too—in a place that has never been better served by public transport, and yet car ownership has never been higher. We worry about rising car costs, but we’d be better off asking something much more basic: do I really need a car? Certainly the answer is no, and I’m a lot richer because I dared to ask the question.
1.The author decided to live a car-free life partly because ______.
A. most families chose to go car-free
B. he was hurt in a terrible car accident
C. the cost of a new car was too much
D. the traffic jam was unbearable for him
2.What is the attitude of the author’s family toward his plan?
A. Supportive. B. Disapproving.
C. Optimistic. D. Unconcerned.
3.What did the author suggest his daughters do about their friends’ opinion?
A. Argue against it.
B. Take their advice.
C. Think it over.
D. Leave it alone.
4.What conclusion did the author draw after the eight-month car-free life?
A. Life cannot go without a car.
B. Life without a car is a little bit hard.
C. His life gets improved without a car.
D. A car-free life does not suit everyone.
假设你是某国际学校学生会的主席李华。你校学生会打算组织一次有机蔬菜采摘活动。请你用英语写一份通知。内容包括：
1. 活动目的：了解有机蔬菜的种植；体验采摘乐趣；
2. 活动时间及地点：本周日上午，西星农场；
3.活动内容：导游带领参观农场；采摘蔬菜(黄瓜，西红柿，茄子等)；在农场提供的厨房亲自烹饪自己摘到的蔬菜。
注意： 1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：采摘：pick 有机农业：organic farming
Notice
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Students’ Union
短文改错
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（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）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。
Dear Ted,
Thank you for agree to look after the house while we’re on the holiday. I hope you will enjoy staying here, but there are a little things that I must tell you about. Firstly, please don’t forget feed the cat---I’m sure she will tell you when she is hungrily! You don’t have to feed the birds so I put enough food in their cage. Oh, and don’t let the dog sleeping on the sofa ----he isn’t allowing to. By the way, I bought a beautiful gift to you and I can’t wait to send them to you!
See you soon!
Lucy
To the woman and child who sat at table 9,
My name is Tony Posnanski. I am the manager of the restaurant 1._______ you ate a few weeks ago. The guests at a table close to yours asked to talk to me. 2.______ (obvious), they were angry. They said your child was so loud 3.______ they couldn’t enjoy their meal.
When I got to your table, you looked at me and asked, “Do you know 4.______ it is like to have a child with autism(自闭症)?” You were not rude when you asked the question. On 5.______ contrary, you were quite polite.
I know what I was supposed 6.________(say) when I went to your table, but I just wished you a happy meal and promised that your meal tonight was on me. Although I didn’t know 7.______ to answer your question, as a father of a 5-year-old boy, I do know the feeling of 8._______(be) a parent.
I wrote this to you and your beautiful daughter because I wanted to thank you both. You have taught me a 9.______(value) lesson and given me a great restaurant memory. Nothing can prevent me 10.________ doing the right thing. Sometimes doing the right thing does not make everyone happy; just the people who need it the most.
Sincerely
Tony Posnanski
“Daily Star, sir,” called Jason, carrying some newspapers under his arm. The little boy had been running up and down the street, but there were still twenty left. His voice was almost gone and his heart was . The shops would soon close, and all the people would go home. He would have to go home too, carrying the papers money. He had hoped to sell more papers tonight to make more money to buy a for his mother and some seeds for his bird. That was why he had bought the papers with all his money. He almost as he thought of his failure to sell all his papers.
“You don’t know the of selling papers. You must shout, “Hot news! Bomb bursting(炸弹爆炸)!” another newsboy Chad told Jason. “ such news is not in the paper at all,” replied Jason. “Don’t be so honest. Just run away quickly they have time to see, and you’ll out the paper and get your money,” Chad said.
It was a new to Jason. He thought of his bird with no and the cake he wanted to buy for his mother, but was that he would not tell a lie. Though he was a poor newsboy, he had been some good qualities.
The next afternoon Jason went to the office for his papers . Several boys were crowding around Chad, who declared with a smile that he had sold six dozen papers the day before. He added that Jason money because he would not tell a lie. The boys at Jason. “You wouldn’t tell a lie yesterday, my boy?” A gentleman at the office came up and patted(轻拍) Jason’s shoulder , “You’re just the boy I am looking for.” A week later Jason started his new . He lost the sale of twenty papers because he would not tell a lie, but got a well-paid job because he told the truth.
1.A. shops B. papers C. people D. coins
2.A. open B. cheerful C. heavy D. weak
3.A. in search of B. in return for C. in charge of D. instead of
4.A. cup B. card C. cake D. hat
5.A. broke down B. gave in C. got away D. turn up
6.A. secret B. limit C. goal D. difficulty
7.A. And B. So C. For D. But
8.A. since B. before C. though D. unless
9.A. call B. drop C. reach D. sell
10.A. idea B. celebration C. permission D. fault
11.A. bread B. seeds C. insects D. water
12.A. concerned B. amazed C. determined D. excited
13.A. only B. already C. still D. also
14.A. sentenced B. handed C. awarded D. taught
15.A. at once B. as usual C. by accident D. on purpose
16.A. gentle B. proud C. warm D. polite
17.A. borrowed B. made C. lost D. saved
18.A. stared B. shouted C. nodded D. laughed
19.A. fondly B. violently C. bravely D. sadly
20.A. tradition B. theory C. job D. trick
Sarah Hutchins has won a prize from Amazon.com in a competition for young inventors. She invented “camoculars”! Now what are “camoculars”? Camoculars are binoculars(双筒望远镜) and a camera combined. Amazon.com, a web company, organized a competition for young inventors. 1.
Sarah was at a concert when she thought of her invention. “I was sitting a long way from the stage and I was watching the band through my binoculars. While I was watching, I thought,‘ 2. ’Then I got an idea. Why not have binoculars with a camera inside them?”
When she got home, she took some plastic binoculars and a cheap camera and put them together. 3. So Sarah sent her idea to Amazon.com and two months later, she got a surprise. 4. They didn’t give her the top prize in the competition, but she won $1,000 and a trip to New York.
People are already asking Sarah what she is going to invent next. “I don’t know,” says Sarah. “If you just sit there and think, you won’t invent anything, because you get ideas at strange moments. 5. ”
A. Sarah likes music very much.
B. I’d love to be able to take a picture of this!
C. Amazon.com phoned to say that she was a winner.
D. I have always dreamed of travelling around New York.
E. The only thing you can do is keep your eyes and ears open!
F. Her sister was watching her and told her about the competition.
G. Sarah was one of thousands of young people who took part in this competition.
