Megan McDonald is the writer of the popular Judy Moody and Stink books. McDonald, the youngest of five girls, grew up in a suburb outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I talked with her for our magazine recently. Here are some questions I asked and her answers to them.
Q: What was the inspiration for your characters Judy Moody and Stink?
A: My original inspiration came from growing up with so many sisters.
We grew up in a family of readers and storytellers. I had all these funny stories about my sisters that I wanted to tell. The first Judy Moody book probably has the most stories that came from my childhood. After that, Judy and Stink really took on a life of their own. Everyone knows a “Judy Moody” in his/her life.
Q: Who are some of your favorite authors and what are some of your favorite books?
A: Beverly Cleary with the Ramona books. Harriet The Spy by Louise Fitzhugh was also a really important book for me growing up. And now, I would say that one of my most favorite authors is Katherine Paterson. I love her book called The Great Gilly Hopkins. Gilly is so individual, strong-minded and willful. She’s not always perfect. Judy Moody was sort of inspired by that character. I love that book.
Q: What advice do you have for kids who want to write books?
A: It’s really simple. I think the best thing anybody — a kid or an adult — can do if he/she wants to write is to read. I feel really strongly about that because I think reading is not only what inspires us, but it’s a way that we learn languages, and it’s a way that we learn how stories work with beginnings, middles, and ends. For me, it all begins with reading.
1.According to Megan McDonald, growing up with so many sisters .
A. kept her from reading
B. wasn’t a very good experience
C. helped her write books in later life
D. made her different from other girls
2.The underlined sentence means Judy and Stink .
A. became popular with readers
B. wanted to become independent
C. were just ordinary people in our lives
D. developed no longer based on McDonald’s childhood
3.McDonald’s last answer mainly shows reading is .
A. simple B. important
C. private D. basic
4.Who talked with Megan McDonald in the text?
A. A teacher. B. A TV reporter.
C. A fan. D. A journalist
We’ve got two dogs, Roxie and Cosita. My childhood memories are full of the cats we’ve loved, from my dad’s cat, Bandit, to our beloved white cat Cecelia, whose gray fur formed a perfect heart shape across her stomach. But since our last cat friend, Sunny the orange cat, died too young, we’ve been cat-less. The sudden loss of Sunny was hard to move on from, especially for my mom.
This year, Mom finally thought she was ready for a new kitten. It was all she wanted for her birthday on June 16. “Roxie and Cosita need a new friend!” she said. In the week leading up to her birthday, something happened. She started to hear a kitten’s meow (喵叫声) in the garage. Every time she went in and out of the garage, she could hear the soft cries but couldn’t tell the exact position of the sound. She asked my dad if he heard it too. He only shrugged (耸肩). At last, Mom’s birthday was arriving. She kept her fingers crossed, hoping for a kitten.
Over the past week, my dad had heard the kitten’s meow every time he walked past my mom’s car. One day he opened the hood (车盖) of the car, and a yellow kitten stared back at him. How in the world did she get there? And where did she come from? Dad didn’t know, but he fed the kitten every day, waiting for the day he’d give her to Mom.
The little kitten was such a perfect birthday gift, and Dad even didn’t need to leave the house to find her for my mom’s happy birthday! When it came time to name our new furry friend, we took inspiration from a song famously performed by Wilson Pickett and called her “Sally”.
1.What was difficult for Mom to forget?
A. The young orange cat’s death.
B. The moving of one of her friends.
C. The sudden death of the cat Bandit.
D. The heart shape across Cecelia’s stomach.
2.What gift did Mom hope for?
A. A new car. B. A little cat.
C. A little dog. D. A new cassette.
3.What can we learn about Sally?
A. Dad hid her in Mom’s car.
B. Sally was bought for Mom.
C. Sally was named after a song.
D. Mom received her ahead of the birthday.
4.What would be the best title for the text?
A. A new home for Sally B. My pet friends in memory
C. My mom’s happy birthday D. An unexpected birthday gift
Zoos give people a chance to get close to animals from every continent in the world. But zoos that offer more than just a chance to see animals are worth visiting. Singapore Zoo
At Singapore Zoo, enjoy breakfast while a family of orangutans (猩猩) sits nearby enjoying theirs. A zookeeper tells the breakfast crowd about each member of the family. Or join the Wild Discoverer tour for a detailed look at some of the animals.
Bronx Zoo
The Bronx Zoo in New York City houses 6,000 animals. Those who want to sleep with zebras (斑马) have a chance at this zoo. Special overnight journeys allow families to camp out on the zoo grounds and meet some amazing animal guests.
Taronga Zoo
The Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia offers special animal contact. Visitors can see a koala up close, feed a giraffe or hold a reptile. For those who want to learn what it’s like to work at a zoo, Taronga offers a “Keeper for A Day” program for anyone over 18 years old.
San Diego Zoo
At Southern California’s San Diego Zoo, animals live in natural-looking areas. Wildlife photography (摄影) lovers can take a class to learn the secrets of photographing animals. The zoo offers people opportunities to meet a lion or feed a rhino. The zookeepers also teach people how to talk to the animals so they will talk back.
1.Where can you breakfast with orangutans?
A. At Bronx Zoo. B. At Taronga Zoo.
C. At Singapore Zoo. D. At San Diego Zoo.
2.The “Keeper for A Day” program is intended for .
A. animal protectors B. wildlife researchers
C. adults working with keepers D. adults interested in keepers’ life
3.At San Diego Zoo, you can .
A. sleep with lions or rhinos
B. join the Wild Discoverer tour
C. camp out overnight on the zoo grounds
D. have a better communication with animals
假定你是李华，上周应留学生朋友Leslie的邀请，你去听了一场钢琴音乐会，你打算教他认识中国汉字以示感谢。就此请你用英语给他写一封信件，内容包括：
1.对受邀表示感谢；
2.简要回忆音乐会及感受；
3.提出教他汉字作为回报。
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Leslie,
How is everything getting along with you recently?
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
下面短文中有10处语言错误。请在有错误的地方增加、删除或修改某个单词。
增加:在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在该漏字符号下写上该加的词。
删除:把多余的词用斜线( \ )划掉。
修改:在错的词下划一横线，并在该横线下写上修改后的词。
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。
I have been fond of playing chess for many years and I have made a rapid progress, for which I am proud. However, I came across the chess player on the Internet several days ago. While played, I was so eager to win. But because of my carelessness, I failed in the end, what got me crazy. I burst into tear. My parents looked at me in silence. Only when I calmed down they tell me that it was no use get angry when we met with failures. What we should do is learn to control our emotions or try to do better next time. I was ashamed of what I did. “Never will I lose my temper again.”I told me.
1.You will never gain success unless you are fully d__________ to your work.
2.Hearing the news that he had passed the exam, Jack breathed in r__________ .
3.There is no d_________ that the concert will be held as scheduled.
4.After 10 years’ hard work, her dream became a r__________.
5.She was a_________ into Peking University in July 2018, which made her parents very happy.
6.All men are created ___________.(平等的)
7.It is the __________(保护) for trees that really matters, rather than how many trees are planted.
8.English is a subject __________(属于) to the college entrance examination subjects.
9.Many people hold the wrong view that money can __________(解答，解决) everything.
10.I need some __________(志愿者) to help the washing-up.
