Do you dream of the day when you can drive a car? In the United States, teenagers can get their driver’s license when they are only 16 years old, but it feels like forever until that day comes. Trust me, because I’ve been there.
1. But in my opinion, it’s worth it because it means having a lot of freedom. 2. and everything there is really spread out. So until I turned 16, my parents had to drive me pretty much everywhere.
There were several steps before I got that special plastic card. In Iowa, everyone can get their learner’s permit at the age of 14, which means you can only drive if your parent is sitting in the seat next to you.
3. In the state of Iowa, if you live more than a mile (1.6km) away from school you can get a school permit. You can only drive to school and back home. Luckily, I lived just over a mile away from school, so I was able to drive my mom’s car to school. 4.
Finally, after taking (and passing) a three-month-long driver’s education course and the final test, I was able to get my driver’s license. 5. It did in fact make life quite a bit easier.
A. I could almost taste the freedom already.
B. Still, on the day of my driver’s test, I was nervous.
C. The next step was to get my school permit at the age of 15.
D. Getting a driver’s license takes a lot of time and energy.
E. I’m from the rural state of Iowa that doesn’t have a lot of public transportation.
F. To many people, getting a driver’s license is a rite of passage (仪式) that involves a lot of luck.
G. But if you were caught going outside that route you would get in big trouble.
The London Travelcard is a paper ticket that is valid on all London public transport.
Online exclusive: you can not buy a paper 7 Day Travelcard from Underground stations in London — it can only be bought in advance.
Unlimited travel: the Travelcard gives you unlimited travel on London’s public transport network.
No queuing: while other visitors wait in line at the train station with their heavy bags, you’ll be ready to travel as soon as you arrive in London.
Low prices: a Travelcard is of great value, and you get a discount on the Tames Riverboats and Emirates Air Line cable car.
Should I buy an Anytime Travelcard or an Off Peak Travelcard?
It depends on what time of the day you will be travelling:
Anytime Travelcards can be used at any time; Off Peak Travelcards are cheaper, but cannot be used on Monday to Friday before 9:30 am.
Which zones do I need a Travelcard for?
The center of London, including most major attractions, is in Zones 1–2. Most suburban (郊区的) areas of London, including Wembley Stadium and Wimbledon Tennis Club, are within Zones 1-4. Almost the whole of London, including Heathrow and London City Airports, is in Zones 1-6.
To check which zones the areas you want to visit are in, see the full map of the London transport network.
Tickets prices:
| Zones 1–2 | Zones 1–3 | Zones 1–4 | Zones 1–5 | Zones 1–6 |
1 Day Anytime | N/A | N/A | Adult: 12.10 Child: 6.00 | N/A | Adult: 17.20 Child: 8.60 |
1 Day Off Peak | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Adult: 12.10 Child: 6.00 |
7 Day Anytime | Adult: 32.40 Child: 16.20 | Adult: 38.00 Child: 19.00 | Adult: 46.50 Child: 23.30 | Adult: 55.20 Child: 27.60 | Adult: 59.10 Child: 29.60 |
Single Journey | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Adult: 6.00 Child: 3.00 |
Adult: (16+) Child :(11-15)—Under 11 travel free, 11+ need their own travel ticket. N/A: Not available
London Travelcards can be used on :
London Underground (the Tube)
Overground and National Rail trains in London
London buses (in any Zone, irrespective of the zones shown on the ticket)
Trams (有轨电车) in South London
Docklands Light Railway (DLR)
You can also get a 33% discount on river boats and a 25% discount in the Emirates Air Line cable car.
1.Which of the following statement is true about the London Travlecard?
A. you can buy it from Underground stations in London
B. it saves you a lot of time waiting in line to get a ticket.
C. its price is based on how many times you want to travel.
D. With it you can get a discount on all transport in London.
2.If you want to travel from central London to Wembley Stadium after 10 am and stay at your friend’s home nearby for two days, a ______ is your best choice.
A. 1 Day Anytime Travlecard for Zones 1–4.
B. 1 Day Off Peak Travlecard for Zones 1–6.
C. Single Journey Travlecard for Zones 1–6.
D. 7 Day Anytime Travlecard for Zones 1–4.
3.If Jack is planning to take his two kids (aged 10 and 16) to travel in the centre of London with the 7 Day Anytime tickets, he should pay ______.
A. 32.40 B. 48.60
C. 64.80 D. 81.00
4.A London Travelcard for Zones 1–4 can Not be used on ______.
A. London buses in Zones 1–6
B. National Rail trains in central London
C. the Docklands Light Railway within Zone 4
D. the London Underground to get to the airports.
A new American weather satellite could save more lives by better predicting extreme weather conditions. The satellite was launched in the state of Florida on November 19, 2016. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, also known as NOAA, has been working with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on the project.
NOAA officials are calling the new satellite GOES-R. That is short for a much longer name the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R Series.
NOAA said GOES-R could improve the nation’s ability to observe weather conditions and make weather predictions. It said the satellite’s device would lead to more exact and timely weather forecasts, watches and warnings.
The government agency said the satellite will require testing of its six instruments and will be ready to work “within a year.” One of the six instruments on the satellite is designed to help scientists study lightning strikes and map them. This, NOAA says, will help the agency follow the movement of severe storms and provide more detailed warnings.
“The next generation of weather satellites is finally here,” said NOAA Administrator Kathryn Sullivan. She described GOES-R as one of the most effective Earth-observing machines ever created. Sullivan said its instruments will be able to study Earth five times faster and with four times more details than any other NOAA satellite currently in operation. An NOAA statement said the greater detail will help improve the agency’s study of ocean storms, as well as “the prediction and warnings of severe weather.” In addition, GOES-R will be able to provide improved rainfall estimates, which will lead to more timely and detailed flood warnings.
Craig Fugate, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA in short, says that the GOES-R satellite will improve the ability of people and organizations across America to prepare for, and react to, weather-related disasters.
1.What can we learn about the new weather satellite?
A. It has been put into service for more than 5 months already.
B. It is the most effective Earth-observing machine ever made.
C. It works faster and provides more detailed information than any other American satellite.
D. It can help America to get prepared for and react to climate catastrophes better.
2.The satellite gets its name directly from ______.
A. NOAA B. NASA
C. GOES-R D. FEMA
3.Why does the reporter quote the words from different people and organizations in the news?
A. To show opinions vary from person to person.
B. To show the development of the satellite.
C. To convince the readers of superb functions of the satellite.
D. To prove they are authorities.
4.The passage mainly focuses on ______.
A. a new American satellite that can be used for military purposes
B. what the next generation of American weather satellites will be like
C. the fact that NOAA and NASA work together to develop a new technology
D. the comparison between a new satellite and the older ones
Cheating has been around forever, and millions of ways to cheat have been fashioned. Copying homework and cheat sheets are some of the most basic ways. Desperate students have even gone as far as to steal the test or scan in bottle wrappers and put answers into the nutrition label. The Internet has now become available in almost every location, which opens a doorway for even more methods of cheating to be born.
There are countless opinions on whether or not cheating can be justified. Students often rationalize their cheating by claiming they forgot to look over the material or did not understand what the teacher was saying. Some other reasons students believe cheating is justified are their heavy workloads and they are struggling to find time for school, sports and etc. The majority of students who think cheating is acceptable may believe the reason for this is that there is not enough time given for assignments, or that the information is too much for the course.
It may be difficult to accomplish, but cheating can be prevented. Teachers and professors have tried many options to stop cheating, from simply spreading test-takers out in a room, to expelling（驱逐）a student. One simple way to fix the problem is to scold the student when caught. They may be so scared or embarrassed that they never do it again. This is a risky way to prevent cheating in some cases, however, because it can possibly damage self-esteem. Another simple way to avoid cheating is to create many different kinds of the same test, but students still have the option of using other cheating tactics.
There may be a million ways to cheat and get away with it, but there are few times, if any, that it is justified. Cheating never has to be a necessity. This problem is spreading throughout America; with everyone's help, it can be stopped.
1.What does the underlined word “justified” probably mean in this passage?
A. reasonable B. necessary
C. praiseworthy D. preventable
2.The reason that is given by most students who think cheating is understandable is that _____.
A. they don't understand their teachers' words
B. they bury themselves in a lot of homework
C. they don't have enough time to complete the study tasks
D. they forget to look over the material
3.What is the disadvantage of scolding the cheating students according to the passage?
A. They may continue to cheat next time.
B. They may be hurt mentally.
C. They may use other cheating tactics.
D. They may get on badly with their teachers.
English teacher and Internet entrepreneur (企业家) Jack Ma founded Alibaba 18years ago in his tiny apartment in Hangzhou, China. Now, Ma has become the richest man in China. Every current entrepreneur and business leader should learn from how a Chinese English teacher became such a great success.
Start here, go anywhere. Recognizing the importance of English, young Ma would ride his bike to a nearby hotel and guide foreigners around the city just to learn and practice the language.
He has vision and he had help. Ma saw the Internet’s enormous potential to bridge businesses across China’s huge population early on. So he and his wife brought 17 friends together and pooled ＄60,000 to start the company. That formed the basis for the company’s dynamic partnership structure and unique culture.
Big problems lead to big opportunities. China’s lack of infrastructure (基础设施) has always been a problem for the enormous nation’s small businesses. Alibaba solved that and now accounts for 80% of the country’s e-commerce.
Innovation comes from unique individuals who think and act differently. Everyone talks about changing the world and making tones of money these days, but those who actually do it are exceptional individuals with breakthrough ideas, uncommon vision and a passion to do great work.
What’s is in a name? Jack Ma was sitting in a San Francisco coffee shop when he thought of how Alibaba overheard the secret of the 40 thieves in his story —“open sesame (芝麻)”—and unlocked untold riches. He simply wanted his company to have a global and interesting name, and realized that Alibaba was a story known across the world. As an additional bonus, Ma said that because it begins with A, it also appears at the top of lists.
1.The article is about ______.
A. Jack Ma’s life story B. the secrets to Jack Ma’s success
C. Jack Ma’s business team D. the development of Alibaba
2.According to the article, the first step in Jack Ma’s success came from ______.
A. mastering the English language B. the unique culture of his partnership
C. innovation from his team D. the foundation of his company
3.Jack Ma named his company after Alibaba because ______.
A. it begins with an A
B. his team worked out such a good idea.
C. inspiration came to him when he was listening to a story.
D. it came from a story that is well-known around the world.
4.Which of the following words best describe Jack Ma?
A. Ambitious and creative B. Humorous and innovative
C. Strict and intelligent D. Passionate and considerate
假定你是李华。从学校通告栏上看到某公司招聘海外游学团领队的广告，你很感兴趣。请写一封英文电子邮件咨询此职位的工作职责、资历要求及报酬等相关信息。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
3. 参考词汇：通告栏 notice board；游学团 study tour
注：请各校自行制作答题卡，书面表达内容可参考如下：
Dear Sir/Madam,
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
