In the USA the high school graduation ceremony is of great1.(important).12th-grade students,or seniors,who are about 17 or 18 years old,look forward to2.(attend) this event.
The graduation ceremony itself takes place at the end of May or beginning of June,3.usually includes music, awards,and a guest speaker.After the speeches,students walk to the front of the room to receive their diplomas from the headmaster.Students start preparing for graduation a long time before it4.(happen).They order rings designed 5.(especial) for their class.
6.tradition is to have their photographs taken.These photographs are used for the class year book,which is a 7.(print) book about all the students in the school.Students have special cards called announcements printed to send to friends and relatives to tell them about their graduation.The cards often include an8.(invite) to the ceremony.If you receive it,you should send a present9.money to the graduate.A few weeks before the ceremony, the students10.(measure) for the cap that they will wear at the ceremony.After the ceremony,families usually have graduation parties for friends and relatives.It's a day and a night that high school seniors remember for a long time.
The most important lesson I learned in high school had nothing to do with maths or American history.It came at graduation,several minutes before I left Miramonte High School.
I was rather shy back then,content to____around with my few friends and to concentrate on my____I was doing so well that by the end of senior year I had perfect scores and enough____to go to college.
But my good record soon became a____to my well-being.In early June of senior year,the headmaster called me into his office.He asked me to give a leave-taking speech at graduation.I looked at him,my heart____fast.This was the____for my hard work?I said something,but not very clearly,and hurried away from the office.
I was____about the decision,finally agreeing to compromise.I wasn't the only speaker—I would____the honor with five other students.Still,it was doubtful whether the task was____me.How in the world would I give a speech to hundreds of people?
Graduation day soon arrived and,as____,I was nervous.I'd been practicing my speech for days,and I had it____. But I had never been so____in my life.The first half hour of the ceremony passed,and then my____came.My name was announced.I managed to reach the platform without falling down.But within minutes,I finished my speech,____ back to my seat and feeling unsatisfied with my performance.
Now I still have the____of that speech.My voice trembled a little,but____it was clear and strong.I'm proud of that tape.I achieved something I'd never____—I spoke in front of hundreds of people.____I didn't realize it at the time,the successful completion of that speech gave me the____to participate in class at college,to give oral reports, and to eventually break free of my____.
I would never have chosen to give a speech at graduation.But I am glad I did.I know it may well turn out to be one of my shining moments.
1.A. hang B. look C. turn D. run
2.A. characters B. interests C. games D. subjects
3.A. money B. credits C. time D. standards
4.A. luck B. benefit C. fear D. solution
5.A. burning B. breaking C. aching D. beating
6.A. punishment B. reward C. arrangement D. sympathy
7.A. doubtful B. optimistic C. generous D. hesitant
8.A. share B. bring C. spare D. give
9.A. about B. for C. upon D. beyond
10.A. known B. hoped C. expected D. planned
11.A. thrown B. printed C. memorized D. completed
12.A. interested B. terrified C. excited D. disappointed
13.A. moment B. clay C. chance D. decision
14.A. passing B. handing C. heading D. returning
15.A. picture B. tape C. paper D. word
16.A. partially B. immediately C. frankly D. mostly
17.A. dreamed B. made C. decided D. requested
18.A. Because B. When C. Although D. Unless
19.A. respect B. confidence C. freedom D. excuse
20.A. shyness B. pride C. stupidity D. courage
1.What we consider polite at home isn't always accepted outside our borders.Don't be regarded rude or disrespectful on your travels.
Gift giving should be a happy,positive experience.2.Giving sharp,pointy objects as gifts is considered unlucky.Be careful when presenting flowers to a friend or a business partner in Russia.Yellow blooms suggest cheat or a relationship breakup.3.Writing cards or notes while visiting South Korea,be mindful of your pen's ink color. Writing a person's name in red ink traditionally suggests that the person has passed away.
4.If you are invited to someone's home for a meal,it's recommended that you arrive 10 to 15 minutes later than the requested time.When having a meal in Egypt,don't use the salt shaker（调味瓶）which means that you find the meal terrible.Japan is a very polite nation,and their politeness extends to the mealtime use of chopsticks. According to Japanese custom,it's considered ill-mannered to point or play with chopsticks.5.Using the end that touches your mouth is extremely offensive（冒犯的）,not to mention the fact that it's unhygienic（不卫生的）.
A.When selecting a present in the Netherlands,don't buy kitchen knives or scissors.
B.Punctuality is considered to be good manners all over the world.
C.When traveling,it's important to learn about the customs of the global village.
D.Red carnations（康乃馨）are usually presented to Mothers.
E.While eating,use the opposite end of your chopsticks to secure food from a shared plate.
F.Being early or on time is viewed as being rude in Venezuela.
G.Traditionally,red carnations are placed on the tombs of the dead.
I had a great time this past summer visiting Stone Mountain Park with my twin grandsons.I had the opportunity to spend the day with them seeing the various sights and attractions.One thing that my grandsons had really wanted to do that particular day was to climb to the top of the mountain.Stone Mountain isn't a particularly tall mountain and fortunately has walking trails to the top,but for two 5-year-olds,along with grandpa,it's a formidable task.
Since my grandson's enthusiasm was much greater than mine,I decided to start the slow walk up the mountain. The beginning part of the trail was slow and gradual.It seemed like we were taking forever to climb just a short distance,but I had to remind myself that it took 3 of their steps to equal 1 of mine,so I found myself walking ahead of them,then having to stop and let them catch up,over and over again.
I was tired and sweaty,just wanting to get to the top of the mountain so I could rest well before starting my way back.I learned early on during our walk that this wasn't going to be the case.We had to stop and look at every large rock with someone's name carved in it.We looked at unusual plant formations.We examined large trees and we explored small rock overhangs that reminded the kids of caves.My grandsons viewed the walk as an exciting adventure.Climbing the mountain was a trial to me but my grandsons were not focused at all on the trial of climbing the mountain;they were simply enjoying the journey of the walk.
I know when I face a trial in life,I tend to always think of the problem.I want the trial to be over quickly and let life get back to normal.What can I learn during the course of the trial? At some point,the trial will be over and we'll be joyous for sure.
However,the real joy should not be that the trial's over,but I am celebrating what I learned during the journey.
1.What does the underlined word "formidable" in Paragraph 1 mean?
A. Relaxing. B. Meaningful.
C. Strange. D. Difficult.
2.What can we know from Paragraph 2?
A. The writer kept challenging his grandsons to catch up with him.
B. Old as the writer was,he walked much faster than his grandsons.
C. The writer and his grandsons walked up the mountain very fast at the beginning.
D. The writer was more eager to climb to the top of the mountain than his grandsons.
3.Why did the writer only want to reach the mountain top?
A. To have a good rest. B. To get a better view.
C. To enjoy unusual plants. D. To see large rocks carved with names.
4.What can be the best title of the text?
A. A tiring day spent with grandsons. B. Joy coming from mountain-climbing.
C. A life lesson learnt from grandsons. D. Learning to enjoy the journey.
Many people rush into the commitment of bringing home a four-legged family member,only to find out that they are not ready for a pet.This often results in the dog being turned over to a shelter where it may not find another home.This can be avoided if potential pet owners take the time to figure out if they are truly ready for the responsibilities of pet ownership.
Being a responsible pet owner involves a financial commitment that goes beyond buying dog food.There are also parasite（寄生虫）prevention,boarding costs while traveling and the cost to care for the pet should it become ill or injured.That is not to say that one must be rich in order to have a dog,but it is important to be prepared for the expenses that come with being a pet owner.
Another consideration is the time commitment.An owner away from home for 14 hours every day is not an ideal situation for a dog.A potential dog owner must also consider the time it takes to care for his or her pet,the time it takes to feed,walk,play with,bathe and clean up.Also,dogs require attention.Be prepared to spend time each day petting and playing with it.
Dogs are dogs,and will act like dogs.This includes barking,digging,having accidents in the house and,possibly, destroying some of the owner's prized possessions,such as furniture,shoes and cell phones.If the above would cause an owner to want to get rid of the dog,then he or she is not yet ready to be a pet owner.Many wonderful pets end up in shelters simply because they acted like dogs!
1.Who might be qualified to be a dog owner according to the text?
A. Kari,a teacher who works eight hours a day.
B. Jim,who has a daughter sensitive to dog's smell.
C. Dick,a jobless teenager who can hardly pay his rent.
D. Steven,a business man who travels a lot on business.
2.To be a responsible dog owner you need to do all the following EXCEPT .
A. buying dog food and feeding it
B. taking it to hospital when necessary
C. spending time each day playing with it
D. finding a shelter for it when you are bored with it
3.What does the underlined part in the first paragraph probably mean?
A. Rush to adopt a dog formally.
B. Commit to buy a dog and take it home.
C. Run into a pet shelter and take one home so quickly.
D. Decide to be a pet owner without thinking about it carefully.
4.What might be the best title for the text?
A. Dogs Are Dogs B. Ready for a Pet?
C. Have Time for a Dog? D. Pets Are Family Members
The giant Sequoia trees in California grip tightly into the floor,but with shallow root,with little depth.Constantly challenging the natural elements and fighting off destruction,the giant Sequoia is "king of the forest".These trees are so tall and strong that eventually they become their own worst enemy.For you see,the Sequoia can resist lightning, storm,and wind,but eventually their roots cannot support their own weight and strength.After hundreds or thousands of years,they tumble to the ground like giant skyscrapers that have fallen from their bases after powerful explosives are detonated（引爆）.
In many ways,many of us are like those giant Sequoias,so proud,so bit,so strong,withstanding wind and fire,yet not allowing our roots to seek deep into life's meaning.Many people have only shallow roots in soft ground,leaving them constantly on the edge of falling over to their destruction.
The first step we should take is to anchor ourselves with the firm intention of establishing strong roots of life and belief.We must trust the ground we stand on,and allow ourselves to plant the rich seeds of passion into our life's soil,nurturing it with the rain of love and joy,then allowing the fertilizer to soak into the very "veins" of the roots, leading to the trunk's healthy development.We've all seen many men with a strong trunk but no roots.They place the material dimension of wealth and finance above their own roots and foundational beliefs.They become so heavy with possessions,money,and the burden of wealth that they finally fall over as the giant Sequoia uproots itself and self-destructs.
1.The Sequoia is called "king of the forest" because it .
A. grips tightly into the forest floor B. grows to be very tall and strong
C. lives to thousands of years D. looks like a skyscraper
2.What does the underlined word "tumble" mean?
A. Explode. B. Reach.
C. Build up. D. Break down.
3.The writer's purpose in introducing the Sequoia is to .
A. tell a life truth
B. encourage struggling people
C. show the meaning of happiness
D. warn people about the danger of becoming strong
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Life Is Rooted in A Strong Belief. B. Our Biggest Enemy Is Ourselves.
C. The Meaning of Life. D. Build Firm Life Foundation.
