When a storm is coming, most people leave the area as quickly ad possible and head for safety. But there are a few people who will get into their cars and go straight for the center of the storm. These people are willing to risk being killed by floods or 100-kilometer-an-hour winds for the excitement of watching the storm close up.
“Storm chasing” is becoming an increasingly popular hobby, especially in the Midwest of the United States, where there are frequent storms between March and July. A storm chaser begins the day by checking the Internet for the latest weather reports, and then drives up to 1,000 kilometers to where the storm will be and waits for it to develop.
Although anyone can do it , storm chasing is extremely dangerous. The power of a big storm can throw a cow into the air or destroy a whole house in seconds. Storm chasers are also often hurt in accidents caused by driving in a heavy rain. If you are a beginner, it is much safer to join a group for storm-chasing vacations during the storm season.
Even then, storm chasing is not all adventure and excitement . “Storm chasing is 95% driving,” says Daniel Lynch, who spends most of his summer storm-chasing. “Sometimes you can sit around for hours waiting for something to happen, and all you get is blue sky and a few light showers.”
However, for storm chasers, it is all worth it. “When you get close to a storm, it is the most exciting sight you will ever see in your life,” says Jasper Morley. “Every storm is an example of the power of nature, It is the greatest show on Earth.”
1.For storm chasing, the first thing storm chasers do is to .
A.head straight for the center of the storm
B.get into the car for safety
C.wait patiently for the storm to develop
D.collect information about a coming storm
2.Beginners of storm chasing are advised .
A.not to drive in a heavy rain
B.to do it in an organized way
C.not to get too close to a storm
D.to spend more time on it in summer
3.By saying “it is all worth it” in the last paragraph, the author means that .
A.storm chasing costs a lot of money
B.storm chasing is worth hours of waiting
C.efforts in storm chasing are well paid
D.a storm presents the greatest show on Earth
4.What can we learn from the text?
A.Sometimes storm chasers get nothing but disappointment
B.Many storm chasers get killed in the storms.
C.Storm chasing is becoming popular around the world.
D.Storm chasing is only fit for young people.
A young man returns to his hometown of Aractataca, Colombia. He visits the house where he lived as a child. Here, he remembers the most important memories of his childhood. Standing in front of his old house, the young man makes an important decision. He says to himself, “I will start my life over again. I will become a writer.”
This man is the world famous writer, Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez was born on March 6, 1928. During his early life, Garcia Marquez’s grandmother and grandfather told him many stories. His grandmother would tell him legends as if they were real. Garcia Marquez says that his grandmother’s way of storytelling later influenced his own methods.
When Garcia Marquez was about 20 years old, he left Aractataca and attended university in Bogota. He began studying law because this was what his father wanted him to study. However, Garcia Marquez was not happy.
During this time Garcia Marquez returned to Aractataca. It was on this visit that he realized he must stop studying law. And he recognized that he must return to the dream of his childhood-writing. For the next few years, Garcia Marquez wrote for many different newspapers. And in 1955, he published his first book called “Leaf Storm”.
For many years, Garcia Marquez knew he wanted to write about his grandfather’s house in Aractataca. To write this book, Garcia Marquez and his wife had to sell almost all of their possessions to survive. But their act was worth it. The book, “One Hundred Years of Solitude” was immediately successful. And this book created a path for Garcia Marquez’s future success.
In 1982, Gabriel Garcia Marquez was given the Nobel Prize in Literature for his book “One Hundred Years of Solitude”, making him the first Colombian and the fourth Latin American to win a Nobel Prize in Literature.
1.Who influenced Garcia Marquez’s writing style?
A.His grandfather. B.His father.
C.His grandmother. D.His wife.
2.Garcia decided to take up writing_________.
A.when he worked for a newspaper B.under the influence of his family
C.when he graduated from college D.after a visit to his hometown
3.Garcia’s book “One Hundred Years of Solitude” .
A.was written in the 1950s B.enjoyed a quick success
C.helped Garcia lead a better life D.was about Garcia’s grandfather
4.What do we know from the text about Garcia Marquez?
A.He is the first Latin American to win a Nobel Prize in Literature.
B.He wrote for newspapers before publishing his own books.
C.His book “Leaf Storm” marked his great success in literature.
D.He followed his father’s wish to become a writer.
Summer Vacation Fun 2020
The summer holidays are upon us again. Here is our guide to summer holiday fun in Peterborough!
Peterborough Museum
The Age of the Dinosaurs’ is the museum’s main attraction this summer. Get up close to prehistoric creatures via some great hands-on exhibits! Watch out for monsters lurking around every ember! The museum is open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday to Saturday, and from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm on Sundays in August.
Call 01733 864663 for details.
Saxon Youth Club
School holiday fun: Young people aged 13-19 will be able to produce their own music, compete in sports activities, or try their hand at cooking at Saxon Youth Club, Saxon Community Centre, Norman Road. Peterborough every Monday and Wednesday from 3:00 pm. PLUS an aero ball tournament will take place on Thursday 12th August between 3:30pm and 6:30pm.
Call 01 353 720274 for details.
Houghton Mill
Alice through the Looking Class—a new production of the family favorite on Monday 30th. August. Bring rugs or chairs to sit on and a picnic if you wish to eat during the play. Gates open 5:30 pm, performance 6:30 pm--8:30 pm. Tea room will be open until end of the interval. Adult £ 10. Child £7. Family £20.
Booking advisable on 0845 4505157.
Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey
Farmland Gaines: From Wellie Wanging to Pretend Ploughing matches, come and join the Farmland Team. Collect your sporting stickers and create a colorful rosette that is it for a winner! No need to book, just turn up between 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm on Thursday 19th August. Suitable for children aged four and above. Each child should be accompanied by an adult and all activities are included in the normal admission price. Tickets Cost £ 7 per child.
For further information, call 01223 810080.
1.If you are interested in cooking, you can go to _________.
A.Peterborough Museum B.Houghton Mill
C.Farmland Museum D.Saxon Youth Club
2.You want to watch the new play with your parents, so it will cost you ______.
A.£7 B.£17 C.£20 D.£27
3.Which of the following activities needs parents’ company?
A.Watching a new play. B.Playing farmland games.
C.Competing in sports activities. D.Visiting the dinosaur exhibition.
假如你校和加拿大某中学是友好学校，对方校刊来信了解你校的选修课开设情况。请根据以下内容，用英语写一篇短文，向对方介绍这一情况。
1.共有六门课程，包括书法、英语口语、音乐欣赏、电影欣赏、摄影和游泳，学生可任选。
2.上课时间：每周二、周五下午5：30-6：20
3.学生对课程的看法
注意：1.词数100左右2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯
参考词汇：选修optional courses;音乐欣赏Music Appreciation
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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。
It’s been a long time before I left my hometown. I remember it was the beautiful place with an excellent environment, and people there were very kind-hearted. From the pictures sending by my friends, I can see that great changes have been taken place there. For example, the streets have become wide, and the buildings are higher. Beside, the people are dressed modern clothes. Several large shopping mall are being built. My hometown has changed so greatly where I can hardly believe my eyes. I hoped my hometown can become better and better in the future.
It was a Thursday evening when I began experiencing stomach pain. I thought it would be fine the next day; however, that was not the_________.
I woke up with even more pain than I had_________but I just took some medicine and went to my friend Vera’s house, where her mum saw pain in my eyes but I_________to be OK. I even took more medicine after a couple of hours―nothing_________.
I was unwilling to go to the doctor, but after a lot of_________from Vera and her family, I decided to visit the walk-in clinic. Then the doctor said, “You have appendicitis.” I was so___________But I had to go to the hospital.
The doctor asked the necessary questions and_________where the pain was coming from. After many_________, it was confirmed (证实)— it was appendicitis(阑尾炎). He said I had to have an operation and_________it for the next morning. My mind was flooded with so many questions. How long would I be out of__________? How much would it all cost? Would I be__________for the surgery? If not, what if I couldn’t wake up?
Vera’s mom gave me the__________to my never-ending questions. She said, “Why are you so bothered about the wrong things? This is your life! You can worry about anything, but what if it is too________to treat you? What will you worry about then?” I__________had my surgery the next morning and it turned out to be__________.
I was on bed resting for a little over a week. I__________not to take life for granted. In that week, I found myself__________my free time―not having to work, just relax. Sometimes it’s good to take some time off our daily routines. We shouldn’t wait till something__________us to. Take time out of this__________moving world to stop and enjoy the wonders of __________. Enjoy the beautiful people and things around us.
1.A.problem B.case C.question D.reason
2.A.expected B.planned C.known D.discovered
3.A.wanted B.agreed C.managed D.pretended
4.A.remained B.changed C.left D.continued
5.A.pressure B.information C.description D.introduction
6.A.moved B.excited C.angry D.shocked
7.A.thought of B.blocked out C.found out D.looked for
8.A.tests B.surveys C.discussions D.experiments
9.A.challenged B.scheduled C.tried D.studied
10.A.control B.date C.work D.order
11.A.alone B.asleep C.awake D.alive
12.A.answer B.method C.attitude D.response
13.A.late B.early C.rare D.much
14.A.finally B.actually C.exactly D.simply
15.A.harmful B.successful C.helpful D.meaningful
16.A.happened B.forgot C.preferred D.learned
17.A.imagining B.appreciating C.spending D.using
18.A.advises B.forces C.persuades D.reminds
19.A.completely B.quickly C.gradually D.obviously
20.A.life B.chance C.hope D.medicine
