When my sister Mertie told me she had put out tomato plants last summer, I was quite impressed.
Since she was a garden-beginner, Mertie researched exactly how far apart to space her tomato plants; what kind of fertilizer to use; how to keep away the bugs, etc. Once they were planted, she took care of them daily, anxiously awaiting the juicy tomatoes to appear. But, day after day, her plants were tomato-less while all of her neighbors who had also put out tomato plants were already enjoying the fruit of their labor.
Frustrated, Mertie gave in and went to the market to search fresh tomatoes. While paying, Mertie told the farmer her troubles. The farmer paused to think for a moment and then asked, “Well, what kind of tomatoes did you plant?”
“I think they were called Big Boy,” Mertie remembered.
“Well there’s your problem,” the farmer explained. “Big Boy and Better Boy tomatoes have a 95-day growing period whereas regular tomato plants produce fruit in as few as 70 days…you just have to wait a little longer for the Big Boys.”
With that new knowledge, Mertie went home with excitement, knowing they would be worth the wait.
Thinking about my sister’s gardening experience, I had to smile. She just didn’t know that Big Boy tomatoes took longer--neither did I--but once she discovered that information, she was no longer discouraged and upset about the lack of tomatoes on her plants. Instead, she was encouraged and excited to see them a few weeks later.
It makes me wonder how many of us have “Big Boy” dreams in our hearts, yet we just don’t realize that they are of the “Big Boy” variety so we are discouraged and worn out with the waiting process. Instead of waiting with excitement, we give up on our dreams and figure we must have done something wrong to stop them from coming to pass. Frustrated, we see other people’s dreams coming true, and we wonder why ours haven’t yet been achieved.
1.What is not mentioned in the passage when growing tomato plants?
A. Using suitable fertilizer. B. Keeping them well apart.
C. Watering them regularly. D. Controlling pests on them.
2.Why did Mertie’s tomato plants fail to produce at the expected time?
A. Because they were destroyed by her neighbors.
B. Because she grew the wrong kind of tomatoes.
C. Because she didn’t manage the garden well.
D. Because they required more time to produce.
3.What does the author compare tomatoes to in the text?
A. Goals. B. Experiences.
C. Time. D. Imagination.
4.What does the text intend to show us?
A. It’s better late than never.
B. A bad beginning makes a bad ending.
C. Success sometimes needs a little patience.
D. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Plan your dream vacation to one of these excellent destinations.
St. Lucia
Abundant（丰富的） rainforests and splendid mountains are all reasons to visit this Caribbean island. St. Lucia offers the perfect mix of relaxation and adventure. To take in the breathtaking scenery, plan to hike the Piton Mountains or dive in the waters of Anse Chastanet.
Banff. Alberta
This Canadian destination will bring out the explorer in anyone who visits. From hiking and whitewater rafting to skiing and snowboarding, Banff offers travelers an abundance of year-round outdoor activities. The Lake Louise Ski Resort is one of the largest in North America and the striking photo opportunities of the Canadian Rockies from Moraine Lake can’t be underestimated (低估).
Machu Picchu
According to travelers, a visit to this Peruvian UNESCO World Heritage (遗产) site is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Located in the Andes Mountains, it is the most familiar icon (象征物) of Inca civilization. Spend a few days accustoming yourself to the altitude in the neighboring city of Cusco, where you can experience a mix of Incan and Spanish cultures.
Great Barrier Reef
It’s easy to see why the Great Barrier Reef is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World – it stretches nearly 1,500 miles along the eastern coastline of Australia and features about 3,000 reefs, 900 islands and more than 1,500 species of fish. Travelers can see these amazing natural structures from the air or underwater. However, large amounts of coral bleaching (褪色) caused by rising ocean temperatures put this place’s continued existence at risk, so plan your visit soon to see this awesome sight up close.
1.What can you enjoy both in St. Lucia and Banff?
A. Hiking. B. Skiing.
C. Diving. D. Snowboarding.
2.Where may a historian choose to go?
A. St. Lucia. B. Banff. Alberta.
C. Machu Picchu. D. Great Barrier Reef
3.What do we know about the Great Barrier Reef?
A. It’s on the western coast of Australia.
B. It’s famous for coral reefs rather than fish.
C. People must take a plane to enjoy its beauty.
D. It may disappear if temperature keeps on rising.
假定你是李华，你的外国笔友Sally想利用假期参加一些夏令营活动，写信征求你的意见。请结合自身经历，给她回一封邮件，告诉她参加夏令营的好处。
注意：1. 词数100左右 (开头和结合已给出，但不计入总词数)；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Sally,
I'm writing to tell you about my ideas about taking part in various camp activities.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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：在错的词下画一横线，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。
Yesterday, I spent one memorable afternoon with my little friend Tom, which was the child of my neighbors next door. When I reached home after school, I find Tom sitting on the stairs.
Know he had lost his key, and I invited him to my home. He started to do his homework. Meanwhile, I called her mother and told her what had happened. Soon Tom finished all his homework. Since it was still early, I decided play Chinese chess with him so that he wouldn't feel boring. Tom was very careful and he thought very hard before makes any move. Later, Tom's mother arrived and thanked me for taking care of her sons. Tom said he had an enjoyable afternoon. In fact, I also felt very happily.
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
Henry Bond was about ten years old when his father died. He lived 1. poor life with his mother. When in fourth grade, Henry wanted a grammar book in order to join a class in the school. But his mother didn't have money 2. (buy) one for him. 3.(trouble) by it, Henry started thinking about 4. could be done.
One morning, it snowed 5. (heavy) and the cold wind blew hard. 6. (look) at the deep snow, Henry said to 7. (he), “It is an ill wind that blows nobody good.”
He ran to the house of a neighbor, and offered his services to clear a path in front of his house. The offer was accepted. After 8. (complete) this work, he received a tip. Then he went to another place for the same purpose, and then to another, until he earned enough to buy the book.
When school 9. (start), Henry was in his seat, the happiest boy in the class, ready to begin the lesson in his new book.
Henry was always one of the top students in his class. He knew no such word 10. “fail”. Having the will, he always found the way.
Have you ever flown on an airplane? Before you left, you______everything you would need for your ______ in a suitcase. Most suitcases that travel on an airplane have to be ____ in special areas away from the passengers. It helps keep the plane _____. This also frees up more room for passengers and makes them more______.
While you were flying in the airplane, you might have had _____looking out of the window or listening to music. Your suitcases, though, didn’t get the same______. Where had they gone? Most airports have baggage handling(处理) systems that______your baggage during your trip.
The systems differ from airport to airport, but baggage handlers have three______jobs. First, they move your baggage from the check-in area to the ____ you’ll be catching. Then your baggage ____ sit with all the other passengers’ baggage in certain areas of your airplane. Second, if you have to ____ airplanes somewhere during your trip, your baggage will be moved to the new airplane you are going to ____ . Finally, they will move your baggage from the airplane to a ____ area at your final destination.
Of course, the systems must make sure baggage travels to the ____ airplanes. Even so, mistakes happen every day. Sometimes, baggage may ____ their airplane. When this happens, they may be found ____ and sent on the next available airplane. Some baggage, though, gets ____ for longer periods of time and may end up in off-site storage facilities(异地仓储设施点). Baggage that can never be ____ to their owners may be given away to charity ____ they can be sold at special auctions(拍卖会).
1.A. discovered B. rewrote C. packed D. forgot
2.A. village B. house C. visit D. trip
3.A. repaired B. stored C. shared D. cleaned
4.A. organized B. heavy C. fixed D. safe
5.A. comfortable B. confident C. beautiful D. careful
6.A. patience B. courage C. money D. fun
7.A. experiment B. knowledge C. treatment D. education
8.A. break away from B. catch up with C. take care of D. make use of
9.A. well-paid B. main C. interesting D. easy
10.A. airplane B. train C. boat D. bus
11.A. still B. never C. nearly D. usually
12.A. choose B. change C. control D. stop
13.A. order B. save C. take D. see
14.A. collection B. rest C. dining D. picnic
15.A. slow B. small C. quiet D. right
16.A. destroy B. miss C. follow D. meet
17.A. suddenly B. strangely C. quickly D. clearly
18.A. prepared B. broken C. washed D. lost
19.A. returned B. introduced C. lent D. added
20.A. but B. or C. so D. if
