Trained dogs might just be the proof that they really are men’s best friends not only because they can fill laundry baskets, but because they can now use washing machines with just a simple bark.
Thanks to the new washing machine —--- the ‘‘Woof to Wash”，a lot of people can benefit from the invention, which enables trained dogs to unlock the machine with a footpad and start it with a simple bark. A doggy footpad and a microphone system have been added, which can recognize a dog’s bark，which means that dogs are able to unlock the machine by pressing the pad with their paw, pull a rope with their mouth to open the machine, and close the machine again with their nose, before starting the washer by barking.
Dr. John Middleton is a great inventor. The disabled owners who are blind or have autism (孤独症)problems or learning difficulties, can’t use the present-day washing machines. So he thought there’s a lot of demand for the new washing machines to make things easier. Then he saw a video from the charity Support Dogs, where a dog makes the bed and loads the washing machine. He was completely blown away by the video at that moment. He was inspired that he could invent a machine which the dog could operate. Mr. Middleton said, “I’m happy I saw the video. A normal washing machine can be very challenging, so the single program machine is very helpful. But a lot of people also have speech problems, so a voice-activated machine is handy. ’’
The Support Dogs charity was set up in 1992. Dogs are trained here using voice commands and hand signals, so that they can help their owners fetch post, turn on light switches, open doors, assist in dressing and undressing, as well as do a complete laundry cycle. It has trained over 200 dogs to date throughout the country and relies fully on volunteer donations.
We hope the new washing machine can help more people. And we sincerely welcome the sponsorship of any type of business which is kindly willing to help. If you would like to sponsor, please contact us!
1.What do we know about the “Woof to Wash” machine?
A. It enables smart dogs to have a bath by themselves.
B. It enables trained dogs to do the washing with a bark.
C. It enables untrained dogs to become popular pets at home.
D. It enables dogs to be trained in the Support Dogs at home.
2.Who would benefit a lot from the new invention?
A. Disabled dog owners.
B. Dog trainers.
C. Famous inventors.
D. The Support Dogs charity.
3.What can we infer from the underlined sentence in Paragraph 3?
A. Mr. Middleton once got hurt by the dog in the video.
B. Mr. Middleton wanted to have a similar dog in the video.
C. Mr. Middleton was deeply impressed by the video.
D. Mr. Middleton wanted to make the same video.
4.What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?
A. To help protect animals.
B. To prove dogs useful.
C. To collect suggestions.
D. To attract sponsorship.
Every January, more than 3,000 people take part in one of the most difficult races on Earth: the Tough Man Competition in the U. K. The participants run, swim and climb around the 15 km course. But this race is not normal. These runners have to crawl through tunnels, run across a field of nettles (荨麻) and jump over fire. What’s more, the competition takes place in January when temperatures are freezing. People travel from throughout the world to participate in it.
The competition is quite dangerous and every year there are accidents. Injuries like broken bones and cuts are quite common. One-third of the participants can not complete it. Runners have to be very athletic and most people train all the year to prepare for it. There are similar events, but this is the first one in the world. Many people do the competition because it is so famous. Every year the organizers change the events and add new things. This means that the competition stays thrilling and challenging, so people go back year after year.
First, the participants run 1km along a muddy road. Next, they crawl under low nets on the ground. After the nets, the runners jump off a high platform into a lake and swim for 1km. Then, they reach the field of fire. Here, the runners run across a field and jump over small bonfires(篝火). Next, the participants must crawl through a long tunnel which is partly under water. Finally, the runners run 2 km through nettles before they reach the finishing line.
1.According to the text, the participants in the competition_______________.
A. are required to run 15km
B. may take the risk of being injured
C. have to take a medical examination
D. are trained to deal with emergencies
2.What do we learn about the Tough Man Competition?
A. It is exciting but quite tough.
B. It is intended for overweight people.
C. The participants are mainly British natives.
D. Only one-third of the participants can make it.
3.To attract participants, what do the organizers usually do?
A. They create more items.
B. They hold the similar activities.
C. They hold the competition in winter.
D. They organize the competition in different countries.
4.What’s the author’s purpose in writing the text?
A. To warn the participants of danger.
B. To advertise the Tough Man Competition.
C. To introduce the Tough Man Competition.
D. To inform the participants of the competition.
I was delighted to receive a copy of Marie Curie and Her Daughters by Shelley Emling through my mailbox a few weeks ago.
Actually science has never really been my “thing”. At school I really struggled with physics and chemistry and was much happier in English Language or History classes. My mind is not structured enough to understand how science works. I’m a bit of a daydreamer and prefer using my imagination rather than learning facts, figures and formulae (公式）.Of course I knew who Marie Curie was, her great achievements, her contribution to science, to medical advances and her influence on the world, but other than those, I really had very little idea about her life.
Shelley Emling has based this book on Marie Curie’s relationship with her two daughters, Irene and Eve. The book begins after the early death of Pierre Curie, when Marie is left to carry on the work that they started as a couple and to bring up her two small daughters alone. Emling has concentrated her book on the communication between Marie and her daughters. In her daighter's opinion, she was not an overly-protective mother, nor did she hesitate to spend time away from her daughters, yet this did not weaken their relationship. Marie was a caring and loving mother, who encouraged her daughters to become individuals, to achieve what they wanted to.
Marie Curie and her husband made the decision not to profit from their discoveries. It was because of this that Marie had to depend on donations to carry out her work, and that she had to carry out tours of the States.
I was very impressed by Emling’s writing style—she has told the story of three extraordinary women who were way ahead of their time in an interesting and very readable manner.
1.What is the writer good at?
A. Daydreaming. B. English and History.
C. Physics and chemistry. D. Facts, figures and formulae.
2.What is Marie Curie like in the eyes of Irene and Eve?
A. She makes a pet of them like babies. ，
B. She avoids staying away from them.
C. She encourages them to build their own characters.
D. She wants to be involved in every area of their life.
3.Why did Marie Curie tour the States?
A. Because she meant to make herself a famous person.
B. Because she needed money to bring up her two small daughters by herself.
C. Because she wished to introduce the medical advances to people in the U. S.
D. Because she decided to continue her work without money made from discoveries.
4.What’s the focus of the book written by Shelley Emling?
A. The connection between Marie Curie and her daughters.
B. The contributions Marie Curie made to the world.
C. The research work of Marie Curie and her husband.
D. The decision made by Marie Curie and her husband.
If you’ll be taking vacation time in the coming year and plan on flying, here are some shopping tips to give your undivided attention to.
When to buy
If you’re shopping for domestic flights, check prices on Tuesday afternoons. This is an old tip but still valid because most U. S. carriers continue to release sales on Tuesday morning, and competitors quickly drop their fares to match the better deals.
When to fly
Weekdays continue to be generally cheaper times to fly than weekends for most flights. In the U.S. specifically, the cheapest days are typically Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. A good itinerary (旅行计划）for the expensive U.S. spring break travel period is Tuesday to Saturday; it won’t be cheap exactly, but it will save you money (in most cases) over weekend-to- weekend travel.
Direct vs. connecting flights
Compare the price of direct with connecting fights. Sometimes adding a stop to your route will save you money, and it might be enough to endure the extra-long flying day. Some examples:
Boston to Seattle: $247 direct, $234 one-stop
San Francisco to Raleigh/Durham: $553 direct, $362 one-stop
Okay, the savings on Boston-Seattle might not be worth it to you, but I’ll bet you’ll think twice about the direct flight for San Francisco to Raleigh.
Compare, compare, compare
Stifle the impulse to go to your favorite airline site to purchase tickets without doing any comparison; it’s a disaster. Example: Let's say you want to fly from New York to London and figuring your favorite U.S. legacy carrier will get you there for the best price.
Airline price: $554 round-trip
Comparison price: $486
Obviously, the legacy carrier did not have the cheapest flight, but wait, there’s more: The comparison site also showed a cheaper flight from the same legacy carrier ($521 ). See what you’re missing when you fail to compare?
1.When could the best price for flights within the U.S. most possibly be found?
A. Monday morning. B. Tuesday afternoon.
C. Thursday morning. D. Sunday morning.
2.What are ticket buyers advised to do?
A. Choose direct flights rather than connecting ones.
B. Take the cheapest deal from their favorite airline.
C. Look for flights to Europe throughout the summer.
D. Avoid weekend-to-weekend flights in holiday seasons.
3.What does the underlined phrase “Stifle the impulse” probably mean?
A. Put off doing something. B. Feel free to do something.
C. Get well prepared for something. D. Force someone to do things he dislikes.
假定你是李华，即将去美国参加一个中美文化夏令营活动。 请你根据以下内容要点给你的美国朋友Mike写一封信，告知他你的美国之行。
1.此行的目的；
2.活动的内容；
3.你的期望。
注意：1 词数100左右；
2 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3 开头语和结束语已为你写好，不计入总词数。
Dear Mike,
I’m writing to tell you something about my trip to America. _______________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________
Yours
Mike
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。
My friend Lily and I met each other when they were five years old. At that time, I moved into a new house next to hers because my father’s work. I felt so lonely when facing the new environment. Then someday, Lily played in her yard, but when she saw me, she smiled at me and asked me if or not I could play with her. I was shy at first, but then I was affecting by her kindness. We became good friend soon. As time goes by, our relationship becomes much close. When I met difficulties, she will help me without a hesitation. I think I am luckily to have her as my friend.
