I'm not much of a gardener. I love having beautiful flowers-but I don't have a good track record when it comes to making them grow.
A few months after our son left for the Middle East, my friend gifted me a box of tulip bulbs (郁金香球茎). She explained that these bulbs were put into the ground in the fall and lay sleeping all winter. They had all the nutrients they needed inside the bulb and would come out in the spring. ''When you see the leaves of the tiny flowers pushing toward the sun, you'll know that it's almost time for your son to come home. They'll give you what you need most.'' She walked me through the process of planting them. I thanked her — trying to show my gratitude for her gift.
It was a long winter — cold and dark. I endured both the weather and the loneliness and fear I felt with my son away. Dead leaves, frost and finally a heavy snow covered the area where I'd planted those flowers, and I soon forgot they were there.
Finally the weather began to warm. One day, as I walked down my front steps, I noticed an area of green. I bent down to inspect the situation more clearly and saw that those tulips had begun to grow, their tiny leaves forcing their way to the sun.
Day after day I noted the flowers' progress. And day after day, the time approached when my son would finally be home. Now with spring just around the corner, nothing could keep either of us from marching toward the light. Almost all of those bulbs bloomed. And with each brightly colored flower, I marked off one day closer to getting to hold my son in my arms again.
1.What can we know about the author?
A.She is a professional gardener.
B.She is not good at growing flowers.
C.She never plants flowers at home.
D.She often sends friends flowers as gifts.
2.Why did the writer forget the tulip bulbs soon?
A.The bitter winter reminded her of her son far away.
B.She was discouraged from making another attempt.
C.They failed to live through the cold and long winter.
D.She had no hope for beautiful flowers indeed.
3.What were those flowers mentioned in the last paragraph referred to?
A.A physical representation of the hope.
B.Things deep inside her heart and soul.
C.A lesson she will never forget completely.
D.The trouble she had in making them come out.
4.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.A dark winter with hope. B.Planting hope in winter.
C.An area of green in spring. D.Living a changeable life.
Want to fit the best of London in your two-week vacation? Here is a list of the best places you must visit in London. Without visiting these, a trip to this city is no more than just incomplete.
Buckingham Palace Perhaps the most famous palace in the world, Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch (君主). State rooms are open to visitors only during the Palace's Summer Opening, which takes place in most of August and September. However, if you are heading to the palace at a different time, you can witness "Changing of the Guard'', where the guard is changed daily from April to July, and on alternate days from August to March.
British Museum This museum showcases works from the birth of human civilization to the modern age, and has contributions from all continents of the world. The main attractions include the much-debated Parthenon Marbles (Elgin Marbles), Mummy of Cleopatra from Thebes, and the Rosetta Stone. Entry to the museum is free.
London Eye The 32 capsules on the London Eye carry many visitors every day. Due to its 360 rotation ability, you can almost see the entire city of London, when you reach the top. Until the Shard's privately-operated deck opened in 2013, the London Eye was the tallest public viewing point.
London Zoo The world's oldest scientific zoo, the London Zoo consists of many different types of animals. This is also one of the best places for children, as you can book a VIP encounter with the animals for them. And what's more? You can also stay overnight at the zoo in Lookout Lodge.
1.When should you go if you want to visit a state room in the Buckingham Palace?
A.In April. B.In September.
C.In July. D.In January.
2.Which of the following is NOT included in the British Museum?
A.Parthenon Marbles. B.the Rosetta Stone.
C.Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection. D.Mummy of Cleopatra from Thebes.
3.Which statement will the author disapprove of?
A.You can visit the British Museum free of charge.
B.You can witness "Changing of the Guard" every other day in December.
C.You can see the almost entire city of London on the top of the London Eye.
D.You needn't buy a ticket for your kid to enter London Zoo.
阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，便之构成一个完整的故事。
One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself: “Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd (书呆子).”
As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes. So, I jogged over to him and as he crawled around looking for his glasses, I saw a tear in his eye. As I handed him his glasses, he said, “thanks!” There was a big smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude. We talked all the way home, and I carried his books. He turned out to be a pretty cool kid. The more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him.
Over next four years, Kyle and I became the best friends. When we were seniors, he had the highest marks in the class and was chosen to give a speech at the graduation ceremony. I teased him all the time about being a nerd. He had to prepare a lot, and I was so glad it wasn’t me having to get up there and speak.
Graduation day, I saw Kyle. I said, “Hey, big guy, you’ll be great!” He looked at me with one of those looks, the really grateful one, and said “Thanks,” smiling.
As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began. “Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your friends. I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give him or her. I am going to tell you a story.”
注意：
1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2. 至少使用5个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 just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met.
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Paragraph 2:
I smiled back in tears.
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假定你是校马拉松跑团团长李华，近期你们即将参加70公里接力赛，请写封邮件告知你的队友William比赛事宜。
内容包括：
1.比赛信息；
2.赛前准备（如训练安排等）；
3.表达期待。
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阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。
When you think of robots, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Do you think of science fiction movies like Star Wars, 1. robots of all shapes and sizes are part of daily life? Robots were once just a product of fiction. The word itself comes from the play Rossum’s Universal Robots, 2.(write) in 1920 by Karel Capek.
Today most robots don’t look human. They appear in many forms and 3. (program) to perform a wide variety of things, from working in factories 4. exploring the surface of Mars. But there is a surprising problem in the world of robots: What humans find easy is 5.(extreme) complicated for a robot. For example, picking up clothes in a messy room is simple for humans, 6. it is difficult for robots to do that. 7. problem is programming a robot to pick up some objects of different shapes and sizes without damaging them.
It turns out that one of 8.(difficult) things to improve in robots is their flexibility. Exciting 9.(develop) in making human-like hands and legs are underway. But the biggest advancements are to teach robots to guess what they can do and 10. they help us with daily tasks.
My brother Ken was born with a brain disease. Though Mama was extremely _______, she never babied Ken. She _______ him to do whatever we did.
I remember once we got a slide in our backyard. Ken was _______ at first sight. But unable to _______ the steps with the braces (支架) on his legs, Ken could only looking up at the rest of us from the _______.
One day, Mama put Ken in the backyard, this time without his braces, and watched him _______ with great difficulty right over to the slide. For the next three hours, Ken climbed the ladder and fell, climbed the ladder and fell, _______. He skinned his knees, and his head was _______.
Our neighbor _______ at Mama, “What kind of woman are you? Look at the blood. Get that boy off that ________________!” Mama told her kindly that if it ________________ her, she would have to close her curtains. Ken had ________________ to go down the slide, and down the slide he would go. It took a couple of days of ________________ before he could go up the ladder and down the slide as well as the rest of us, and another week before he could do it with his braces on.
Ken was not supposed to make it to his tenth birthday but he has ________________ his disease and is now a 42-year-old man who lives ________________ and even holds down a job. He ________________ everything the way he did that slide so many years ago. What a(n) ________________ Mama gave him that day by expecting him to be the ________________ he could be.
Though I often feel I fall short when I compare my ________________ to hers, it gives me great comfort to know that her spirit is ________________ me, somewhere — preparing me to make “mothering magic” of my own.
1.A.loving B.generous C.selfless D.considerate
2.A.forced B.persuaded C.invited D.expected
3.A.addicted B.annoyed C.attracted D.astonished
4.A.manage B.see C.remove D.reach
5.A.room B.ground C.window D.slide
6.A.run B.move C.jump D.D. ride
7.A.once in a while B.step by step C.time and again D.here and there
8.A.lowered B.covered C.bleeding D.spinning
9.A.laughed B.glanced C.nodded D.yelled
10.A.tree B.chair C.roof D.ladder
11.A.disappointed B.scared C.failed D.bothered
12.A.decided B.agreed C.pretended D.hesitated
13.A.walking B.trying C.training D.observing
14.A.treated B.prevented C.suffered from D.lived with
15.A.simply B.painfully C.independently D.hopelessly
16.A.loses B.approaches C.accepts D.misses
17.A.promise B.gift C.award D.suggestion
18.A.healthiest B.happiest C.best D.first
19.A.mothering B.schooling C.sufferings D.belongings
20.A.within B.beyond C.for D.from
