An 8-year-old Nigerian, Tani Adewumis, whose family is homeless, won first place at the New York State chess championship without a single defeat at the beginning of 2019 and he says he is not done yet.
“I want to be the youngest grandmaster,” Tani told The New York Times. Tani placed first in the tournament for kindergarten through third grade — an outstanding win for anyone. “It’s unheard of for any kid, let alone one in a homeless shelter,” said Russell Makofsky, who is in charge of the chess program.
Tani hasn’t had an easy life. His family left northern Nigeria in 2017 fearing attacks on Christians, and moved to New York City over a year ago where the boy learned how to play chess at school. School chess coach Shawn Martinez saw Tani’s potential after observing him stand out in the game a few weeks after first learning it early last year. He reached out to Tani’s family about joining in the school’s chess program, and learned they were unable to pay costs associated with membership. Shawn decided to abandon Tani’s fees, which can easily reach thousands with travel and chess camp admissions.
Seven victories later, the elementary school boy is one of the top players in the country for his age group. “He works very hard at his game,” Martinez said, believing Tani could achieve master status in the next year or two. The world’s youngest grandmaster qualified at the age of 12.
As Tani’s story hits national headlines, more people want to help. Makofsky, who set up a GoFundMe for Tani, said the family has received offers for a car, legal services, jobs and even housing. “My hope is that he’ll be in a home tonight,” Makofsky said.
1.How did Makofsky find Tani’s achievement?
A.Confusing. B.Amusing.
C.Amazing. D.Ridiculous.
2.Shawn decided to abandon Tani’s fees because .
A.Makofsky told him to do so
B.Tani's family were unable to pay costs associated with their daily life.
C.Shawn took charge of the chess program
D.Tani had a great gift for chess.
3.What can we learn from Tani’s story?
A.All things are difficult before they are easy.
B.A good beginning makes a good ending.
C.A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
D.God helps those who help themselves.
4.What’s the best title for the text?
A.A Chess Coach Helped to Support a Nigerian Child
B.A Nigerian Family Hit National Headlines in the USA
C.A Homeless Nigerian Won the State Chess Championship
D.An 8-year-old Became the Youngest Grandmaster in 2019
For some of us, the excitement of seeing a performance at a European opera house is just not enough. Fortunately, opera houses throughout Europe open their backstage doors to the public. Take advantage of these opportunities to look behind the scenes of some of the world's great opera houses.
Teatro alla Scala Opera House Tours—Milan
Discover the activities within the opera house on a backstage tour of the La Scala theater in Milan. The tour also includes an overview of the history of the theater and guides you through the auditorium(观众席) and the theater boxes.
Paris Opera House Tours—Paris
While it is possible to walk around the public areas of the beautiful Paris Opera House on your own, guided tours are also offered and are led by an English-speaking guide. During the 90- minute tour, you will learn about the theater's history and its architecture. You will also have an opportunity to visit the grand staircase.
Royal Opera House Tours—London
It is one of the most comprehensive of the opera house tours in Europe. The guide at the Royal Opera House takes you through sections of the backstage area to the props (道具) room, where workers build the sets, the costume shop and the ballet studios. There's a chance that you will even catch the ballet dancers backstage in practice in their big ballet studio.
La Fenice Opera House Tours—Venice
Teatro La Fenice in Venice offers a couple of options for visitors. A self-guided tour of the beautiful halls and grounds with a voice guide is available at the box office. Guided tours are also available with an expert that will explain the history of the opera house from its origins to its rebuilding.
1.In which opera house might you be able to see a costume shop backstage?
A.The Teatro alla Scala Opera House B.The Paris Opera House
C.The Royal Opera House D.The La Fenice Opera House
2.What do the above four opera houses have in common?
A.They all offer free guided tours.
B.They all open their backstage areas to the public.
C.They are all free to the public.
D.They are all located in France.
3.Where can we most probably find this text?
A.In a sports magazine B.In an adventure novel
C.In a history book D.On a culture website
假定你是李华，本学期在英语学习中遇到了一些困难。请你写信向你校外教老师Jim寻求帮助, 内容包括：
1.本人简介；
2.求助内容；
3.约定时间和联系方式。
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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语法运用根据句子语境填入恰当的词，使句子完整通顺，每空一词。
1.Is there any scientific evidence ______ a person's character is reflected in their handwriting?
2.The event ______ ( sponsor) by several local businesses took place last week.
3.A lot of people nowadays have become addicted to ______ (use) the mobile phone.
4._____ matters the most isn't the results, but the great memories and the joy you get from the experience.
5.This piece of rock music ____ is aimed at a demanding audience, is heard throughout the world.
按照汉语提示或括号内单词的正确形式完成下列句子，每空一词。
1.There's no point in even ______ (attempt) an explanation — he'll never listen.
2.The new haircut ______ (transform) completely her into a fair lady yesterday.
3.The organization's aim is to ______ ( strength) the cultural ties between China and Germany.
4.The last few years have seen a ______ (平稳的) increase in the number of visitors.
5.Many ______ (潜在的) customers are waiting for a fall in prices before buying.
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
Auckland is a famous coastal city in northern New Zealand. It covers an area of 1,086 square kilometers with a population of 1.46 million. The history of the city dates back to 650 years ago when the Maoris settled in the area. Since 1945, Auckland has grown 1.(rapid). It was once the capital of New Zealand until the capital moved to Wellington, 2. is more central. Nowadays, Auckland is still 3. important center for business and industry.
There are many famous sights in Auckland 4.(include) Mt. Eden, one of many large volcanoes. You can enjoy an amazing view from the Sky Tower, which is the city's 5.(tall) tower. You can also see Maori traditional dances at the Auckland Museum.
The climate in Auckland is always sunny and comfortable, 6.( make) it attractive to people from all over the world. Auckland is known as “the city of sails” 7. it has more boats for each person than anywhere else in the world. 8. is great fun to do water sports in Auckland as it has some of the best 9.(beach). It is really a best place for 10. loves water sports.
