Taj Mahal (泰姬陵), one of the Seven Wonder...

Directions: Write an English composition in 120-150 words according to the instructions given below in Chinese.

WeChat is an essential part of our daily life. We can chat with friends, share our photos on moments and kill time by reading WeChat public accounts. And now, we can even gain new knowledge in WeChat study groups, covering everything from photograph to English. Do you like

this way of learning?

你认为微信学习群是真提升还是无用功？你的理由是什么？

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Directions: Translate the following sentences into English, using the words given in the brackets.

1.尽管已学了多年英语，但我仍发现用英语与他人交流有困难。（communicate）

2.她的工作涉及到检查事故中受损车辆，听上去很轻松。（involve）

3.每次我打开电脑，它都会提醒我要更新一下，我想知道不更新会有什么后果。（update）

4.政府已经花费了十年的时间来保护这座古庙免遭损坏，现在每天只有一定量的游客能进入。(take, admit)

Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.

A Welcome Gift

Dario and his mother loved their new apartment. The living room was large enough for their piano. That night, the two of them set side by side at the piano. They played jazz music to celebrate their new home. The loud music filled the room, making them feel very happy.

The next morning, however, their happiness disappeared. Someone had left a note under their door during the night. Complaining about the sound of the piano. Dario’s mother asked the building manager if he knew anything about it. But he said that they were all nice people and he couldn’t imagine any of them had done that. Later that morning, Dario suggested writing a letter to apologize.

“Maybe we could visit everyone in person.” his mother said．

“What if we invited them to come here for a party instead? Dario asked．

They both loved the idea. Over the next few days, they sent out invitations and prepared desserts for their guests. They decorated the apartment with streamers (彩带) and party lights.

Finally, the day of the party arrived. Some guests brought presents. Others brought flowers. One woman, Mrs. Gilbert, presented Dario’s mother with a book of piano music by Chopin.

“I heard you playing the other night,” she said. “The sounds woke me out of bed. I worried that you might play like this every night. So I wrote a short note. I hope you don’t think I disliked the playing.”

Dario’s mother smiled at Mrs. Gilbert. “I think maybe we owe you an apology.” she said.“I didn’t realize how late it was when we were playing. Maybe we should play some quieter music at night.

“You play, you play!” Mrs. Gilbert said. “I like what you play! Just not so loud at night.” She pointed to the book she had given them. “These songs are not so loud.”

“These songs are beautiful music.” Dario’s mother said. “We will be happy to play them in the evening.” “And we won’t play so loud or late!” Dario said. He was already looking forward to practising the new music. More than that, however, he was happy to see the big smile on his mother’s face. It gave him a feeling of warmth and made him feel that they were home at last.

    Directions: Read the following passage. Fill in each blank with a proper sentence given in the box. Each sentence can be used only once. Note that there are two more sentences than you need.

It doesn’t seem that US singer Bob Dylan has much in common with literary mavens like Ernest Hemingway and T.S. Elliot. 1..This year’s prize makes Dylan the first American since Toni Morrison in 1993 to win the title. At the same time, the surprise announcement has also ignited a firestorm of discussion around the globe.

Influential US writer Jodi Picoult joked that she might now deserve a Grammy. And well-known British-Indian novelist Hari Kunzru lamented on social media by saying: “This feels like the lamest Nobel win since they gave it to Obama for not being Bush.”

Dylan’s new status — a musician awarded the Nobel Prize for literature–to a degree defies convention. However, this is by no means his first prize for his writing talents. Back in 2008, the Pulitzer Prize jury awarded Dylan a special citation “for his profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power”. 2..

3.. Protest songs like Blowin in the Wind (1962) were the anthems of anti-war and civil rights movements in 1960s US. Densely poetic and image-rich songs such as Mr. Tambourine Man (1965) pushed the folk-rock movement. And even today, many of Dylan’s songs are still relevant and streamed regularly by people all over the world.

In a speech during the MusiCares pre-Grammy honors in 2015, Dylan revealed how he uses lyrics to document American culture and create an American songbook of his own. “I learned lyrics and how to write them from listening to folk songs,” said Dylan. “And I played them, and I met other people that played them, back when nobody was doing it.”

4.. “From Orpheus to Faiz, song & poetry have been closely linked,” Salman Rushdie, the Indian-born novelist also thought to have been a candidate for the prize, told The New York Times. “Dylan is the brilliant inheritor of the bardic tradition,” Rushdie added. “Great choice.”

A. There is nothing more honorable to win praise from one’s competitors.

B. In this sense, it could be argued that what the Nobel Committee is doing is simply reinforcing Dylan’s unshakable standing in the world of literature.

C. Dylan’s competitors questioned his winning the Nobel Prize for literature.

D. But, last week, these three figures became forever bonded by the Nobel Prize for literature.

E. Therefore, the Nobel committee just holds a different opinion from that of Pulitzer Prize jury.

F. The words behind Dylan’s songs address social issues and have been transmitted from generation to generation.

    Much discussed and rarely achieved in full, work-life balance is an elusive prize in modern professional culture. While it can depend greatly on the priorities and values of an individual and their manager, some jobs provide strong opportunities for those looking to combine a fulfilling career with a thriving personal life.

“Work-life balance is not a situation anymore where you’re at work and then you’re at home, it’s more this balancing between the two,” said Lauren Griffin, senior vice president of Adecco Staffing U.S.

Topping the list of jobs that provide strong work-life balance is data scientist. According to IBM, “A data scientist represents an evolution from the business or data analyst role.” IBM notes that while the formal training in computer science and applications, modeling, statistics, analytics and math for these jobs is similar, “What sets the data scientist apart is strong business acumen, coupled with the ability to communicate findings to both business and IT leaders in a way that can influence how an organization approaches a business challenge.”

Stan Ahalt, director of the Renaissance Computing Institute at UNC Chapel Hill, said that the strong demand for data scientists, coupled with the anemic supply of these professionals currently available in talent pipelines, is likely creating a situation where companies will go above and beyond to attract the right talent.

“The demand for people who are able to analyze massive amounts of data and extract actionable decisions has really blossomed,” said Ahalt. “The people who are being hired are being highly sought-after, so I suspect they’re getting relatively good offers, and offers that include flexibility in their hours and locations simply because there are many more jobs than there are people.”

The list is also diverse and representative of a broad spectrum of occupations, with part-time and seasonal jobs like lifeguard and substitute teacher holding spots, as well as corporate jobs and skilled trades.

And for job-seekers or those planning a career change who want to prioritize work-life balance in their next role, Griffin said the most important step is identifying your greatest personal commitment so you can target a job that’s accommodating by nature, or an employer that will work with you to reach a solution.

“You need to define what’s non-negotiable for you,” said Griffin. “What’s that specific thing that you know you need some balance for, is it dropping your kids off, or taking your mother to a doctor’s appointment twice a month? What are those key points for you? Because then you can have a more open conversation with your employer.”

1.A job of work-life balance is suitable for those ____.

A.who gain a prize in professional culture

B.whose managers care about their priorities and values

C.who expect satisfaction from both career and personal life

D.who prefer to work anytime and anywhere at their wills

2."These jobs" in the third paragraph indicate jobs ____.

A.in the list which provide strong life-work balance

B.of the data scientists, the business analyst and the data analyst

C.that require strong business sense and communication skills

D.that influence new business challenge of an organization

3.Data scientists are people who ____.

A.are professionals likely to create a new situation in talent pipelines

B.can analyze massive amounts of data and extra actionable decisions

C.have relatively good offers including flexibility in their hours and locations

D.are more demanded than part-time lifeguards and substitute teachers

4.For job-seekers who want to highlight work life balance, they ____.

A.must be very committed to the targeted job personally

B.have to support employers decisions without negotiation

C.should first decide what the balance is needed for

D.should drop kids off on time and take care of mothers