Bank holidays! We all love them!
A bank holiday is an English term for a public holiday. During the day banks and offices are closed and a lot of people have a day off work. In the UK, people only get eight bank holidays in one year. 1.
People in Colombia are much luckier. There are twenty bank holidays for the whole country in one year! And there can be even more, depending on which region(地区) you live in. 2. As in the UK, most of the bank holidays in Colombia exist for religious reasons.
3. One such example is Independence Day on 20 July every year. This is just like Bastille Day in France on 14 July. 4. It is in memory of the day that Christopher Columbus, first reached America in the year 1492.
Bank holidays are very important for western people. 5. They may also choose to stay at home to relax and forget about work.
A. Bank holidays are different in Colombia.
B. During the holidays, they often travel with their families.
C. This is because different regions have their own holidays.
D. And at least five of those are around Christmas time and Easter.
E. Every country on the continent of America celebrates Columbus Day.
F. Another historical bank holiday in Colombia is Columbus Day on 12 October.
G. However, some bank holidays in Colombia came into being for historical reasons.
Adopting (领养) a new pet should be an exciting and rewarding experience. But just as all families are different, so are all pets. Learn what to consider before you find your new furry family member.
All pets require their owner’s time, so Theisen, an expert in pet care, says how much time you can give to the pet is the top thing to consider. “If you adopt a 4-year-old cat, she’s not going to need the same amount of care as a 9-week-old dog”. says Theisen.
Like dating and finding the perfect partner, you want a pet that shares your interests and activity levels, particularly if you’re looking for dogs. “Consider activity levels in the family,” says Theisen. “If you’re a couch potato, or in other words, a homebody, look for a pet that matches that activity level.”
Some dogs, like Dalmatians and Terriers, can be loud and noisy and demand a more active lifestyle and room to be outside; they might not fit as well in close living situations as more sedentary pets. The Humane Society of the United States encourages potential owners to research books and websites and talk to other pet owners when considering adopting a new pet.
Theisen says that potential owners should go beyond the first impression of loveliness and watch how the animals interact with them. “There are dogs that will jump to the gate to meet you,” says Theisen. “And there are dogs that sit there with their sad doggy eyes — you know they’re not going to be high-energy dogs”.
Some exotic pets, like tortoises and parrots, are likely to live longer than dogs and cats — and even their human owners. They can also grow to be much larger than they were when they first came to live with their owners. Owners should make sure that their living situations should be continually updated and also prepare for the animal’s future.
1.What will people have to consider first of all when they plan to adopt a pet?
A. The amount of time they can give to the pet.
B. The money that the pet will cost them.
C. Whether the pet is lovely or not.
D. Whether the pet is active or not.
2.The underlined word “sedentary” in the fourth paragraph probably means ________.
A. weak. B. noisy.
C. loud. D. inactive.
3.Being a couch potato and not fond of exotic pets, which should Julia choose?
A. Dalmatians. B. Terriers.
C. Parrots. D. Bulldogs.
4.Where is the passage most probably coming from?
A. A guidebook. B. A fashion magazine.
C. A Life magazine. D. An entertainment newspaper.
Inspired by a 9-year-old cyclist, Lauren Turner, who can only use one hand, a group of University of Guelph students has won an international award for their invention — a bike brake lever (刹车手柄) that pulls both the front brake and the back brake at the same time.
Lauren Tuner was able to ride her bike, but not as confidently and quickly as her friends.
“She couldn’t use the front brake. She only used the back brake, but the front brake makes you stop twice as fast,” says Micha Wallace, who, with Katie Bell, Anina Sakaguchi and Andrew Morries won second prize in the James Dyson Award for their single-handed bike brake lever.
“Lauren Turner tried the device (装置) first and she used it all last summer. She had no problems. It helped her go faster because she felt more confident in her braking abilities. She felt safer.” says Wallace.
The invention was the fourth-year design project for the four students. They designed, tested and created a prototype (模型) within a four-month period.
When Wallace heard about the James Dyson Award on the news, she and her co-inventors entered their project in the U. K. -based contest, which rewards students designers who create products that improve the way we live. The students collected the runner-up prize — £2,000 for them and £500 for their school.
As well, they had a chance to meet James Dyson, a U.K. famous inventor. Praising the students for their invention, Dyson says the single-handed brake lever could improve safety for all cyclists. By using both brakes at once, you could prevent the possibility of flying over the handlebars and ending up with an injury.
The students hope to sell it to a major company. It may be used in other devices that require two hands for operation.
1.According to the passage, the James Dyson Award was named after ________.
A. a well-known place B. a famous inventor
C. a famous university D. a government leader
2.The underlined part “the runner-up prize” in Paragraph 6 means ________.
A. the second prize B. the rich prize
C. the big prize D. the prize for runners
3.According to the passage, we know that the brake lever ________.
A. has already been widely used
B. can only serve the disabled cyclists
C. can protect you from any injuries
D. will have a wide market in the future
4.What’s the best title for the passage?
A. Bikes Will Be Safer in the Future. B. The James Dyson Award.
C. Student Inventors Win U.K. Prize. D. Help and Care for the Disabled.
These days, people who do manual (体力的) work often receive far more money than people who work in offices. People who work in offices are frequently referred to as “white-collar workers” for the simple reason that they usually wear a collar and tie to go to work. Such is human nature, that a great many people are often willing to sacrifice higher pay for the honor of becoming white-collar workers. This can lead to curious situations, as it did in the case of Alfred Bloggs who worked as a dustman for the Ellesmere Corporation.
When he got married, Alf was too embarrassed to say anything to his wife about his job. He simply told her that he worked for the Corporation. Every morning, he left home dressed in a smart black suit. He then changed into overalls (工作服) and spent the next eight hours as a dustman. Before returning home at night, he took a shower and changed back into his suit. Alf did this for over two years and his fellow dustmen kept his secret. Alf’s wife has never discovered that she married a dustman and she never will, for Alf has just found another job. He will soon be working in an office. He will be earning only half as much as he used to, but he feels that his rise in status (身份；地位) is well worth the loss of money. From now on, he will wear a suit all day and others will call him ‘Mr. Bloggs’, not ‘Alf’.
1.What does the case of Alfred Bloggs show?
A. That people often care more about the status of a job than the income.
B. That “white-collar workers” usually wear a suit to go to work.
C. That manual workers prefer to keep their jobs a secret.
D. That office workers earn less than manual workers.
2.What did Alfred Bloggs do for over two years?
A. He told his wife he worked for the Corporation, when in fact he did not.
B. He dressed himself as a dustman before leaving home every morning.
C. He lied to his wife about his job.
D. He earned twice as much as a white-collar worker.
3.What does Alfred Bloggs think of his new job?
A. He feels it is a pity because he now earns less than before.
B. He thinks it is worthwhile for his rise in status.
C. He is proud because he earns much more than before.
D. He is satisfied because he no longer needs a shower before returning home.
4.What’s the best title of the passage?
A. The Double Life of Alfred Bloggs.
B. Money or Status, Which Comes First?
C. The Story of Alfred Bloggs, a Dustman.
D. Truth Will Come to Light Sooner or Later.
During my third year of university, I spent six months studying in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Many are worried about travelling to Rio but I promise, it is worth a visit. Now I want to share my top recommendations (推荐) for experiencing Rio less as a tourist but more like a native Brazilian.
Pedra Bonita
Rio is full of hiking routes, and some Brazilians love to spend an afternoon hiking. My favorite route of all has to be Pedra Bonita. Pedra Bonita involves a steep climb of about an hour through tall trees, and I admit it is difficult in Rio’s heat, but you are rewarded at the top with a wonderful view of the city, standing high above the green landscape and blue sea below.
Mureta da Urca
One thing you are sure to find in Rio is an amazing sunset, but a lot of the best spots tend to be full of tourists. In my opinion, Mureta da Urca is the most relaxing place to watch the sun set over the silver sea, with the figure of Christ the Redeemer standing tall in the background.
Pedra do Sal
Pedra do Sal is a historical area in the city centre and on Monday nights it is brought to life by the sound of samba. Hundreds of people gather in the street, food and drink stalls are set up and it becomes a giant street party with everyone enjoying the happy sound of live samba!
Picanha
If there were one Brazilian food I could bring back to the UK, it would be picanha. It is the tastiest cut of steak I have ever tasted, served alongside rice and beans.
1.The writer once went to Rio de Janeiro to ________.
A. stay there as a tourist for six months
B. study as a short-time international student
C. live as a native Brazilian
D. learn how to be a native Brazilian
2.Which of the following is probably the favorite of body-builders?
A. Pedra Bonita. B. Mureta da Urca.
C. Pedra do Sal. D. Picanha.
3.What can you enjoy in Pedra do Sal?
A. A wonderful view of the city. B. An amazing sunset.
C. A giant street party. D. A nice Brazilian food.
Max works as a security guard at a famous museum． As a security guard， Max watches visitors to the museum as they come and go． He often wonders things about them． Where do they come from？ Are they happily married？ What do they do for a living？
One day， Max notices a very pretty woman visiting the exhibit he is guarding． He has seen her before． In fact， she often comes to see the rare jewelry exhibit - sometimes several times a week．
During one of these visits， she starts a conversation with Max． She asks if it is difficult to be a security guard and if he ever gets bored． She introduces herself as Maria， a fashion designer．
When Maria comes to visit， she often talks with Max． "Maybe she likes me，" he thinks．
Max thinks she is very interesting and wants to spend more time with her． During one of their talks at the museum， he finds out that she is studying Italian．
He lies and tells her he has always wanted to learn Italian． He is simply using Italian as a trick． And it works! Max and Maria meet every Saturday afternoon in the museum garden to study Italian．
During the lessons， they also talk about themselves． Maria shares her dreams of one day showing her fashions in a museum． Max tells her many details about his security job， including the security code and the locations of alarms． He jokes that it would be very easy to rob the museum．
Over the passing weeks， they learn more about each other． What Max doesn't learn， however， is that Maria is not as innocent as she looks． Maria is actually an international jewel thief! Police from eight different countries have been searching for her in the past two years!
Her latest goal is to steal the rare Black Diamond! This diamond is the most valuable diamond in the world and it is part of the exhibit that Max is guarding． All her attention on him was a trick to learn more about the museum's security system．
注意：1． 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2． 应使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3． 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4． 续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语．
Paragraph 1：
One night after the museum closes， Maria appears at the gate of the museum．
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Paragraph 2：
As she holds the diamond in her hands， the lights in the museum go on．
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