Growing up, I always hid my thumbs（拇指）in my fists because of their unusual shape. _______ they do look more like a big toe（脚趾）_______ a thumb. And from an early age, my thumbs_______ another name “toe thumbs” .
In high school, I served as a cashier in a grocery store. One day, I was_______ a sweet little old lady and as I _______ her change back to her, she suddenly took my hands and said in a thick Polish _______ , “You are Polish! Look at those_______ Polish thumbs! They match mine!” She raised her hands and_______ her thumbs to me that_______ weathered and wrinkled, looked exactly like mine! She_______ my hands again and said, “Be_______ of those thumbs!”
I’ll never forget that 30-second_______ with a stranger that forever_______ my view of a part of me I once was_______ by and now accept. As I was eating dinner with my Samuel tonight, he looked down at my hand_______ on the table next to his and said, “Mommy! Our thumbs _______ !” I smiled and answered, “Yes, they do, buddy! Those are strong Polish _______ you have! Take pride in them! Maybe someday you’ll have a little boy or girl who will have the same thumbs!” I _______ my son never hides his thumbs like I did. I hope he’ll be proud of their “unusualness” and the _______ behind them. He carries on a(n) _______ part of me and that for me will always be beautiful!
1.A. Fortunately B. Admittedly C. Normally D. Basically
2.A. other than B. due to C. instead of D. along with
3.A. earned B. cloned C. found D. deserved
4.A. checking out B. waiting for C. talking with D. watching over
5.A. paid B. charged C. donated D. counted
6.A. tune B. voice C. language D. accent
7.A. beautiful B. strange C. long D. clumsy
8.A. passed B. showed C. recommended D. offered
9.A. till B. unless C. although D. once
10.A. raised B. inspected C. examined D. held
11.A. proud B. skeptical C. afraid D. sure
12.A. appointment B. bargain C. conversation D. deal
13.A. supported B. changed C. proved D. hurt
14.A. amazed B. frightened C. delighted D. embarrassed
15.A. scratching B. resting C. knocking D. drawing
16.A. differ B. suit C. fight D. match
17.A. fists B. thumbs C. toes D. hands
18.A. guarantee B. figure C. pray D. insist
19.A. scene B. lesson C. history D. moment
20.A. unique B. elegant C. authentic D. sensitive
Many people think only professionals—engineers, accountants, teachers, etc.—have careers.1. Even if you’ve never had a paid job, you still have a career. Your career is the sum of your life and work. It includes all your activities and experiences. Your schooling, your volunteer work, and even your relationships with your family are all big parts of your career. 2.
During your career, you will have a variety of jobs, occupations and roles. People used to think of a job as full-time, permanent, paid work done for an employer at a work site. But in our changing world, a job is a set of duties or tasks. It can be paid or unpaid. 3. Even someone who is self-employed has a job.
An occupation is a group of jobs with similar responsibilities that require a common set of skills. 4. Programmers may have permanent or temporary jobs working for specific employers, be self-employed, work full-time or part-time, be paid for their work or volunteer their services. They may change jobs or hold several jobs at one time but, until they change the type of duties or tasks they perform, they are still computer programmers.
5. We all play a number of roles in our lives and our roles often change over time. For example, Kris works four days a week as a receptionist in a clinic and takes evening courses in social work. She also sews gymnastic wear for her neighbor who sells it at summer markets. Now Kris has at least three roles.
A. A role is a part you play.
B. Actually everyone has a career.
C. In other words, your career is your life story.
D. For example, computer programmer is an occupation.
E. As a matter of fact, a job is different from a role in some way.
F. It can be completed at a work site, at home, or somewhere else.
G. The following is about your work, your family, and your life story.
On a college camping trip, curiosity about waves and sand caused Rob Thieler to study shorelines around the world. Thirty years later and now a U.S. Geological Survey research geologist, Thieler, is combining science and smartphone technology to help study an endangered bird, the Atlantic Coast piping plover.
The piping plover is a shorebird that breeds（繁殖）along the Atlantic Coast, the Great Lakes
and the Great Plains. Rising sea levels associated with climate change, as well as increased development in their beach habitats（栖息地）, threaten the species（物种）. To help track changes in piping plover habitats, Thieler developed a free app called iPlover in 2012. This is a marked change from the typical way scientists collect data, which involves gathering information using specialized equipment or writing in notebooks and then putting into spreadsheets.
Since releasing iPlover, scientists have gathered data across 1500 km of breeding range. That
equals about a third of the distance across the U.S., which is a large area to cover for only two thousand breeding pairs of piping plovers on the east coast. Instead of having to travel and spend days at each site, a number of cooperators in the field use the app to collect and send data, allowing scientists to gather data more efficiently. It also allows them to collect data at the same time during each breeding season, providing a better picture of changes that happen over longer periods of time. And fast, centralized access means scientists can look at data quickly to get a real-time idea of where and how piping plovers are using their habitats.
While iPlover is used by trained field staff, other apps like the U. S. Geological Survey’s
web-based “iCoast—Did the Coast Change?” invite citizen scientists to identify coastal changes by comparing bird’s-eye-view photographs taken before and after storms. All the information scientists and citizen scientists alike collect helps federal and state agencies create policy plans for addressing climate change impacts (影响) worldwide.
1.What can we know about the piping plover?
A. Its behaviour is changing.
B. Its habitat is growing bigger.
C. Its living environment is becoming worse.
D. Its breeding is limited to the Atlantic Coast.
2.Why did Thieler develop iPlover?
A. To study shorelines across America.
B. To advance information technology.
C. To find out global climate change.
D. To monitor changes of piping plover habitats.
3.Which of the following benefits the shorebirds?
A. The camping equipment. B. Research on smartphones.
C. The changeable coast. D. Progress in technology.
4.What would be the best title of the text?
A. Protecting Endangered Shorebirds
B. Rob Thieler, a Creative Scientist
C. IPlover, Tool for Training Field Staff
D. Differences Between IPlover and ICoast
If you thought pilots dimmed（调暗）the lights before takeoff to give you some shuteye, think again. Believe it or not, the dim lighting could actually help save your life in case of a plane emergency.
The dimmed lights before taking off the runway and landing are a flight precaution used to help passengers’ eyes adjust quicker during an emergency escape. “Going from a brightly lit environment to one that’s completely dark would require some time for our eyes to focus and see the escape slide,” Alice Theriault, service director for Air Canada wrote in a press statement. “Since we need to have all the seconds on our side in the event of an emergency, dimming the lights is one of many steps we take to ensure the safety of our customers.”
The phenomenon that your eyes see those strange speckles (小斑点) as your sight adjusts to a dark place after being in a light place is called dark adaptation. It normally takes our eyes about 20 to 30 minutes to see best in a dark room. The brighter the lights, the longer it takes for our eyes to adjust, which is why dimming the plane lights could shorten your “dark adaptation” time since you haven’t been sitting under fluorescent bulbs (荧光灯) all flight.
Not only does dimming lights add valuable time to the escape process, it reduces the tension on your eyes if you need to look outside, or see the emergency lighting along the passage. “It helps keep you in the right direction.” Patrick Smith, an airline pilot and author of Cockpit Confidential told The Telegraph. “It also makes it easier for flight attendants to assess any outside risks, such as fire or debris, that might affect an escape.” So next time a pilot dims the lights, just know it’s for your safety, even though it creates a gentle atmosphere for your takeoff into the sky.
1.The lights are turned down before takeoff to help passengers_______.
A. take a short break
B. escape in time of emergency
C. create a warm atmosphere
D. adapt their eyes to the bright environment
2.What is one of the roles of shortening “dark adaptation” time?
A. Slowing down the landing. B. Adjusting the plane lights.
C. Keeping passengers calm. D. Helping the crew judge outside risks.
3.What does the underlined word “It” in the last paragraph refer to?
A. Dimming lights. B. The escape process.
C. Reducing tension. D. The passage.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A. A tip of air travel.
B. An emergency event on a plane.
C. A warning message on a plane.
D. An explanation of an airline safety measure.
We’re Hiring Shift Workers For Our Production Plant Looking for a career with a company that values its employees, and promotes from within? Then Black Cat Blades is the company for you!
Cutting Operators
CNC Operators
Heat Treat Operators
Full training provided, starting at $14.50 per hour, with the potential to move to $18.16 in one year.
We also require a Skilled Welder (焊接工),to work 12-hour rotating shifts (轮班) in our cutting Department. The successful candidate must be a registered journeyman（熟练工人) within the Province of Alberta or a Red Seal.
We offer a great benefit package, including health, dental and RRSP’s. Numerous motivations: Profit Sharing, Pay for Years of Service, Fitness Program Allowance, and fun social events for you and your family.
Apply in person, and we’ll take you on a tour of our Production equipment or forward your personal information by fax or e-mail.
Black Cat Blades Ltd.
HR@ blackcatblades.com
5604-59 St., Edmonton, AB T6B 3C3
Fax: (780) 465-9595
1.What is the most attractive about the company? .
A. Charged training. B. Desirable welfare.
C. Working time. D. Free travelling.
2.Who can be admitted as a skilled welder?
A. An experienced operator. B. A person without a Red Seal.
C. A registered journeyman in Alberta. D. A clerk from Black Cat Blades.
3.How many kinds of work does the company offer?
A. Three. B. Four.
C. Five. D. Six.
假设你是李华，暑假即将来临，你校学生会决定组织在校学生到卧龙山进行一次拓展活动。请你给好友—美国交换生Peter写一封邮件告知相关情况。内容包括：
1. 时间：7月1日上午8:00乘车出发；
2. 安排：爬山，同时捡拾垃圾；
3. 注意事项：自带午餐、雨具等。
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Peter,
Good news for you!________________________________________________________________________
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