In my second year of high school, I met the anthropology (人类学) teacher, Mr. Croft. I didn’t know anything about anthropology, so I never signed up for Mr. Croft’s class. _____, this didn’t stop him from positively _____ my life.
Mr. Croft was a _____ twenty-four hours a day — after school, before school, and in and out of his _____. Mr. Croft inspired and taught every student at East High, _____ me. He often _____ me to become all I could possibly be.
How could I possibly _____ Mr. Croft?
After I graduated from high school, I had an opportunity to _____ football for thirteen-year-olds. To get a feel for the boys’ _____, I had each of them run out for a _____. I wanted to see who could run, catch and throw so I could ____ a team in my mind.
Two days into practice, a tall kid appeared on the field. He got in _____, and when he ran out for a pass, I threw the ball. It hit him square in the _____. He picked up the _____ and ran it back to me. It came time for his second pass and I _____ him in the head again. With his nose bleeding and his lip swelling, he _____ the ball, raced it back to me, and got back in line.
Later I got to know that he was the son of my anthropology teacher, Tommy Croft. I was _____. He said, “I’m here because I want to play football. And I promise _____ you’ll help me, I know I can do it!”
“Get back in line,” I told him. Here, at last, was my _____ to be a Mr. Croft to a Croft. Here was my chance to give something back. For the first time in my life, I _____ the meaning of “an educational system”. What goes around really does come around!
1.A. Besides B. Otherwise C. However D. Therefore
2.A. controlling B. influencing C. saving D. supporting
3.A. teacher B. worker C. helper D. director
4.A. office B. bedroom C. home D. classroom
5.A. directly B. especially C. simply D. eventually
6.A. encouraged B. asked C. persuaded D. reminded
7.A. repay B. forget C. refuse D. respect
8.A. play B. coach C. follow D. watch
9.A. characters B. courage C. abilities D. success
10.A. show B. test C. pass D. score
11.A. join B. train C. manage D. organize
12.A. way B. line C. team D. competition
13.A. chest B. back C. arm D. head
14.A. glove B. hat C. ball D. sweater
15.A. kicked B. knocked C. beat D. hit
16.A. threw away B. put aside C. picked up D. got back
17.A. interested B. touched C. puzzled D. shocked
18.A. when B. if C. because D. though
19.A. aim B. dream C. part D. chance
20.A. understood B. found C. conveyed D. interpreted
Saving Money on Holiday Travel
The holiday season isn’t just about shopping and gifts. 1. However, holiday travel can get expensive fast faster than you can imagine. Fortunately, the following tips will help you keep your travel spending under control.
• Plan ahead. The earlier you book your travel, from flights to hotels, the easier it is to find good deals.2. In fact, many experts point out that you should book travel about one to three months earlier so that you can have more opportunities to find the best deals and you know what you will be doing.
• Book your air travel on cheaper days. Travelling by air on Tuesdays and Wednesdays often costs less than travelling on Fridays and Sundays. During the holidays, though, it’s not just about a specific day of the week.3. Days immediately before and after a holiday can be expensive. If you can adjust your plans so that you can travel on Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day, you might be able to find an even better deal.
• Consider travelling overnight. Overnight flights often cost less than those at more convenient times.4. Depending on where you are going, and the options of how to get there, overnight travel can help you avoid a night in the hotel, as well as save your money on travel to your destination.
• 5. You can’t bring liquids with you on the plane, but you can bring sandwiches and other snacks. When you’re on the road, you can buy food at local groceries to make your own meals. If you are staying in a hotel for a long time, consider cooking your own food, especially if you have access to a microwave.
A. Bring your own food.
B. Consider affordable accommodations.
C. Booking earlier can also save your money.
D. If you are flying, consider alternative airports.
E. You also need to consider the days surrounding the holiday.
F. A great deal of travel also takes place during this time of the year.
G. Other alternatives include sleeper trains, as well as overnight ferries.
Although most hitchhikers (搭便车的人) are people, passers-by tend to ignore them because they are cautious about giving rides to strangers. But what will they do if they come across a hitchhiking robot? Will they take it to its destination or will they just leave the helpless machine by the wayside?
That is the answer Canadian professors, David Harris Smith and Frauke Zeller, who study the relationship between humans and technology, are seeking for after they came up with the idea of building a hitchhiking robot.
HitchBOT is built with cheap household items. Thanks to a PC tablet, GPS tracker and camera, hitchBOT not only can send its thoughts and pictures to the general public, but also can answer general questions and keep drivers entertained with small talks. The smart robot is even able to quote interesting facts about the areas it has passed through.
Not surprisingly, many people are doubtful about hitchBOT’s ability. Most people think the cute robot will be damaged by someone. Actually, they are all wrong. The robot hitchhiked all the way from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Victoria, British Columbia, a distance of 3,700 miles. It was first picked up on July 27th by an elderly couple. It not only reached its destination on August 21st, but also had some amazing adventures along the way. It visited national parks, went fishing, went camping, and even attended a wedding where it experienced its first dance and interrupted the bride’s speech.
In addition to helping it get to its destination, its Canadian fans have gone out to ensure its safety from covering the robot with a plastic cape (披肩) to help keep it dry to ensuring that it stays healthy with motor oil.
1.Why is the hitchhiking robot built?
A.To help passers-by reach their destinations.
B.To find out how people might react to it.
C.To see if it will give rides to strangers.
D.To entertain drivers on their way.
2.The hitchBOT can do all of the following except .
A.talking with the driver B.dancing with people
C.sending its thoughts and pictures D.answering any question raised
3.How long did it take the hitchBOT to reach its destination?
A.Nearly a month. B.Over one month.
C.Two months. D.One week.
4.What can we learn about the hitchBOT?
A.It was ignored by an elderly couple.
B.It didn’t meet with any danger along the way.
C.It experienced a long and amazing journey.
D.It will be put into the market quickly.
Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.
Some sports are resource-hungry. Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses （球场） in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas.
There are many environment-friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don’t need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don’t have to worry about resources and your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control.
Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be “green gyms”. They are better replacements for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it’s free.
1.Which of the following is the author most probably in favor of?
A.Cycling around a lake.
B.Motor racing in the desert.
C.Playing basketball in a gym.
D.Swimming in a sports center.
2.What do we know about golf from the passage?
A.It is popular in Portugal and Spain.
B.It causes water shortages around the world.
C.It pollutes the earth with chemicals and wastes.
D.It needs water and electricity to keep its courses green.
3.The author uses power walking as an example mainly because _________.
A.it is an outdoor sport
B.it improves our health
C.it uses fewer resources
D.it is recommended by experts
4.The author writes the passage to _________.
A.show us the function of major sports
B.encourage us to go in for green sports
C.discuss the major influence of popular sports
D.introduce different types of environment-friendly sports
My father was always a good gardener. One of my earliest memories is standing without shoes in the freshly tilled (翻耕的) soil, my hands blackened from digging in the ground.
As a child, I loved following Dad around in the garden. I remember Dad pushing the tiller (耕作机) ahead in perfectly straight lines. Dad loved growing all sorts of things: yellow and green onions, watermelons almost as big as me, rows of yellow com, and our favorite ― red tomatoes.
As I grew into a teenager, I didn’t get so excited about gardening with Dad. Instead of magical land of possibility, it had turned into some kind of prison. As Dad grew older, his love for gardening never disappeared. After all the kids were grown and had started families of their own, Dad turned to gardening like never before. Even when he was diagnosed with cancer, he still took care of his garden.
But then, the cancer, bit by bit, invaded his body. I had to do the things he used to do. What really convinced me that Dad was dying was the state of his garden that year. The rows and rows of multicolored vegetables were gone. Too tired to weed them, he simply let them be. He only planted tomatoes.
For the first few years after he died, I couldn’t even bear to look at anyone's garden without having strong memories pour over me like cold water from a bucket. Three years ago, I decided to plant my own garden and started out with just a few tomatoes. That morning, after breaking up a fair amount of soil, something caught the comer of my eye and I had to smile, It was my eight-year-old son Nathan, happily playing in the freshly tilled soil.
1.Why did the author like the garden when he was a child?
A.The garden was planted with colorful flowers.
B.The garden was just freshly tilled by his father.
C.He loved what his father grew in the garden.
D.He enjoyed being in the garden with his father.
2.When all the kids started their own families, the author’s father .
A.devoted more to gardening
B.turned to other hobbies
C.stopped his gardening
D.focused on planting tomatoes
3.What happened to the garden when the author’s father was seriously ill?
A.The author’s son took charge of it.
B.No plant grew in the garden at all.
C.The garden was almost deserted.
D.It brought the author a great harvest.
4.We can infer from the last paragraph that .
A.the author’s son played happily in the garden
B.the author’s son reminded him of his own father
C.the author’s son was very glad to help the author
D.the author’s son will continue gardening as well
Welcome to one of the largest collections of footwear (鞋类) in the world that will make you green with envy. Here at the Footwear Museum you can see exhibits (展品) from all over the world. You can find out about shoes worn by everyone from the Ancient Egyptians to pop stars.
Room 1
The celebrity (名人) footwear section is probably the most popular in the entire museum. Started in the 1950s, there is a wide variety of shoes and boots belonging to everyone from queens and presidents to pop stars and actors! Most visitors find the celebrities' choice of footwear extremely interesting.
Room 2
Most of our visitors are amazed and shocked by the collection of "special purpose" shoes on exhibition here at the Museum of Footwear. For example, there are Chinese shoes made of silk that were worn by women to tie their feet firmly to prevent them from growing too much!
Room 3
As well as shoes and boots, the museum also exhibits shoe-shaped objects. The variety is unbelievable. For example, there is a metal lamp that resembles a pair of shoes, and Greek wine bottles that like legs!
The Footwear Library
People come from all over the world to study in our excellent footwear library. Designers and researchers come here to look up information on anything and everything related to the subject of footwear.
1.What can you find in Room 1? ______
A.Chinese special purpose shoes.
B.Queens' boots.
C.Metal lamps.
D.Bottles of Greek wine.
2.What can we know about Room 2? ______
A.It is the most visited place in the museum.
B.It has a richer variety of exhibits than the other two.
C.It has the oldest exhibits than the other two.
D.It mainly exhibits shoes that have some special purposes.
3.Where can you find some data that have something to do with the subject of footwear? ______
A.In the Footwear Library. B.In Room 1
C.In Room 2 D.In Room 3
