It was a cold and rainy day. I had no ______ to drive up the winding mountain road to my daughter Carolyn’s house. But she ______ I come to see something at the top of the mountain.
____as I was, I made the two-hour journey ______ the fog that hung like veils (面纱). By the time I saw how ______it was near the summit, I had gone too far away. Nothing could be worth this, I ______ as I drove slowly along the dangerous highway.
“I’ll stay for lunch, but I’m heading back as soon as the fog ______.” I announced. “But I want you to drive me to the garage to pick ______ my car.” Carolyn said. “How far is it?” I asked. She replied:” About three minutes and I’ll drive you there.”
After ten minutes on the mountain road, I looked at her _______. “ I thought you said three minutes.” She smiled. “ This is a detour (绕行路线).” Turning down a narrow track, we parked the car and got out. We walked a long path that was thick with pine trees. Gradually the peace and silence of the place began to fill my mind. Then we turned a corner and stopped. I was _______.
From the top of the mountain to the folds and valleys ______ several acres of daffodils (水仙花) rich in a variety of colors. It looked as if God had painted something gorgeous in front of us. Many questions ______ my mind. Who created such beauty? Why? How? As we approached the home that stood in the centre of the property, we saw a ______ that read: “ Answers to the Questions I know you are asking.” The first answer was: “One Woman-Two Hands, Two Feet, and Very Little Brain.” The second was: “ One at a Time.” The third: “Started in 1958.”
As we drove home, I was so ______ by what we had seen. I could ______speak. “She changed the world.” I finally said, “one bulb (水仙球茎) at a time. She started almost 40 years ago, probably just the beginning of an idea, and she _____at it.
The ______ of it would not let me go. I said:” Imagine if I’d had a ______ and worked on it, just a little bit every day, what might I have _______? Carolyn looked at me sideways, smiling. “______ tomorrow,” she said. “Better yet, start today.”
1.A. ambition B. desire C. challenge D. way
2.A. invited B. wished C. insisted D. hoped
3.A. Cautious B. Surprised C. Eager D. Unwilling
4.A. through B. over C. across D. beyond
5.A. fresh B. bright C. thick D. cloudy
6.A. doubted B. declared C. hesitated D. thought
7.A. lifts B. cleans C. raises D. sinks
8.A. out B. up C. off D. on
9.A. eagerly B. desperately C. anxiously D. calmly
10.A. shocked B. amazed C. amused D. concerned
11.A. contained B. lay C. presented D. located
12.A. filled B. disturbed C. occurred D. confused
13.A. signal B. symbol C. note D. sign
14.A. encouraged B. inspired C. moved D. thrilled
15.A. hardly B. rarely C. simply D. totally
16.A. brought B. continued C. made D. kept
17.A. wonder B. doubt C. mystery D. idea
18.A. view B. vision C. sight D. scene
19.A. predicted B. expected C. accomplished D. explored
20.A. Behave B. Take C. Set D. Start
If you stayed up or had a bad night of sleep last night， you know it's difficult to stay awake in class today． Your teacher's voice might begin to sound like a lullaby（催眠曲）．1.To keep yourself awake， some tips are worth trying in class．
Sit in the front of the room． Why？2.Besides， it'll be easier to pay attention and participate when you're in the front． You'll also be near the people who are more likely to participate， and the sound of their voices might keep you awake．
3.Ask and answer questions and pay attention to the lecture． This will help if you're tired or discouraged by the content of the lecture， because you can ask your teacher questions to get to the bottom of the problems． Talking will also keep you engaged and alert． It might be helpful to make a goal for yourself to answer or ask at least 3questions per class．4.For example， you might say "I didn't understand the last part of the proof． Could you explain it again in more detail？"
Listen actively to the lesson． Active listening is a great way to force yourself to stay awake because it requires engagement of your mind as well as your body．5.To effectively listen to your teacher， you should try to maintain eye contact， face the speaker， pay close attention to what the speaker is saying and ask questions during a pause in the lecture．
A． Participate in class activities．
B． Develop interest in the subject．
C． If so， classrooms can be boring because you're tired．
D． Keep silent all the time and try to catch as much information as possible．
E． To avoid annoying your teacher you should try to keep your questions on topic．
F． You'll be more motivated to stay awake if you know that the teacher can see you easily．
G． Practicing active listening can help you keep your eyes open for the length of the lesson．
Maths and Music An excellent way to kill a conversation is to say you are a mathematician． Tell others you are also a musician， however， and they will be hooked． Although there are obvious similarities between mathematical and musical activity， there is no direct evidence for the kind of magical connection many people seem to believe in．
I'm partly referring here to the "Mozart effect"， where children who have been playing Mozart compositions are supposedly more intelligent， including at maths， than other children． It is not hard to see why such a theory would be popular： we would all like to become better at maths without putting in any effort． But the conclusions of the experiment that expressed the belief in the Mozart effect were much more modest． If you want your brain to work better， you clearly have to put in hard work． As for learning to play the piano， it also takes effort．
Surely a connection is quite reasonable． Both maths and music deal with abstract structures， so if you become good at one， then it is likely that you become good at something more general that helps you with the other． If this is correct， it would show a connection between mathematical and musical ability． It would be more like the connection between abilities at football and tennis． To become better at one， you need to improve your fitness and coordination （协调）． That makes you better at sport and probably helps with the other．
Abstract structures don't exist only in maths and music． If you learn a language then you need to understand its abstract structures like grammar． Yet we don't hear people asking about a connection between mathematical and linguistic （语言的） ability． Maybe this is because grammar feels mathematical， so it wouldn't be surprising that mathematicians were better at learning grammar． Music， however， is strongly tied up with feelings and can be enjoyed even by people who know little about it． As such， it seems different from maths， so there wouldn't be any connection between the two．
Let's see how we solve problems of the "A is to B as C is to D" kind． These appear in intelligence tests but they are also important to both music and maths． Consider the opening of Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik （小夜曲）． The second phrase （小节） is a clear answer to the first． The listener thinks： "The first phrase goes upward and uses the notes of a G major chord （和弦）； what would be the corresponding phrase that goes downward and uses the notes of a D7？" Music is full of puzzles like this． If you are good at them， expectations will constantly be set up in your mind． The best moments surprise you by being unexpected， but we need the expectations in the first place．
1.What does the author say about "Mozart effect"？ ______
A. The goal of it was not carefully thought about．
B. The findings from it gave people wrong information．
C. The interest people showed in it was unexpected．
D. The way it was carried out proved to be ineffective．
2.The author mentioned football and tennis in Paragraph 3to show that ______ ．
A. football and tennis are played in a similar way．
B. certain skills may be developed through practice．
C. music and maths have something in common．
D. abstract structures bring benefits to various fields．
3.We can infer from Paragraph 4that ______ ．
A. language seems more like maths than music does．
B. language is less appealing to learners．
C. mathematicians are good at music learning．
D. the structure of language is easier to learn than that of music．
4.What does the writer intend to state in the last paragraph？ ______
A. How music differs from maths．
B. Why musicians possess mathematical abilities．
C. Why Mozart is so highly considered by mathematicians．
D. How abstract thinking applies to both music and maths．
There is an ancient Chinese story about a giant man named Kua Fu who chases the sun. He drains (喝干) the Yellow and Wei rivers during his race and finally dies of dehydration(脱水). His failure has reminded people of the unstoppable power of the sun for centuries. And yet, scientists throughout history have tried to better understand the most important star in our sky. On Aug 12, 2018, NASA launched the Parker Solar Probe(探测器), marking the start of its trip to the sun.
The probe itself is almost as big as a car and needed the help of a powerful rocket to escape Earth's orbit, change direction and reach the sun. In order to reach the sun, the probe must complete seven flight of Venus, using the power of the planet's gravity to change its path, sending it toward the sun. But that's not the only difficult part of the journey. As the probe approaches the sun's corona(日冕), it will have to bear temperatures reaching 1,400 C, as well as deal with serious radiation. So how will the probe survive?
According to NASA, a special shield (保护罩) has been used, which is a special 11.5 cm-thick carbon-composite shield that will be positioned between the probe and the sun's corona. Its advanced technology like this will make the probe's trip to the sun much smoother. If everything goes as planned, the probe will reach a speed of 692,018 kilometers per hour as it orbits the sun, setting a new record for the fastest man-made object in history, NBC noted. It will fly close to the sun 24 times between 2018 and 2025, NBC added.
The "mission to touch the sun" will "not only make history by answering questions that have puzzled scientists for decades, but it may also lead to the discovery of new phenomena that are completely unknown to us now," Raouafi told Discovery Magazine. "This mission has the potential to push solar research into a new direction," he added.
1.What does "it" underlined in paragraph 2 refer to?
A. A powerful rocket. B. The probe.
C. Venus. D. The planet's gravity.
2.What do we know about the Parker Solar Probe?
A. It’s the fastest probe ever designed.
B. It has an 11.5-inch-thick shield.
C. It was designed to carry a powerful rocket.
D. It’s twice the size of a car.
3.The probe will meet the challenges except ________.
A. the route to the sun B. the heat near the sun
C. the distance to the sun D. the radiation from the sun
4.What’s the main purpose of the last paragraph?
A. To stress the importance of advanced technology.
B. To prove the mission is the greatest move in human history.
C. To suggest there is a long way to go in solar exploration.
D. To show the mission will fill a gap in solar research.
How old is too old to go trick-or-treating? Chesapeake of Virginia says the answer to that question is anyone over the age of 12.
City officials recently announced that doorbell-ringing candy seekers over the age of 12 could face a charge, up to six months in jail, and $25 to $100 fines. They're far from alone. Meridian of Mississippi, Bishopville of South Carolina, and Boonsboro of Maryland, also have set the age at 12. The phenomenon isn't limited to the US: In 2017, Bathurst, a town in Canada, banned anyone older than 16.
Officials say they won't be actively looking to catch teenage trick-or-treaters in the act. The age limits are part of a broader push to limit pranks and tricks. Some parents think that preventing older kids from participating in Halloween traditions will have the opposite effect. A Facebook post last year argued that all kids, regardless of age, should be allowed to take part in trick-or-treating. It was shared more than 4,000 times, with close to 700 comments.
Some parents argued that kids shouldn't be spoiled. Others argued that even older kids should be encouraged to take part in it in the sense of wonder and excitement, and most said they were willing to give candy to whoever dressed up. That seems consistent with the scientific studies that play is essential to help children develop into healthy, well-adapted people, and that play encourages kids to develop collaboration and creativity.
Given how over-scheduled, anxious, and unhappy today's teens are, maybe a little Halloween magic is exactly in order.
1.How many American cities that have set the limit of going trick-or-treating are mentioned?
A. One city. B. Two cities.
C. Three cities. D. Four cities.
2.Why did the officials decide to prevent teens from going trick-or-treating?
A. Because the teens are too old to go trick-or-treating..
B. Because it is thought that the teens will do something harmful.
C. Because some parents are afraid that kids can be spoiled.
D. Because that seems consistent with the scientific studies.
3.What may most people agree with according to the passage?
A. All people should take part in the Halloween traditional activities.
B. Halloween tradition is no longer as attractive as before.
C. It's not a good idea to limit the age of going trick-or treating.
D. Play is necessary to help children develop into healthy and well-adapted people.
4.What is the author's attitude towards the age limit of going trick-or-treating?
A. disapproving B. objective
C. favorable D. indifferent
Amsterdam's Best Flea MarketsIjhallen Flea Market
First or second weekend of every month
Perhaps the most impressive of them all is Ijhallen， located in the north of Amsterdam． With more than 1，500 stands and 3，000 free parking spaces， the monthly market attracts visitors from not only the Netherlands， but Europe-wide．
There is a five euro admission fee， but you can be pretty sure that you can browse second-hand treasures for most of the day． Anything and everything can be found here； old guitars and antique chairs， art prints and military gear．
Noordermarkt Flea Market
Saturday， 9am-4pm
Monday， 9am-2pm
In the centre of the Jordaan， the Noordermarkt Flea Market on Saturdays includes vintage（老式的） goods and organic food produce from local farmers．
On Mondays， the market transforms into an antique-hunter's goldmine． There are piles of vintage clothes， antique books， coins and furniture．
Waterloopein Market
Monday-Saturday， 9am-6pm
The most centrally located of all flea markets in Amsterdam， Waterlooplein Market offers visitors a range of snacks， second-hand clothes and vintage treasures．
There's a maze of second-hand goods， from old globes and hanging lamps， to African drums， antique rugs and used bikes．
Spui Book Market
Friday 10am-6pm
Ideally situated among bookstores， you'll find a collection of tents sheltering second-hand and antique books at the book market on Spui．
You can find a variety of literature from biographies and poetry to fantasy-fiction， history， psychology and geography． While most books are from the Netherlands， some English and international titles are for sale． As well as antique maps， prints and record．
1.Which flea market do you need to pay some extra money？ ______
A. Ijhallen Flea Market． B. Noordermarkt Flea Market．
C. Waterlooplein Market． D. Spui Book Market．
2.What can you pick up at Noordermarkt Flea Market？ ______
A. You can get enough parking space． B. You can choose a range of snacks．
C. You can buy some fresh vegetables． D. You can dig some gold mines here．
3.When is a good time to visit a favorite market for a crazy book fan？ ______
A. First weekend of every month． B. Friday， 10am-6pm．
C. Monday， 9am-6pm． D. Saturday， 9am-4pm．
