To the Editor,
I have been reading your newspaper, the Hometown Gazette, for the past two years, ever since I moved to Smithville. We moved here from New York City, so I am accustomed to reading excellent newspapers such as The New York Times. In fact, we still have the Times delivered on Sundays. The entire family enjoys reading the recipes(食谱) in the newspaper, as well as the Styles section.
The Times is great, but the Gazette is another story. I've never read an article that doesn't contain at least three or four spelling or grammatical errors. For instance, in last week's issue, you misspelled the word “secretary” used a singular verb with a plural noun, and used “it's” as a possessive(所有格). And that was just in the lead story! In case you never went to elementary school, “it's” means “it is”. It's not a possessive adjective!
It's a pity that this tiny little hick (乡下) town has only one newspaper, because I' d like to have an alternative to the rag (烂报) you publish. I find it hard to believe your news stories. If you can' t spell correctly, how can you get your facts right？
I've been meaning to get this off my chest for some time. Please cancel my subscription(订阅). And buy yourself a dictionary.
Sincerely,
Jane Z. Jones
1.Which phrase from the passage shows the writer' s prejudice(偏见)？
A. get this off my chest
B. tiny little hick town
C. reading the recipes in the magazine
D. three or four spelling or grammatical errors
2.The author's tone in this passage can best be described as ________.
A. happyB. humorousC. objective (客观的)D. angry
3.Which statement from the passage is a fact?
A. We still have the Times delivered on Sundays.
B. It's a pity this town has only one newspaper.
C. The Times is great, but the Gazette is another story.
D. You never went to elementary school.
4.Which statement of the following is NOT true according to the passage？
A. The writer once lived in New York City, so he was used to reading newspapers like The New York Times.
B. The entire family enjoys reading the Styles section in the local newspaper.
C. The writer has long been planning to express his dissatisfaction with the local newspaper.
D. It is obvious that the editors of the newspaper are not very careful about their work.
Next autumn when you see wild geese (大雁) heading south for the winter flying in a V formation you might think about what scientists have discovered as to why they fly that way.
As each bird flaps (拍打) its wings, it creates an uplift (上升力) for the bird immediately following. By flying in a V formation the whole group adds at least 71% greater flying range (航程) than if each bird flies on its own.
People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going more quickly and easily because they are traveling on the push of one another.
When a wild goose falls out of the formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance (阻力) of trying to go alone and quickly tries to get back into the formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front. When the head goose gets tired, it flies back into the formation and another goose flies to the front. It is wise to take turns doing difficult jobs whether it be people or wild geese flying south.
Wild geese honk (发出雁叫声) from behind to inspire those up front to keep up their speed. What can we learn from this?
When a wild goose gets sick or wounded by gunshots, and falls out of the formation, two other geese will fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They will stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly or until it dies, and only then will they go on with their own or with another formation to catch up with their group.
1.Wild geese fly in a V formation in order to ________.
A. protect themselves from danger
B. fly more quickly and easily
C. help the sick and wounded
D. fly much higher in the sky
2.If a wild goose falls out of the V formation, ________.
A. the other geese will call it back
B. the other geese will fly with it
C. it will try to get back into the group
D. it will fall behind the whole group
3.What can we learn from the fifth paragraph?
A. We should try to lead others to move forward.
B. We should give people facing difficulties encouragement.
C. We should believe in those who offer us help.
D. We should care more about the old and sick.
4.When a wild goose becomes sick or is wounded, ________.
A. it will be left alone and will fall on the ground
B. the whole group will stop flying
C. two other geese will stay with it to offer help
D. other geese will honk to give it encouragement
Sri Lanka is known as the “Pearl of the Indian Ocean”, and it is easy to see why. This little country never fails to please visitors.
Arrive
The national airline is Sri Lankan Airlines, which flies from Colombo to London and a couple of other European cities. The country’s main airport is Colombo Bandaranaike, located 29km north of the capital city.
Why now?
The best time to visit Sri Lanka’s southern beaches is from November to April. So by going early in the season, you’ll get the best weather. Also in November, Deepavali, known as “Diwali” or the “Festival of Lights”, is Sri Lanka’s main religious festival, celebrated throughout the country.
See
There is plenty to see in Sri Lanka. The ancient capital cities of Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura are worth seeing, and so are many outstanding ruins. Other must-sees are the rock fortress (要塞) of Sigiriya, towering over the jungle as far as the eye can see, and Dambulla’s cave temple, the country’s largest and best preserved. Both are UNESCO World Heritage (遗产) Sites. Kandy is a picture-like town, which was the last stronghold of the Kandyan Kings. Today it is a cultural relic centre where age-old customs, arts, and crafts remain.
Do
Sri Lanka owns about 1,600km of beautiful palm-shaded beaches as well as warm, pure seas and colourful coral reefs. You can explore the underwater world, and surfing and diving are available too. Away from the shore, wildlife is a big draw for Sri Lanka, and Yala National Park is one of the best places in the world to see wild animals including leopards (豹) and elephants.
Taste
Sri Lanka is celebrated for its excellent food, with a particular emphasis on fresh fruit and vegetables on menus everywhere. Fish and seafood are a big part of the local diet.
Did you know?
Sri Lanka is known for its tea, but it is also the world’s largest producer and exporter of cinnamon(肉桂).
1.Which of the following is a cultural relic centre of Sri Lanka?
A. Kandy.B. Anuradhapura.C. Polonnaruwa.D. Colombo.
2.If you want to know something about “Diwali”, you’d better go there in ________.
A. September.B. October.C. November.D. May.
3.We learn from the passage that Sri Lanka ________.
A. is in the Pacific Ocean
B. is famous for its excellent food
C. is the world’s largest producer of tea
D. has only flights to London
书面表达
请写一篇吸烟危害的短文。
内容要点：吸烟会导致许多疾病，甚至一些危及生命的疾病。
吸烟不但对吸烟者自己有害，也严重影响不吸烟者的健康。
据报道，美国每年至少有32万人因吸烟而丧生。目前约有四千万人仍在吸烟。
可喜的是，越来越多的人已认识到其危害，开始戒烟。
青年学生不应该养成这一恶习，如有这一习惯，应尽早戒除。
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。
My uncle is the owner of a restaurant close to that I live. Though not very big, but the restaurant is popular in our area. It is always crowded with customers at meal times. Some people even had to wait outside. My uncle tells me that the key to his success is honest. Every day he makes sure that fresh vegetables or high quality oil are using for cooking. My uncle says that he never dreams becoming rich in the short period of time. Instead, he hopes that our business will grow steady.
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。
From the start of Growing Pains, Mike was always getting 1. trouble. He 2. (catch) by the police for driving a car too fast. He promised his parents that he would never ride a motorcycle, but then he hunt 3. (he) riding one. However, in the last year of the program, he helped a young boy who had no home, and asked his family to help him care for and support the boy. 4. his parents were upset because he often broke his promises, the way he cared for this boy made them 5. (pride) to have him as their son. These stories are good examples of the two sides of Mike’s 6. (natural). He sometimes did wrong things, but also cared for others and was a warm person. Mike became very popular. His face was in every magazine for teenagers, and young girls bought photos of him 7. (hang) on their bedroom walls.
Perhaps another reason 8. the program was popular in America is that most of its stories were about normal family programs. Many people watching it had the same problems. 9. Mike’s parents, many working parents worry about their children and have difficult 10. (decide) to make about them.
