Home to me means a sense of familiarity and nostalgia(怀旧). It's fun to come home. It looks the same. It smells the same. You'll realize what's changed is you. Home is where we ran remember pain, live, and some other experiences; We parted here; My parents met here; I won three championships here.
If I close my eyes, I can still have a clear picture in mind of my first home. I walk in the door and see a brown sofa surrounding a low glass-top wooden table. To the right of the living room is my first bedroom. It's empty, but it's where my earliest memories are.
There is the dining room table where I celebrated birthdays, and where I cried on Halloween-when I didn't want to wear the skirt my mother made for me. I always liked standing on that table because it made me feel tall and strong. If I sit at this table, I can see my favorite room in the house, my parents' room. It is simple: a brown wooden dresser lines the right side of the wall next to a television and a couple of photos of my grandparents on each side. Their bed is my safe zone. I can jump on it anytime - waking up my parents if I am scared or if I have an important announcement that cannot wait until the morning.
I'm lucky because I know my first home still exists. It exists in my mind and heart, on a physical property(住宅) on West 64th street on the western edge of Los Angeles. It is proof I lived, I grew and I learned.
Sometimes when I feel lost, I lie down and shut my eyes, and I go home. I know it's where I'll find my family, my dogs, and my belongings. I purposely leave the window open at night because I know I'll be blamed by Mom. But I don't mind, because I want to hear her say my name, which reminds me I'm home.
1.Why does the author call her parents' bed her "safe zone"(Paragraph 3)?
A. It is her favorite place to play.
B. Her needs can be satisfied there.
C. Her grandparents' photos are lined on each side.
D. Her parents always play together with her there.
2.What can be learned from the passage?
A. The old furniture is still in the author's fist bedroom.
B. The author can still visit her first physical home in Los Angeles.
C. The author's favorite room in her first home is the dining room.
D. Many people of the author's age can still find their first physical homes.
3.Sometimes when she feels lost, the author will _______.
A. Open the window at night
B. lie down in bed to have a dream
C. try to bring back a sense of home
D. go to Los Angeles to visit her mom
4.What is the author's purpose of writing this passage?
A. To express how much she is attached to her home.
B. To declare how much she loves her first house.
C. To describe the state of her family.
D. To look back on her childhood.
When you eat out in a restaurant, it is not unusual to hear people yelling, “Let me get this one!” and sometimes see them pushing or arm wrestling to fight for the privilege of paying the bill.
These fighters are often very loud and active. Each person involved shows an honest desire to pick up the bill, and in the end, all the people at the table give the winner praise and gratitude.
In fact, figuring out who will get the bill is always a headache for Chinese people at formal meals. Although the people hosting the meal are very likely to pay the check, it is a common practice to make a token(装样子的) effort to pay the bill, but you will embarrass them if you do end up actually chipping in some cash.
In recent years, going Dutch has been embraced by many young people. But older generations who fear “losing face” still find it embarrassing and stingy (小气的) to calculate each person’s share of the bill. As travel guide brand Lonely Planet noted, it is considered “the height of unsophistication (不懂人情世故)”.
But these days, thanks to digital payment apps, splitting the bill electronically is becoming a widely-accepted idea. Even people from older generations may be tempted to do so.
By scanning a QR code and paying the share via social networking tool WeChat and e-commerce app Alipay on their smartphones in one easy click, urban Chinese are finding it easier to save them the embarrassment of figuring out each person’s payment when they order a meal.
This function “has made going Dutch less hassle (麻烦) and more fun in China”, CNN noted.
“Because of their convenience, many of us are never without our phones.” And person-to-person mobile payment services are incredibly easy to use and save the trouble of dealing with change,” said 18-year-old student in China. “You can also leave funny notes using emoji (表情符号) like a bowl of rice or a cup of tea to describe a meal that you have shared.”
1.What is the article mainly about?
A. The Chinese tradition of dining out with friends.
B. A new trend of splitting the bill in China.
C. How social networking tools have influenced our daily lives.
D. Why people in China argue over who pays the bill when dining out.
2.Many Chinese people make a token effort to pay the bill because .
A. They don’t want to be considered unsophisticated
B. They want praise and gratitude from their friends
C. They consider it an honor to host the meal and pay the bill
D. They find it hard to work out how much each person needs to pay
3.According to the article, what are the advantages of using digital payment apps to split the bill?
a. They’re easier to use and more interesting.
b. They save the trouble of dealing with change.
c. They make it easier to figure out how much money each person had to pay.
d. They make people less embarrassed to split the bill.
A. a, b B. b. c
C. a, b, d D. b, c, d
In 1901, H.G. Wells, an English writer, wrote a book describing a trip to the moon. When the explorers landed on the moon, they discovered that the moon was full of underground cities. They expressed their surprise to the “moon people” they met. In turn, the “moon people” expressed their surprise. “Why,” they asked, “are you traveling to outer space when you don’t even use your inner space?"
H.G. Wells could only imagine travel to the moon. In 1969, human beings really did land on the moon. People today know that there are no underground cities on the moon. However, the question that the “moon people” asked is still an interesting one. A growing number of scientists are seriously thinking about it.
Underground systems are already in place. Many cities have underground car parks. In some cities, such as Tokyo, Seoul and Montreal, there are large underground shopping areas. The “Chunnel”, a tunnel (隧道) connecting England and France, is now complete.
But what about underground cities? Japan’s Taisei Corporation is designing a network of underground systems, called “Alice Cities.” The designers imagine using surface space for public parks and using underground space for flats, offices, shopping, and so on. A solar dome (太阳能穹顶) would cover the whole city.
Supporters of underground development say that building down rather than building up is a good way to use the earth’s space. The surface, they say, can be used for farms, parks, gardens, and wilderness. H.G. Wells’ “moon people” would agree. Would you?
1.The explorers in H. G. Wells' story were surprised to find that the “moon people”____________.
A. knew so much about the earth B. understood their language
C. lived in so many underground cities D. were ahead of them in space technology
2.What does the underlined word “it” (paragraph 2) refer to?
A. Discovering the moon’s inner space. B. Using the earth’s inner space.
C. Meeting the “moon people” again. D. Traveling to outer space.
3.What sort of underground systems are already here with us?
A. Offices, shopping areas, power stations. B. Tunnels, car parks, shopping areas.
C. Gardens, car parks, power stations. D. Tunnels, gardens, offices.
4.What would be the best title for the text?
A. Alice Cities –- cities of the future B. Space travel with H. G. Wells
C. Enjoy living underground D. Building down, not up
Guide to Stockholm University Library
Our library offers different types of studying places and provides a good studying environment.
Zones
The library is divided into different zones. The upper floor is a quiet zone with over a thousand places for silent reading, and places where you can sit and work with your own computer. The reading places consist mostly of tables and chairs. The ground floor is the zone where you can talk. Here you can find sofas and armchairs for group work.
Computers
You can use your own computer to connect to the Wi-Fi specially prepared for notebook computers; you can also use library computers, which contain the most commonly used applications, such as Microsoft Office. They are situated in the area known as the Experimental Field on the ground floor.
Group-study Places
If you want to discuss freely without disturbing others, you can book a study room or sit at a table on the ground floor. Some study rooms are for 2-3 people and others can hold up to 6-8 people. All rooms are marked on the library maps.
There are 40 group-study rooms that must be booked via the website. To book, you need an active University account and a valid University card. You can use a room three hours per day, nine hours at most per week.
Storage of study material
The library has lockers for students to store course literature. When you have obtained at least 40 credits (学分), you may rent a locker and pay 400 SEK for a year’s rental period.
Rules to be followed
Mobile phone conversations are not permitted anywhere in the library. Keep your phone on silent as if you were in a lecture and exit the library if you need to receive calls.
Please note that food and fruit are forbidden in the library, but you are allowed to have drinks and sweets with you.
1.The library’s upper floor is mainly for students to ______.
A. read in a quiet place B. have group discussions
C. take comfortable seats D. get their computers fixed
2.Library computers on the ground floor ______.
A. help students with their field experiments
B. contain software essential for schoolwork
C. are for those who want to access the Wi-Fi
D. are mostly used for filling out application forms
3.What condition should be met to book a group-study room?
A. A group must consist of 8 people.
B. Three-hour use per day is the minimum.
C. One should first register at the university.
D. Applications must mark the room on the map.
4.A student can rent a locker in the library if he ______.
A. can afford the rental fee B. attends certain courses
C. has nowhere to put his books. D. has earned the required credits
阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
I always prided myself on being a wise shopper and having a good nose for bargains. So when I came across a sporting goods store with a sign “Going Out of Business Sale”, I marched into the crowded store. Up and down the aisles (通道), I wandered, humming to myself and enjoying the energy and excitement of a sale.
All of a sudden, there, at the back of the store sat acanoe(轻舟) exactly like my husband’s dream Supremo Numero-Uno,whose picture had been stuck on the bathroom mirror for years. My heart beat wildly. I pushed my way through the crowds, and nearly fell into the canoe looking for the price tag. There it was, with the manufacturer’s suggested price at $6,750 plus tax crossed out and a handwritten TO CLEAR $750 AS IS. Must be a mistake. $6000 off? Salesman. I had to talk to a salesman. I spotted a young fellow with a “Hi. I’m Mathew”. “Mathew. Tell me about this El Supremo canoe. What’s wrong with it? Why is it only $750?”
“Oh. There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s brand new. We’re closing the store. It’s on clearance like everything else. I’ll go check.” A few minutes later he came back and said, “I’m sorry ma’am. Someone made a mistake on the sale tag. It should be $4,750 for the whole package.”
I felt tears well up in my eyes. “Oh well”, I said sadly. “Of course, it was too good to be true. This is exactly like my husband’s dreamboat. I guess I started to dream myself when I saw that price tag. He’s going to be 62 years old Friday. Had to retire early for his health. It’s been hard on just the pension but the stubborn old fool has been saving $10 every week for years to buy one just like this. I promise I won’t buy anything, but it’s just an old man’s silly dream, you know. Always said he wanted to fish in a canoe after he retired,” my voice lowered and I turned and walked away.
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:
I was already at the mall door when Mathew caught up with me. “Do you have $750 plus $25 for delivery, ma’am?”
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Paragraph 2:
“Ma’am. There’s something you should know. This store was my Grandpa’s and the canoe had been ordered by him.
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假定你是李华，校读书俱乐部负责人。俱乐部将在下周三下午三点在报告厅进行英语朗读比赛。请你给外教Tom写一份电子邮件。內容如下:
1. 邀请他担任比赛评委；
2. 问他届时是否有空出席；
3. 请他向学生推荐合适的文学作品。
注意:
1. 词数80左右。
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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