When I was a boy we had several gardens around our old house. The largest one of all was used just for __ potatoes. I can still remember those potato __ days. The whole __ helped.
__ my Dad had tilled(耕地）the soil, my Mom, brothers, and I went to work. It was my job to __ the little seed potatoes in the rows while my Mom dropped __ of fertilizer (肥料）beside them. My brothers then covered them all __ the freshly turned earth.
For months afterward I would __ over at the garden while I played outside and wonder what was going on underneath the ground. When the harvest time came I was __ at the huge size of the potatoes my Dad pulled out of the soil.
Those little seedlings had grown into sweet food. They would be __ meal after meal of baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, fried potatoes, and my __ favorite: potatoes cooked in spaghetti sauce.
They would __ the entire family well fed throughout the whole year. It __ was a miracle to be held.
Thinking back to those special times makes me wonder how many other __ I have planted in tills life that have grown ___in the hearts and minds of others.
How many times has God used some little thing that I said __ did to grow something beautiful? How many __ has Heaven used these little seedlings to __ another's soul with sweet food?
I hope then you always __ the garden around you with care. I hope that you plant only goodness, peace, and___ in the lives of everyone you help. I hope that everyday you help miracles to grow.
1.A. selling B. growing C. cooking D. cutting
2.A. planted B. planting C. being planted D. to plant
3.A. committee B. group C. family D. class
4.A. Before B. Since C. Until D. After
5.A. drop B. throw C. pull D. drive
6.A. boatfuls B. housefuls C. handfuls D. mouthfuls
7.A. at B. with C. by D. on
8.A. see B. notice C. glance D. glare
9.A. encouraged B. annoyed C. tired D. amazed
10.A. run into B. broken into C. looked into D. turned into
11.A. personal B. practical C. pure D. powerful
12.A. know B. knock C. keep D. kick
13.A. truly B. bitterly C. frequently D. conveniently
14.A. rows B. gardens C. seeds D. potatoes
15.A. unmade B. unseen C. unprotected D. untouched
16.A. and B. or C. so D. For
17.A. gardens B. rows C. days D. times
18.A. provide B. shut C. approach D. view
19.A. promote B. take C. close D. tend
20.A. love B. hate C. anger D. sadness
Humans have daydreamed for thousands of years, and yet, these days, spare moments are filled with using our smartphones and other devices—going through social media, listening to podcasts, responding to emails—leaving us little time to let our minds wander.
1. When you’re in a daydreaming state of mind, you can imagine or pretend your own version of events.
“My most creative moments come when my brain is allowed to rest” says Megan King, a designer. But she is addicted to her smart phone. 2. According to Nielsen, Americans spend 10.5 hours a day consuming media. And UK residents are close behind at almost 10 hours a day, according to eMarketer.
3. This may seem a small change, but its effect, on the way our minds work and on our collective creativity could be serious. 4.
Over years of studies, researchers have found that our brain has two separate attention systems — an external one and an internal one. The internal attention system, which is activated(激活）during daydreaming, is called the default network(默认网络).
The default network is particularly active when we are thinking about ourselves, thinking about the past, thinking about the future. 5.
If both systems can’t be active at the same time and we’re spending 10 hours a day in one attention system, it begs the question: what is that doing to our brains — and our ability to come up with creative ideas?
A. Daydreaming is the opposite of our dreams.
B. This extended screen time has made some of us uncomfortable sitting alone with our own thoughts.
C. Daydreaming is how we access our big-picture state of mind.
D. In fact, it could be preventing your ability to come up with fresh, creative ideas.
E. We can’t really have both attention systems active at the same time.
F. People spend too much time on screen suffer from headaches.
G. She's not alone.
It has taken an extremely long time - 161 years - but the National Portrait Gallery finally has the Duke(公爵)of Wellington in its collection after a fundraising campaign reached its £1.3m target.
The gallery announced on Thursday that it had acquired Sir Thomas Lawrence's unfinished final painting of a man regarded as Britain's greatest soldier after a successful appeal.
Nicholas Cullinan, the gallery's director, said the NPG had been looking for a suitable painting of the Duke of Wellington since the gallery was founded in 1856.
He called it “a remarkable painting'', while Lucy Peltz, the gallery's senior manager of 18th-century paintings, said the work was "an inspiring and powerful image of one of the most influential men of the 18ih and 19th centuries”.
The NPG announced last November that it needed to raise £300,000, the final piece of a funding jigsaw(拼图).The Art Fund had already contributed £350,000 and the appeal reached its target thanks to £200,000 from the G&K Boyes charitable trust and £180,000 from the National Heritage Memorial Fund. A further £570,000 came from a public appeal and the gallery's own funds.
It was painted in 1829 when Wellington was prime minister, however, Lawrence died in 1830 leaving the portrait unfinished. The gallery believes it is a more attractive work because of that, with the viewer focusing more on the man himself rather than any clothes of power.
Dan Snow, the historian and broadcaster, said Wellington was a "titanic figure” in British history... the only field greatest prime minister, a man of genius on and off the battlefield. He added: “ This arresting portrait must sit in the national collection and now, following an outpouring of donation, it will do. The artist has caught the Duke's legendary features. Among his many contributions to British life he formed the culture of unbending spirit in the face of difficulty.”
The painting was lent to the NPG in 2015 for an exhibition marking the Battle of Waterloo.
1.Who was regarded as Britain’ greatest soldier in the article?
A. Lucy Peltz. B. Dan Snow.
C. Sir Thomas Lawrence. D. The Duke of Wellington.
2.Why did the NPG need to raise £300,000 last November?
A. Because it is aimed at £1.3m to draw a painting of Wellington.
B. Because it is short of fund to include the painting to its collection.
C. Because different organizations donated much money to the NPG
D. Because Lucy Peltz took charge of the gallery's 18th century paintings.
3.What makes the NPG believe the portrait more attractive?
A. The powerful spirit. B. The unfinished work.
C. The clothes of Wellington. D. The Battle of Waterloo.
4.What do you know from Dan Snow's words?
A. Wellington was a successful politician and soldier.
B. The owner must donate the painting to the NPG
C. The NPG will display the painting for celebration.
D. The artist removed a unique British culture of bravery.
Kelly Payton's fifth grade students might read newspaper articles about immigration or Syrian refugees(难民) or climate change. Sometimes they read the same stories, and other times they're instructed to go online and like other readers, click on the headlines that most appeal to them.
By reading current stories about the concerns of others, Payton, a teacher at a public school, has noticed her students developing more empathy(共鸣).
That was the goal of “A Mile in Our Shoes” a new program from Newsela, which takes content from a variety of believable news sources like the Associated Press, The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times, and rewrites the articles at five reading levels to make reading news accessible to all ages.
“ Relevance means so much to students,” Gross said. "When students feel as though a topic is related they perform better on standardized tests. It doesn't mean we throw out historical documents, but ii brings it much more to life when you can tic it to things in their lives and the communities around them.”
So in 2013, Gross developed an interactive platform, used by about 1 million teachers across America, where kids from grades 2-12 could read content that is interesting and understandable. For example, here’s two versions about sanctuary(庇护）cities.
The original story began: Ignoring fresh threats from the White House, city leaders across the U.S. are promising to strengthen their fight against President Donald Trump's promised crackdown on so-called “sanctuary cities" despite the financial risks.
The version rewritten for the lowest reading level began: Some U.S. cities are very welcoming when it comes to immigration(移民). Many cities have become “sanctuary cities.” These cities allow immigrants. They are welcome even if they do not have permission to live in the United States.
Adding this to Newscla wasn’t intended to be political, Gross said, but was a response to concerns he heard from teachers after the election that their students weren’t getting exposure to different opinions. Instead, kids were repeating what they heard at home from parents.
1.What might Kelly Payton's fifth grade students do?
A. Read news stories about global warning.
B. Make an attempt to protect Syrian refugees.
C. Go online to write comments on immigration.
D. Share some appealing headlines on the Internet.
2.What is the goal of “A Mile in Our Shoes''?
A. To improve students' listening ability.
B. To rewrite newspapers for all students.
C. To cooperate with some news sources.
D. To help students understand others’ feelings.
3.Why did Gross develop an interactive platform in 2013?
A. Because it could help students’ health.
B. Because students could make friends.
C. Because 1 million teachers could buy it.
D. Because it may be beneficial to students' lives.
4.Which of the following is Newsela' intention by rewriting the original story?
A. Train students to be political.
B. Appeal to the teachers’ attention.
C. Expose students to different views.
D. Have students repeal parents’ views.
My community and suite are still recovering from the disaster that struck recently. A wall of storms with hurricane force winds struck late on a Friday evening knocking down trees, blocking roads, damaging homes, and destroying power lines.
Hundreds of people suddenly found themselves in the dark without water, electricity, air conditioning, telephones, the Internet, and television. They found themselves cut off from the modem world enduring uncomfortable heat.
The most amazing thing happened, however, as the reality of the crisis sank in: it brought out the best in us. While there were a few acts of selfishness and stealing they were covered by the wave of love that came from the hearts of so many.
People shared their food, ice, and gas. People who still had power opened their homes to those who had none. People rushed out to clear roads and homes. Selfless power crews worked around the clock to repair the damage and restore electricity. People gathered to talk, share hugs and offer words of hope and faith that God would see them through it all. Strangers came together as one family to help each other in this time of great need.
It was such a joy seeing all these people acting like true Children of God under the most trying circumstances. Life's disasters often strike all of us. No one is spared. We all get hurt and challenged. How we respond to them, though, is up to us. We can let them bring out the worst or the best in us. We can react to them like demons of selfishness or like angels of love.
May you always bring the best from your heart and soul to whatever life may throw at you then May you live all of your days here with so much love that Heaven sings and God smiles.
1.How were the community and state affected by the storm?
A. Power lines were restored. B. People were blocking the roads.
C. Electricity supply was cut off. D. The unbearable heat killed people.
2.Why did the reality bring out the best in people?
A. Because there were no acts of selfishness and stealing.
B. Because people were busy repairing the damaged roads.
C. Because Children of God got all of people together here.
D. Because people are only too ready to help others selflessly.
3.What docs “trying” in paragraph 5 mean?
A. easy. B. difficult.
C. convenient. D. comfortable.
4.What suggestion does the writer give when it comes lo difficulties?
A. Throw your heart to life.
B. Leave your soul to demons.
C. Face difficulties with love.
D. Choose whatever you like.
Monthly Talks at London Canal Museum
Our monthly talks start at 19:30 on the first Thursday of each month except August. Admission is at normal charges and you don’t need to book. They end around 21:00.
November 7th
The Canal Pioneers, by Chris Lewis. James Brindley is recognized as one of the leading early canal engineers. He was also a major player in training others in the art of canal planning and building. Chris Lewis will explain how Brindley made such a positive contribution to the education of that group of early “civil engineers”.
December 5th
Ice for the Metropolis, by Malcolm Tucker. Well before the arrival of freezers, there was a demand for ice for food preservation and catering, Malcolm will explain the history of importing natural ice and the technology of building ice wells, and how London’s ice trade grew.
February 6th
An Update on the Cotsword Canals, by Liz Payne. The Stroudwater Canal is moving towards reopening. The Thames and Severn Canal will take a little longer. We will have a report on the present state of play.
March 6th
Eyots and Aits-Thames Islands, by Miranda Vickers. The Thames had many islands. Miranda has undertaken a review of all of them. She will tell us about those of greatest interest.
Online bookings:www.canalmuseum.org.uk/book
More into:www.canalmuseum.org.uk/whatson
London Canal Museum
12-13 New Wharf Road, London NI 9RT
www.canalmuseum.org.uk www.canalmuseum.mobi
Tel:020 77130836
1.When is the talk on James Brindley?
A. February 6th. B. December 5th.
C. November 7th. D. March 6th.
2.What is the topic of the talk in February?
A. The Canal Pioneers. B. An Update on the Cotsword Canals
C. Eyots and Aits-Thames Islands D. Ice for the Metropolis
3.Who will give the talk on the islands in the Thames.
A. Miranda Vickers B. Malcolm Tucker
C. Chris Lewis D. Liz Payne
