Two of the saddest words in the English language are “if only”. I live my life with the goal of never having to say those words, because they convey regret, lost opportunities, mistakes, and disappointment.
My father is famous in our family for saying “Take the extra minute to do it right”. I always try to live by the “extra minute” rule. When my children were young and likely to cause accidents, I always thought about what I could do to avoid an “if only” moment, whether it was something minor like moving a cup full of hot coffee away from the edge of a counter, or something that required a little more work such as taping padding (衬垫) onto the sharp corners of a glass coffee table.
I don’t only avoid those “if only” moments when it comes to safety. It’s equally important to avoid “if only” in our personal relationships. We all know people who lost a loved one and regretted that they had foregone an opportunity to say “I love you” or “I forgive you”. When my father announced he was going to the eye doctor across from my office on Good Friday, I told him that it was a holiday for my company and I wouldn’t be here. But then I thought about the fact that he’s 84 years old and I realized that I shouldn’t give up an opportunity to see him. I called him and told him I had decided to go to work on my day off after all.
I know there will still be occasions when I have to say “if only” about something, but my life is definitely better because of my policy of doing everything possible to avoid that eventuality. And even though it takes an extra minute to do something right, or it occasionally takes an hour or two in my busy schedule to make a personal connection, I know that I’m doing the right thing. I’m buying myself peace of mind and that’s the best kind of insurance for my emotional well-being.
1.Which of the following is an example of the extra minute rule?
A. Start the car the moment everyone is seated.
B. Leave the room for a minute with the iron working.
C. Move an object out of the way before it trips someone.
D. Wait for an extra minute so that the steak tastes better.
2.The author decided to go to her office on Good Friday to ________.
A. meet her father who was already an old man
B. keep her appointment with the eye doctor
C. join in the holiday celebration of the company
D. finish her work before the deadline approached
3.The underlined word “foregone” in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ________.
A. lacked B. abandoned
C. avoided D. wasted
4.What is the author’s attitude to the words “if only”?
A. Optimistic. B. Rejective.
C. Hesitant. D. Insignificant.
5.What is the best title for the passage?
A. The Emotional Well-being B. The Most Useful Rule
C. The Two Saddest Words D. The Peace of Mind
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1.Many Americans fail to lose weight probably because _______.
A. they always exercise alone B. they are too busy to exercise
C. they are under great pressure D. they don’t get enough exercise
2.What can be inferred from the passage?
A. It does harm to health to lose weight quickly.
B. The workout system does not apply to everyone.
C. Nutrition is also an important part of getting fit.
D. There were some people failed after the 30-day program.
3.How much should a couple pay if they join the gym today?
A. $500. B. $800.
C. $900. D. $1,000.
4.Where is this passage most probably taken from?
A. A newspaper. B. A magazine.
C. A website. D. A textbook.
5.Who are the target readers of the text?
A. Those who like physical activities
B. Those who want to lose weight
C. Those who are interested in nutrition
D. Those who want to save money
假如你叫李华，是个中学生，非常喜欢看某档音乐类节目。请你用英语给该节目主持人Chris写一封信，谈谈你的感受。要点如下：
1. 你非常喜欢这档节目，它能给你带来很多欢乐；
2. 音乐的力量及影响；
3. 祝愿这个节目越办越好。
要求：语句通顺，表达完整，字数100字左右；卷面整洁。
Dear Chris,
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
假定英语课上老师要求同桌中间交换修改作文，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：把缺词处叫个漏字符号（∧），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。
The structure of houses have changed a lot since the first hut was building in ancient times. I often imagine what houses in the future will like. I am sure it will be greatly different from that they are today. First, houses in the future can adjust the room temperature with the changes of season. Second, they prevent waste by producing energy through their solar panels, that can be used to provide hot water in winter and cool air in summer. Beside, they can change their colors at any time to satisfy with their owners.
In short, living in a future house will be amazed.
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
No one knows exactly how the earth began, as it 1.(happen) so long ago. However, according to a 2.(wide) accepted theory, the universe began with a “Big Bang” that threw matter 3.all directions. After that, atoms began to form and combine to create stars and other 4.(body). For several billion years after the “Big Bang”, the earth was still just5.cloud of dust. What it was to become was uncertain 6.between 4.5 and 3.8 billion years ago when the dust settled into a solid globe. The earth became so 7.(violence) that it was not clear8.the shape would last or not. It exploded loudly with fire and rock. They were in time 9.(produce) carbon, nitrogen, water vapour and other gases, which were to make the earth’s atmosphere. What is even10.(important) is that as the earth cooled down, water began to appear on its surface.
I was on a plane that was about to take off when my phone rang. I felt something _______had happened. It was my neighbor saying I needed to get to the _______at once. She explained that she’d _______my two boys, George, then five, and Mickey, then four, crying. At first, she had _______it, but when the crying continued for a long time, she _______something was wrong. So she came round and discovered my wife, Mary, lying on the _______floor. She had been emptying the dishwasher _______a live wire fell and touched her.
Mary was taken to hospital. When I arrived, doctors were trying to rescue her, but there was no _______. I explained to the boys that Mum had died; I felt it was important to be _______with them. For a year I was in a suffering ________of mind. I went through the activities of a father but inside I felt ________.
Later, I felt I had to honor my love for Mary by not breaking ________. She married me because I was a ________man and I knew I had to carry on and actively chose to swim rather than ________.
We moved to another city but two years later, I was diagnosed with cancer. The anxiety that had been gone came ________back—would my boys be left with no parents? ________, the disease was in its early stage and doctors could treat it in time.
________everything happening to me, I realized merely thinking “why me” doesn’t __________. We have to learn to accept and adapt to the__________it has brought about. It is no use thinking about the past or being worried about the future. Instead, just focus on the ________.
1.A. amazing B. strange C. awful D. exciting
2.A. house B. exit C. entrance D. hospital
3.A. seen B. sensed C. recognized D. heard
4.A. hesitated B. ignored C. imagined D. confused
5.A. wondered B. realized C. expected D. predicted
6.A. bathroom B. bedroom C. toilet D. kitchen
7.A. while B. when C. until D. as
8.A. sign B. doubt C. point D. breath
9.A. clear B. familiar C. strict D. pleased
10.A. situation B. state C. condition D. occasion
11.A. curiously B. lonely C. coldly D. lively
12.A. up B. down C. away D. off
13.A. rich B. considerate C. handsome D. strong
14.A. dive B. sink C. fall D. float
15.A. flooding B. returning C. looking D. calling
16.A. Gradually B. Personally C. Thankfully D. Eventually
17.A. For B. With C. As D. Through
18.A. matter B. affect C. count D. help
19.A. changes B. experiences C. disabilities D. decisions
20.A. present B. honor C. activity D. life
