A massive winter storm is expected to begin hitting Massachusetts tonight, dumping up to a foot or more of snow in some areas, while whipping the coast with powerful winds and driving rains, forecasters predict.
“It’s got a little bit of everything,” William Babecock, a meteologist（气象学家）at the National Weather Service in Taunton, said of the post-Christmas storm that brought snowstorm conditions to the Ohio Valley before heading east with its mixed bag of snow, sleet, and rain.
State Highway Administrator Frank De Paola said more than 4,000 states and snowplows（扫雪车）and salt spreaders were ready to make the roads safer for holiday travelers.
“MassDOT will be fully staffed and will be ready to handle this,” De Paola said, nothing that the storm, which should bring snow to most of the state except the Cape and Island before turning into rain tomorrow, is Massachusetts’ first significant snow storm of this winter season.
“There have been events where we have had pretty much freezing, icing concerns, which we have treated with chemicals.But this is the first big event that will call for plowing,” he said.
A high wind watch has been issued for southeastern Massachusetts, including Cape Cod, Forecasters say the wind could reach 60 mph, possibly bringing down power lines.
In Worcester, some were busy for severer by buying rock salt,shovels and windshield wash,Barrows Hardware president Brain Barrow said.He called the volume（总量）of customers at his Webster Street store very steady on Wednesday morning, “You do get that supermarket effect for sure,”he said of shoppers stocking supplies before a storm.
There were no flight delays or cancellations at Logan International Airport in Boston as of day,” Right now, everything’s running normally.” airport spokesman Richard Walsh said.But Walsh said as the day progressed, travelers should contact their airlines directly to check the status of their flights.
1.According to William Babecock, we can know that_____.
A. snow, sleet, and rain occurred after Christmas
B. nothing has been done to prepare for the winter storm
C. 400 snowplows were ready for the snow
D. the snowstorm came from the Ohio snow
2.We can conclude from Paragraph 5 that_____.
A. this winter season is filled with great significance
B. Massachusetts seldom sees snow all year round
C. here are some poisonous chemicals in the snow
D. the icy roads have inconvenienced people
3.Some people bought supplies _______.
A. became they got affected by the supermarket
B. because they were wrongly directed to do this
C. because they were excited to be informed
D. because they were preparing themselves for the snow
4.What does the author mainly want to say in the passage?
A. People tend to fall into a panic when faced with had weather
B. The government shows concern for people’s living conditions
C. People from all walks of life have gotten ready for the snow
D. Flights usually aren’t affected much by had weather
Up to 60 Shanghai maths teachers are to be brought to England to raise standards, in an exchange arranged by the Department for Education.The announcement comes as a campaign is launched to raise adult maths skills.A survey of 300 adults for the numeracy campaign found that over a third thought their level of maths had held them back.An accompanying economic analysis said that a lack of maths skills cost the UK 20 billion pounds per year.
The plan to bring 60 English-speaking maths teachers from Shanghai is an attempt to learn from a city that has been the top performance in the OECD's Pisa tests.The OECD says that children of poor families in Shanghai are on average better at maths than middle class children in the UK.The Shanghai teachers, expected to arrive from the autumn, will help share their teaching methods, support pupils who are struggling and help to train other teachers.
“We have some smart maths teachers in this country but what I saw in Shanghai-and other Chinese cities-has only strengthened my belief that we can learn from them.” said education minister, Elizabeth Truss, who has recently visited Shanghai, accompanied by head teachers from England, “They have a can-do attitude to maths-and I want us to match that, and their performance,” She stressed the economic significance of raising maths standards, for individuals and the country.'As part of our long term economic plan, we are determined to drive up standards in our schools and give our young people the skills they need to succeed in the global race.Good maths qualifications have the greatest earning potential and provide the strongest protection against unemployment,” said the education minister.
1.Poor maths skills have caused serious _____ consequences in England.
A. academic B. economic
C. cultural D. political
2.What is the main factor behind Shanghai teachers’success in maths teaching?
A. Their students are from poor families
B. Their students have a talent for maths
C. They have a positive attitude to teaching
D. They teach in a highly developed city.
3.According to Elizabeth Truss, raising maths standards can be helpful in_____.
A. equipping young people with global competitiveness
B. promoting the pupils’ international test performance
C. teaching how to earn money in the global market
D. discovering one’s maths talent at an early age
4.What can be the best title for the passage?
A. Good Maths Skills Are about Hard Work
B. Why Are English Maths Standards Left Behind?
C. Why Are Shanghai Maths Teachers Getting Popular?
D. Chinese Teachers Bring the Art of Maths to English Schools
Creative Writing Summer School
2-15 August 2015
Study at one of the world's leading universities
About the Creative Writing Summer School
This programme is for those wishing to develop their existing creative writing skills, either for eventual professional use, or out of personal interest.Workshop courses take place twice a day.In a series of plenary(全体出席的)lectures (each morning, and on some evenings), novelists, poets and writers of creative non-fiction discuss their own work and the art of writing.Plenary lectures are designed to expand students' understanding of their own creative options.Students will expected to complete daily writing tasks outside classroom hours; the resulting work will form the primary focus of the workshops.
What will I be studying?
Workshop courses focus on practical writing skills and critical reflection; there are specialist options in fiction; creative non-fiction and poetry, and writing for stage and screen, as well as a more broadly-based writing course.
Who can apply?
The programme is open to university students, literature teachers, professionals and those with other life experience; gap-year students preparing for university may also apply (students must be accompanied by a parent/ guardian if under 18 when the programme starts).Participants must also meet the language requirements specific to this programme and will be asked to provide a 300-400 word piece explaining their reasons for applying.
Who will be teaching me?
Courses are taught by a combination of published writers associated with the School of Continuing Education, Peking University and by guest subject specialists from beyond the university.
Where will I stay?
Participants can stay in the School of Continuing Education, Peking University, close to the teaching sites and city Coventry.
How do I apply?
You can download an application form or apply online.
Find out more: www.sce.pku.edu.cn
1.Participants are supposed to finish their writing tasks______.
A. in the morning B. in the evening
C. after class D. during plenary lectures
2.The writing courses_____·
A. focus on practical writing skills
B. cover various kinds of writing
C. don't include writing for stage and screen
D. are mainly about creative non-fiction
3.Applicants need to write an essay to_______.
A. introduce themselves
B. show their writing skills
C. state their language learning experiences
D. explain why they want to attend the programme
假如你是李华，你准备暑假去英国旅游一个月。请你写信向你的英国笔友Tom询问有关在英国住宿、观光等方面的问题以及其他注意事项。要点如下：
1.写信的目的；
2.寻求帮助和建议；
3.表达谢意。
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Tom,
How are you getting on with your life?_________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
I’ m looking forward to your early reply and I can’t wait to see you.
Yours,
Li Hua
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：在错的词下画一横线，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。
Tower Bridge is not only a very specially landmark in London, but also one of the most famous bridge in the world. Tower Bridge had stood over the River Thames in London since 1894. On June 30, 1894, the bridge designing by Horace Jones and Wolfe Barry were constructed. Tower Bridge consists two huge towers, that are linked together. The bridge stands at a height of 60 meters but the height of each tower is about 43 meters. The middle part of the bridge can be lifted up when huge ships past through that way. In the past, it was lifted nearly 50 times per a day.
While I was in Ojai this past weekend, I came across a man 1. (sit) at a bench by himself. I smiled and said hello to him. As I passed, he yelled to me 2. (come) back. The man said that I was the only one of the 3. (passer-by) who had treated him in such a kind way. He said he was a reverend (牧市) and asked 4. I was from; I said England. At that point, most people would say something like, near London. 5., his response was Birmingham. As 6. matter of fact, Birmingham is the largest city near my rural hometown. We carried on a 7. (friend) conversation and in the conversation, I 8. (inform) that he needed some money to go back home. Not knowing how much money I had, I told him I’d give him whatever was in my purse. He said he prayed that I’d have $47. Then I opened the wallet in my purse and counted out the money. That was 9. (exact) $47. I offered the man all of my money. I felt really good for giving help to someone, 10. was in trouble.
Today I share this story with you, because I want to spread as much kindness in the world as I can.
