Some houses are designed to be smart. Others have smart designs. An example of the second type of house won an Award of Excellence from the American Institute of Architects.
Located on the shore of Sullivan’s Island off the coast of South Carolina, the award-winning cube-shaped beach house was built to replace one smashed to pieces by Hurricane（飓风）Hugo 10 years ago. Before Hugo, many new houses built along South Carolina’s shoreline were poorly constructed, and enforcement of building rules wasn’t strict, according to architect Ray Huff, who created the cleverly-designed beach house. Soon after Hugo, all new shoreline houses are required to meet stricter, better-enforced rules. The new beach house on Sullivan’s Island should be able to withstand a Level 3 hurricane with peak winds of 179 to 209 kilometers per hour.
At first sight, the house on Sullivan’s Island looks anything but hurricane-proof. Its redwood shell makes it resemble “a large party lantern (灯笼)” at night, according to one observer. But looks can be misleading. The house’s wooden frame is reinforced with long steel rods to give it extra strength.
To further protect the house from hurricane damage. Huff raised it 2.7 meters off the ground on timber pilings－long, slim wood pieces anchored deep in the sand. Pilings might appear insecure, but they are strong enough to support the weight of the house. They also raise the house above storm waves. The pilings allow the waves to run under the house instead of running into it. ‘These waves come ashore at terrible speeds and cause most of the damage done to beach-front buildings,” said Huff.
Huff designed the timber pilings to be partially hidden by the house’s ground-to-roof shell. “The shell masks the pilings so that the house doesn’t look like it’s standing with its pant legs (裤腿) pulled up,” said Huff. In the event of a storm, the shell should break apart and let the waves rush under the house, the architect explained.
1.After the Hurricane Hugo, new houses built along South Carolina’s shore line are required .
A. to be easily reinforced B. to meet stricter building standards
C. to look smarter in design D. to be designed in the shape of cubes
2.Why is the award-winning beach house strong and hurricane-proof?
A. It is in the shape of a shell. B. It is made of redwood.
C. It is strengthened by steel rods. D. It is built with timber and concrete.
3.What’s the purpose of Huff raising the house 2.7 meters off the ground on timber pilings?
A. To anchor stronger pilings deep in the sand.
B. To prevent water from rushing into the house.
C. To withstand peak winds of about 200 km/hr.
D. To make the house look more hurricane-proof.
4.According the last paragraph, the main function of the shell is .
A. to give the house a better appearance
B. to strengthen the pilings of the house
C. to protect the wooden frame of the house
D. to slow down the speed of the big waves
To eat only a vegan（素食的） diet might sound difficult, especially with many popular dishes containing meat or other animal products. Yet in 2017, veganism was described as “the fastest - growing lifestyle movement” in the UK, according to BBC news.
A study by a UK market research organization, suggests that over 542,000 Brits went vegan during the previous decade, an increase of 360%. And the main force behind this increase was those aged 15-34 years old — 42% of recent vegans fall under that age range.
So why exactly has veganism become so popular among young Brits?
One reason could be that many young people want to protect the environment, as less meat consumption is known to be beneficial to the environment. Global meat manufacturing is believed to cause 18% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions（排放）, even more than that of all the world’s cars, trains and planes combined. Another reason is that many of today’s young people believe that it’s wrong to kill animals to be used as food.
Jess Murray, 22, a student at University College London, said that he chose to become vegan after realizing that eating animals is a choice that people make, rather than something that we need to do to survive. “Becoming vegan was an ethical (道德的) decision,” he told the Guardian.
Social media is also believed to have given rise to the increase in veganism. Platforms such as Facebook allow young vegans to connect with each other much easier, while others such as Instagram have led to the creation of “vegan celebrities (名人)”, who share lips on vegan lifestyles.
Despite the rising of veganism, Laura Wyness, an expert in diet and nutrition, said that meat is very important for people’s health. “A strict vegan diet makes it difficult to get some minerals and vitamins that your body needs,” Wyness told BBC news.
However, the popularity of veganism doesn’t seem to be fading. “It feels more like this is something that is sticking.” said an expert of the Vegan Society, a UK charity that promotes veganism.
1.What can we learn about veganism, “the fastest-growing lifestyle movement” in UK?
A. It has created many popular dishes.
B. It is backed up mainly by old people.
C. It has led to further market research.
D. It has grown steeply in the past 10 years.
2.The following may account for the increase in veganism EXCEPT .
A. Young people prefer an environment-friendly life.
B. Young people want to become ethical celebrities.
C. Meal manufacturing contributes a lot to the world’s greenhouse gas.
D. Social media allow the vegan message to spread quickly around.
3.The underlined word “sticking” in the Iasi paragraph is equal to in meaning.
A. important B. special
C. lasting D. impressive
4.Which of the following will serve as the best title of the passage?
A. Young Brits Going Vegan B. Veganism Comes First
C. How to Start a Vegan Lifestyle D. Veganism and the Environment
Customers who come into the Waffle House recognize server Evoni Williams, a soft-spoken 18-year-old from Texas City. It all started with a Facebook post. On the morning of March 3, Laura Wolf was eating breakfast at the Waffle House in La Marque when she overheard an older man, who reminded her of her late father, tell Williams he had trouble with his hands. The man, later identified as regular customer Adrien Charpentier, had an oxygen tank nearby and needed help cutting up his food. “Without hesitation,” Wolf wrote, Williams “took his plate and began cutting up his ham.”
Impressed, Wolf posted the moment on her Facebook page to share the warmth and kindness with all. The following day, Williams’s Facebook notification（关注）began to light up. Her friends saw Wolf’s post and tracked her in it.
Williams had no idea that someone took a photo that morning. The diner was so busy that a line extended outside the door. She said helping Charpentier was reflexive. She has been working at Waffle House since last June to save for college, and this, she figured, was just the right thing to do. “I would want someone to help my grandmother or grandfather,” Williams said.
The post began to make its rounds in La Marque and eventually landed in front of the city’s mayor, Bobby Hocking. He decided to declare March 8 as Williams’s day, and also received an email from Texas Southern University President Austin A.Lane, asking if the school could present Williams with a scholarship.
Williams still works at Waffle House five days a week and plans to do so until she starts classes in the fall at Houston-based Texas Southern. Wolf said Williams does not have a car to get to classes, but some people have offered to start a GoFundMe page for her, proving that a moment of a kindness can change a life.
1.Why did Wolf post the photo on Facebook?
A. The photo reminded her of her late father. B. It could satisfy her inner needs.
C. She was touched by the sight. D. The customer had trouble with his hands.
2.What does the underlined word in Paragraph 3 probably mean?
A. Without a second thought. B. After careful consideration.
C. Winning a reward. D. Better serving customers.
3.What can we infer about Evoni Williams?
A. She seldom saw Charpentier come to the House for breakfast.
B. It was GoFundMe page that led to her good luck.
C. She is no longer working in service business.
D. She has probably received a scholarship for her college education.
4.What is the author’s purpose of writing the article?
A. To help Williams receive higher education.
B. To introduce a random act of kindness.
C. To show that young generation can always help.
D. To emphasize the influence of the social media.
Festivals in Wales this spring
There’s lots to see, do and experience in Wales this spring. And now it’s time to embrace all things new and get ready to be entertained in the spring, come rain or shine.
Wrexham, 10-12 May
The annual festival showcases over 200 acts consisting of music, comedy, film and more. Since its opening event in 2011, Focus Wales has done a lot for emerging（新兴的）musicians across the country, and 2018 sees Welsh Music Prize winner The Gentle Good and Y Selar Best Band winners. Candelas, take the stage.
Aberystwyth, 19-29 May
Whether you prefer Hill Climbs or Sportives, the AberCycle Festival allows you to take all of it in from the saddle（鞍）of a bike, enjoying the world’s most beautiful scenery. However, all work and no play makes us all dull boys and girls, so while you’re in town be sure to pop in to one or two of the plenty of pubs in Aber（as the locals call it）for a nice, cold pint of Brains beer. You’ll need it after all that cycling!
Hay on Wye, 25-28 May
The world’s biggest music and philosophy festival returns in 2018 with its unique mix of tunes, talks and trapeze（吊杠）（yes, there are even circus performers!） Based in the magical surroundings of Hay on Wye, this four day festival takes place at the end of May and is perfect for everyone who likes a side of intellectualism（理智主义）with their traditional festival experience.
Lawrenny, 25-28 May
In late May in the heart of the Pembrokeshire National Park, the Big Retreat Wales takes place. Essentially the festival is about wellness, but it’s also so much more than that. Join in this May for four days of “fed good”, leaving your usual routine behind and diving into a delightful mix of workshops, activities, music and sustainable food produce.
1.The festivals in Wales are held annually .
A. in early May B. inside and outside of Wales
C. in rainy or sunny weather D. for locals only
2.What is special about Aberystwyth, 19-29 May?
A. You can find a place to relax after the activity.
B. You can meet your favorite band winners.
C. It has an atmosphere of natural beauty and tradition.
D. It doesn’t last long enough.
3.Jane is an office worker and fitness enthusiast and wants to experience something unusual. Which festival do you suggest she go to?
A. Wrexham, 10-12 May B. Aberystwyth, 19-29 May
C. Hay on Wye, 25-28 May D. Lawrenny, 25-28 May
假如你是李华，你远在美国工作的叔叔想要回国发展，来信向你询问家乡的情况。请你给他写一封回信，要点如下：
1.家乡的变化（街道、绿化、建筑）；2.存在的问题（环境、交通）；3.希望他为家乡做贡献。
注意：
1.词数100左右；2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；3.开头语已为你写好，不计入总词数。
参考词汇：做贡献make contributions to
Dear uncle,
I'm glad to hear that you will come back to our homeland for development.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours sincerely,
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：在错的词下划一横线，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。
Dear sir,
I’m terrible sorry to make you disappointing for not having finished my homework in time. In fact, I had something else to do, that made me have no time for my homework.
My father was badly injured in a car accident yesterday. Hearing the news, I hurried the hospital after school. I had a busy night, but I didn't do my homework.
As what you know, I am an ordinary student in class and eager to improve your English. I find I have great difficult concentrating on my study. Would you please give me some advices? Besides, I wish you could give me more chances to practice my English in class.
I’m looking forward to hear from you early.
Yours sincerely,
Zhang Sha
