When my aunt, Holly, was 15 years old, she suffered from MS, a disease that attacks the central nervous system. What is scary is that it is not clear what causes MS or when it will______. When it first struck Holly, she had just finished her political science degree and held an admirable ______.Her leg weakened, and she______that she felt like she was a little child again, relearning to ______. We kept our fingers crossed so that by ______her legs regularly, she could return to normal. But soon, she lost both her job and her long-time boyfriend.
The girl, ______ happy and active, became moody and quiet, ______to go out because her hands ______so much when she held anything. It is a completely______feeling to watch a healthy relative take a turn for the ______. But we, the whole extended family, all held on ______Holly’s illness. Instead of going golfing every week, Grand father worked around the house. Grandmother, almost 70, continued to work to help pay ______bills. My parents remained ______all the time through my aunt’s worst mood changes. Even my sister and I were there just for her ______.
The hardest part was the feeling that Holly was unable to ______anything we did for her, complaining about everything and everybody. Finally came the day when we saw her. ______when we all went to cheer her on in the annual MS walkathon(a walk that MS patients take to recover). Despite the freezing wind, I ______the rest of my family. When the walk was over, Holly ______introduced my sister and me to her friends who had come along to support her, I was able to see how just a little care can mean more than physical ______.
Most importantly, I have learned through this whole ______with my family that, whatever we have to suffer, we have a wonderful support group around us that will always catch us before any of us falls.
1.A. strike B. disappear C. gain D. lose
2.A. record B. job C. baby D. ambition
3.A. warned B. predicted C. told D. joked
4.A. run B. walk C. think D. speak
5.A. treating B. moving C. resting D. stretching
6.A. once B. later C. forever D. never
7.A. surprised B. discouraged C. disappointed D. embarrassed
8.A. waved B. seized C. clapped D. shook
9.A. strange B. happy C. meaningless D. helpless
10.A. better B. worse C. more D. less
11.A. to B. through C. with D. after
12.A. individual B. extra C. private D. medical
13.A. concerned B. relaxed C. active D. crazy
14.A. profit B. comment C. relief D. reward
15.A. notice B. receive C. believe D. Appreciate
16.A. change B. devotion C. attitude D. pain
17.A. persuaded B. left C. joined D. searched
18.A. quickly B. unwillingly C. enthusiastically D. forgetfully
19.A. treatment B. punishment C. beauty D. excitement
20.A. accident B. experience C. training D. movement
When it comes to the benefit of volunteering, a lot of people think it s all about the warm feeling after helping someone. 1.. As is known, charity work requires a wide variety of people to do a wide variety of things for everything to work. It means that there are some surprising benefits for volunteers. For example, volunteering:
Teaches you new skills.
From helping making websites to teaching immigrant kids your native language, or to arranging events for charity, volunteering can really be almost anything. It means that when you get involved in charity work, a lot of the time you will face challenges. 2..
Can teach you what truly matters.
It’s a great way to find new perspectives(角度) on life. When you’ve been at it for a while, you just might find yourself re-evaluating your advantages. 3.. One of my friends went from wanting to be a lawyer to discovering a true passion for teaching
4..
Maybe it is not surprising, but what might surprise you is how genuine these friends are. Some of my long-term friends are people I’ve met through volunteering. I’m not that kind of guy that makes friends purely for connections, but sometimes it’s very convenient to have a broad network.
Summed up in one line: volunteering helps you grow. 5.. You meet a wide variety of people who don’t have a lot in common with. You learn to get along with people involved in many different walks in life. You learn to know what you are to do. So if you’ve ever considered volunteering, what are you waiting for?
A. You might even decide on a completely new path to take in life.
B. Helps you make new friends
C. As it turns out, that’s far from the only benefit.
D. Volunteering helps you look outside yourself and your problems.
E. Through overcoming the challenges, you learn completely new skills.
F. Not only as a person, but it helps you develop your skill as well.
G. Can help improve social skills
As sea levels climb, even Washington, D. C. could see more frequent and widespread flooding at high tide.
Strong storms and high winds sometimes bring floods to coastal areas. But cities and towns along the US East Coast are flooding even in calm and sunny weather. Among them is Maryland’s capital Annapolis. Tourists there must sometimes walk through water flooding downtown streets surrounding the habor. Sometimes water covers roads in Atlantic City, N. J. Even the yards and basements of coastal homes near New York City sometimes flood.
All are suffering from this trend—normal high tides surpass (超过) a rising sea level.
Sea levels have climbed, on average, about 20 centimeters (8 inches) over the past 135 years. And a sharp increase in tide flooding is one of the more visible impacts affecting many coastal areas, notes William Sweet, an oceanographer.
Sweet and his co-workers recently analyzed data from 45 tide gauges (计量表) along the US coasts. These tools record the changing heights of tides as they rise and fall. From these data, Sweet’s team calculated the number of : “troublesome floods” in various coastal cities. These floods, Sweet explains, typically occur when water level is about 30 centimeters (1foot) above the historic level of the highest tides. In June 2014, the team reported finding a growing rise in these flooding events.
In Charleston, S.C. from 1957 to 1963, the city experienced troublesome floods an average of 4. 6 days per year. Bur from 2007 to 2013, the occurring rate of troublesome floods jumped five times. Annapolis city was even more serious. From1957 to 1963，troublesome floods were roughly 3. 8 days per year. From 2007 to 2013, the average was 10 times higher- 39. 3days a year.
“Over the next few decades, climate change probably drives sea levels even higher,” Sweet says. “So today’s flooding problems promise to become only more widespread and frequent.”
1.What is Paragraph 2 mainly developed by?
A. Making comparisons.
B. Analyzing causes.
C. Using examples.
D. Following time order.
2.Why are more flooding problems caused?
A. Because the river levels have been climbing.
B. Because climate has changed over the years,
C. Because the weather conditions are not stable.
D. Because people are living too close to harbors.
3.What can it be inferred according to data in Paragraph 5?
A. There has been a growing rise in these analyzed flooding events.
B. The changes of heights of tides are usually in a small range.
C. The floods in coastal cities often occur when water level is above1foot.
D. The number of troublesome floods gradually gets less.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A. Sweet’s team.
B. A flood research.
C. The US East Coast.
D. American oceanographers.
Some people will do just about anything to save money. And I am one of hem. Take my family’s last vacation. It was my six-year-old son’s winter break from school, and we were heading home from Fort Lauderdale after a week long trip. The flight was overbooked, and Delta, the airline, offered us $400 per person in credits to give up our seats and leave the next day. I had meetings in New York, So I had to get back. But that didn’t mean my husband and my son couldn’t stay. I took my nine-month-old and took off for home.
The next day, my husband and son were offered more credits to take an even later flight. Yes, I encouraged—okay, ordered—them to wait at the airport, to “earn” more Delta Dollars. Our total take: $1,600. Not bad, huh?
Now some people may think I’m a bad mother and not such a great wife either. But as a big-time bargain hunter, I know the value of a dollar, And these days, a good deal is something few of us can afford to pass up.
I’ve made a living looking for the best deals and exposing (揭露) the worst tricks. I have been the consumer reporter of NBC’s Today show for over a decade. I have written a couple of books including one titled Tricks of the Trade: A Consumer Survival Guide. And I really do what I believe in.
I tell you this because there is no shame in getting your money’s worth, I’m also tightfisted when it comes to shoes, clothes for my children, and expensive restaurants. But I wouldn’t hesitate to spend on a good haircut. It keeps its shape longer, and it’s the first thing people notice, And I will also spend on a classic piece of furniture. Quality lasts.
1.Why did Delta give the author’s family credits?
A. They took a later flight.
B. They had early bookings.
C. Their flight had been delayed.
D. Their flight had been cancelled
2.What does the author do?
A. She’s a teacher.
B. She’s a housewife.
C. She’s a media person.
D. She’s a businesswoman.
3.What can we learn about the author?
A. She rarely misses a good deal.
B. She seldom makes a compromise.
C. She is very strict with her children.
D. She is interested in cheap products.
4.What does the author want to tell us?
A. How to expose bad tricks.
B. How to reserve airline seats.
C. How to spend money wisely.
D. How to make a business deal.
The morning had been a disaster. My tooth was aching, and I’d been in an argument with a friend. Her words still hurt: “The trouble with you is that you won’t put yourself in my place. Can’t you see things from my point of view?”I shook my head stubbornly--and felt the ache in my tooth. I’d thought I could hold out till my dentist came back from holiday, but the pain was really unbearable. I started calling the dentists in the phone book, but no one could see me immediately. Finally, at about lunch time, I got lucky.
“If you come by right now,” the receptionist said, “the dentist will fit you in.”
I took my purse and keys and rushed to my car. But suddenly I began to doubt about the dentist. What kind of dentist would be so eager to treat someone at such short notice? Why wasn’t he as busy as the others?
In the dentist’s office, I sat down and looked around. I saw nothing but the bare walls and I became even more worried. The assistant noticed my nervousness and placed her warm hand over my ice-cold one.
When I told her my fears, she laughed and said, “Don’t worry. The dentist is very good.”
“How long do I have o wait for him?”I asked impatiently.
“Come on, he is coming. Just lie down and relax. And enjoy the artwork,” the assistant said.
“The artwork?” I was puzzled.
The chair went back, suddenly I smiled. There was a beautiful picture, right where I could enjoy it :on the ceiling. How considerate the dentist was! At that moment, I began to understand what my friend meant by her words.
What a relief!
1.Which of the following best describes the author’s feeling that morning?
A. Cheerful.
B. Nervous.
C. Upset.
D. Satisfied.
2.What made the author begin to doubt about the dentist?
A. The dentist’s agreeing to treat her at very short notice.
B. The dentist’s being as busy as the other dentists.
C. The surroundings of the dentist’s office.
D. The laughing assistant of the dentist.
3.Why did the author suddenly smile?
A. Because the dentist came at last.
B. Because the assistant kept comforting her.
C. Because she could relax in the chair,
D. Because she saw a picture on the ceiling.
4.What did the author lean from her experience most probably?
A. Strike while the iron is hot.
B. Have a good word for one’s friend
C. Put oneself in other’s shoes
D. A friend in need is a friend indeed.
Shakespeare’s Birthplace and Exhibition of Shakespeare’s World
Welcome to the world--famous house where William Shakespeare was born in1564 and where he grew up. The property remained in the ownership of Shakespeare’s family until 1806. The House has welcomed visitors traveling from all over the world for over 250 years.
Enter through the Visitors’ Centre and see the highly-praised exhibition Shakespeare’s World, a lively and full introduction to the life and work of Shakespeare.
Stand in the rooms where Shakespeare grew up.
Discover examples of furniture and needlework from Shakespeare’s period.
Enjoy the traditional English garden, planted with trees and flowers mentioned in the poet’s works.
The Birthplace is within easy walking distance of all the car parks shown on the map, nearest is Windsor Street(3 minutes’ Walk)
The House may present difficulties but the Visitors’ Centre, its exhibition and the garden are accessible to wheelchair users.
The Shakespeare Coffee House (opposite the Birthplace).
OPENING TIMES: 20 Mar to 19 Oct Mon to Sat: 9:00am to5:00pm Sun: 9:30am to 5:00 pm 20 Oct to 19 Mar Mon to Sat: 9:30am to 4:00pm Sun:10:00am to 4:00pm |
ADMISSIONS: Adult £4. 90 Child £2. 20 Family £ 12. 00 (2 adults + up to 3 children) |
1.How much is the admission for a family of two grown-ups and two children?
A. £12. 00.
B. £14. 20.
C. £9. 80.
D. £16. 40.
2.Where is the nearest parking place to Shakespeare’s Birthplace?
A. Behind the exhibition hall.
B. At Windsor Street.
C. Opposite the Visitors’ Centre.
D. Near the Coffee House.
3.A wheelchair user may need help to enter .
A. the exhibition hall
B. the garden
C. the Visitors’ Centre
D. the House
