In my memory,winters always used to be really unpleasant. You had to dress like a bear just to keep warm when you went outside.You were often cold,wet and no more than one step away from the thin ice on the lake.If you worked over time and went home in the dark,you would arrive home to an ice-cold house. And that would mean turning on the heating and waiting.
Fortunately, things don't have to be so challenging any more.Technology,engineering and design have developed,giving us new solutions to old problems.It means dealing with winter needn’t be like skating on thin ice.
With a smart thermostat(恒温器), our homes can be toasty when we need them to be. Many models go with smartphone APPs that allow you to regulate temperature from a distance, so we can warm up the house before we arrive home. According to techradar.com, a large technology news and reviews website, Tado's model has a voice control function,while the Nest “learns” your habits and heats the house for you.
Clothes have been given an upgrade,too.Electronic heated jackets and trousers heat up when you turn them on.What better way to keep warm in the dead of winter? At the touch of a button,or through an APP on our phones,the clothes produce heat from materials placed inside.Many models offer three levels of heating which stay warm for over 12 hours.
Finally, there is the headgear(头部装备) - Hats that have speakers which are included in the cloth using Bluetooth technology,so we can listen to our favourite music or,in some cases,have a phone call using the in-built microphone.All while keeping the head warm and avoiding coldness.
For many, the thought of winter used to be enough to make their blood run cold.But using technology,life needn’t freeze up.There’s no reason why winter can’t be really,really cool.
1.What does paragraph 1 mainly tell us about?
A. Winters are very cold in the author’s hometown.
B. The author’s feeling about winter.
C. There was heating in people’s houses in the past.
D. The author’s impression of the winter in the past.
2.What does the underlined word “toasty” mean in paragraph 3?
A. Relaxing. B. Comfortable.
C. Cool. D. Hot.
3.What can we know according to the text?
A. Some models can set the temperature of the house before people come home.
B. The Nest can only warm the house when you press the button.
C. Jackets and trousers can be heated up by our phones.
D. The heating of the clothes do not last longer than 12 hours.
4.Which can be the best title of this passage?
A. Winter Is Coming
B. Development in Heating Technology
C. A Modern Winter
D. Technology Makes Better Life
Photography（摄影） is a very popular art form. Anyone with a camera – or a mobile phone – can practice it.A picture communicates in a way that words often can’t. As the photographer Destin Sparks put it, “Photography is the story I fail to put into words.” And there’s no better chance to practice the art of photography than during our vacation time.
Holiday photos have been a part of the culture of travelers for a long time.For decades, vacationers have made sure they’ve packed a camera along with bathing suits, Hawaiian shirts and sunglasses. A camera is an important holiday item.But over the last 10 years,photography has become much more popular.It’s easy to capture ( 捕捉 ) still and moving pictures of places of interest, and it’s also easy to show off these pictures on social media.Armed with their smart phones,tourists, this year more than ever, are capturing the beauty of our planet.
Of course,travel companies have caught on to this. Trekksoft has an example of photo-tourism from the United States, a land with a vast choice of beautiful locations. Antelope Slot Canyon Tours in Arizona specializes in tours of the state’s famous canyons（峡谷）, which gives photographers the chance to capture them on camera.
Most of the tourists are able to make beautiful images with just their mobile phones. Still, help is on hand from the tour guide for those who aren’t great at using their cameras.These tour guides have taken a course in photography in case the skills they’ve learned would help their customers.
1.According to the writer, which of the following can be the best time to practice photography?
A. The time when people are traveling around.
B. The time when people have no words to say.
C. The time when you have a tour guide to help you.
D. The time when you have a mobile phone with you.
2.Why has photography become much more popular in the past ten years?
A. More and more people have cameras.
B. The planet is becoming more beautiful.
C. Visiting places of interest becomes easy.
D. Posting pictures on social media becomes easy.
3.What does the underlined word “this” in Paragraph 3 refer to?
A. The beauty of our planet.
B. The tourism in the United States.
C. The popularity of holiday photography.
D. The technology of photography.
4.What is special about Antelope Slot Canyon Tours?
A. Its wide choices.
B. Its photo-tourism.
C. Its best tour guide.
D. Its great photography course.
I'll never forget the day when Mary came into my office and said,I am too old to learn how to use a computer.I shook my head.Here was a woman who had raised 6 children and who had made great progress in her career telling me that she was too old to learn something new.I told her that I always believed people were never too old to learn.
Mary followed my advice and did learn how to use the computer.Now,she is retired and leading a very active life volunteering in her community( 社区 ),using her computer skills and helping anyone that needs help.
When she was in her sixties,one day she called me and said she had played the piano for others all her life,and now she was going to make a CD of her own.My mind flashed back to the day when she told me she was too old to learn.You can imagine my surprise and delight.
To produce the CD,she had a lot of things to learn.It was not just sitting at the piano and playing.She had to research the songs,learn about copyright(版权),and learn about marketing.It was pretty amazing for someone who once said she was too old to learn.And finally she made it. Now she has her own CD-Mixed Blessings.
Most of you probably have heard about some people who have gone back to university in their seventies and have also graduated.They are on their way again to charging themselves with a new skill and a new attitude towards life.The point is you are unable to learn anything at any age if you believe you are too old.On the contrary,you can achieve anything at any age if you believe you can.
1.When Mary said she was too old to learn, the author________.
A. became disappointed with her
B. felt sad and decided to help her
C. did not agree with her
D. thought what she had said was true
2.Why did Mary call the author one day in her sixties?
A. To ask him for some help.
B. To talk about her new CD.
C. To ask him to make a CD.
D. To tell him about her plan.
3.The author thought it________for Mary to make a CD.
A. impossible B. difficult
C. unnecessary D. interesting
4.What does the text mainly tell us?
A. We're never too old to learn.
B. We should always learn new skills.
C. Interest is the best teacher.
D. Some people succeed for a reason.
Metro Pocket Guide
Metrorail(地铁)
Each passenger needs a fare card to enter and go out.Up to two children under age five may travel free with a paying customer.
Fare card machine are in every station.Bring small bills because there are no change machines in the station and fare card machine only provide up to $ 5 in change.
Get one of unlimited Metrorail rides with a One Day Pass. Buy it from a fare card machine in Metro stations.Use it after 9:30 a.m. until closing on weekdays,and all day on weekends and holidays.
Hours of Service
Open: 5 a.m. Mon—Fri. 7a.m. Sat—Sun.
Close: midnight Sun—Thur. 3a.m. Fri—Sat. nights
Last train time vary.To avoid missing the last train,please check the last train time posted in the station.
Metrobus
When paying with exact change, the fare is $ 1.35. When paying with a smatTrip@CARD the fare is $1.25
Fares for the Senior /disabled（老年/残疾）customers
Senior customers 65 and older and disabled customers may spend less money on their ride. On Metrorail and Metrobus, use a senior/disabled fare card or SmarTrip@card. For more information about buying senior/ disabled fare cards, or SmarTrip@ cards and passes, please visit MetroOpenDoors.com or call 202-637-7000 and 202-637-8000.
Senior citizens and disabled customers can get free guide on how to use proper Metrobus and Metrorail services by calling 202-962-1100
Travel tips
--Avoid riding during weekday rush periods –before 9:30 a.m. and between 4 and 6 p.m.
--If you lose something on a bus or train or in a station, please call Lost & Found at 202-962-1195.
1.At what time does Metrorail stop service on Saturday?
A. At midnight B. at 7 a.m.
C. at 5 a.m. D. at 3 p.m.
2.What is good about a SmarTrip@ card?
A. It is convenient for old people. B. It can be bought at any time.
C. It saves money for its users. D. It is sold on the Internet.
3.Which number should you call if you lose something on the Metro?
A. 202-962-1100 B. 202-962-1195
C. 202-673-7000 D. 202-673-8000
假如你是李华，你的笔友Bob将从加拿大来长沙看你。你将和你的好友林涛一起陪同Bob在长沙度假。现请你给Bob写一封电子邮件，介绍你的好友林涛。林涛的具体信息见下面表格，你可以选择你认为最重要的三至五个信息进行介绍。
要求:1.词数100左右(开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数)
2.文中不得出现真实的人名和校名。
Name | Lin Tao; David (English name) |
Basic Facts | boy; 16 years old； from Changsha; studying in SDFZ |
Characteristics | mild, curious and optimistic |
Favorite subjects | Maths, Chemistry and English |
Hobbies | playing football, reading and travelling |
Dreams | studying for a PhD and working for a research organization |
Special experiences | took part in a scientific research program on virus and won the status of candidate to Peking University |
Dear Bob,
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Love!
Li Hua
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。
Oprah Winfrey is not just an 1. (extreme) successful TV personality in the US, but she is also a woman who 2. (inspire) millions so far. In her television shows she makes 3. possible to talk about great moments and difficulties in people’s lives. She has helped thousands of men and women come to terms with things 4. bother them and that they could not talk about with others. Oprah’s programme about literature, 5. which she reviews books, is very popular. When she praises a book, it 6. (become) a best-seller. Her life and her success are 7.good example for many women.
Oprah Winfrey’s wonderful career inspires many people 8. (believe) that success and 9. (happy) in life are within reach for everyone. Her life shows 10. (we) that hard work and discipline are the road to self-improvement, and success lies somewhere along that road.
