Thirteen, for me, was a challenging year. My parents divorced and I moved to a new town with my father, far from my old family and friends. I was terribly lonely and would cry myself to sleep each night. To ease my sadness, my father purchased an old horse for me at a local auction. I named him Cowboy.
Cowboy was undoubtedly the ugliest horse in the world. But I didn’t care. I loved him beyond all reason.
I joined a riding club and suffered rude comments and mean snickers about Cowboy’s looks. I never let out about how I felt, but deep inside, my heart was breaking. The other members rode beautiful, registered horses.
When Cowboy and I entered the events where the horse is judged on appearance, we were quickly shown the gate. No amount of preparation and love would turn Cowboy into a beauty. My only chance to compete would be in the speed events. I chose the jumping race.
One girl named Becky rode a big brown horse in the race events. She always won the blue ribbons. Needless to say, she didn’t feel threatened when I competed against her at the next show. She didn’t need to. I came in next to last.
The stinging memory of Becky’s smirks(得意的笑) made me determined to beat her. For the whole next month I woke up early every day and rode Cowboy five miles to the arena. We practiced running and jumping for hours in the hot sun and then I would walk Cowboy home totally exhausted.
All of our hard work didn’t make me feel confident by the time the show came. I sat at the gate and sweated it out while I watched Becky and her horse charge through the course and finish in first place.
My turn finally came. I put on my hat, rubbed Cowboy’s neck and entered the arena. At the signal, we dashed toward the first fence, jumped it without trouble and raced on to the next one. Cowboy then flew over the second, third and fourth fences like a bird and I turned him toward the finish line.
As we crossed the line the crowd was shocked into silence. Cowboy and I had beaten Becky and her fancy horse by two seconds!
I gained much more than a blue ribbon that day. At thirteen, I realized that no matter what the odds, I’d always come out a winner if I wanted something badly enough to work for it.
1.The underlined expression “shown the gate” (paragraph 4) most probably means “_________”.
A.told how to enter the arena B.shown how to make the horse beautiful
C.removed from the competition early D.told to enter the timed-speed events
2.Why was the writer NOT confident of beating Becky?
A.He had not practiced enough.
B.He was an inexperienced rider.
C.He believed he was unpopular with the crowd.
D.Becky and her horse performed well in their turn.
3.What did the writer learn from his experience?
A.Life can sometimes be unfair.
B.A positive attitude will bring success.
C.Anything is possible if one tries hard enough.
D.One should not make judgments based on appearance.
4.The best title for the story is ________.
A.A Run to Remember B.A Horse’s Tale
C.Neck and Neck D.A Difficult Age
Great Activities for Nature Lovers
Hiking
One of the easiest and most accessible ways to get close to nature is by setting out on a good old fashioned hike. Hiking generally doesn't require any fancy equipment or special skills, just a piece of map and a thirst for adventure. This activity can be as relaxing as you make it.
Backcountry Camping
Why limit yourself to just a day hike when you can have a full weekend for a longer adventure? Backcountry camping involves packing your tent，sleeping gear ,food, and water on your back to set up camp in a remote location. I you’re an experienced hiker and camper ,this is an excellent way to test your survival skills and explore the wilderness.
Mountain and Road Biking
Unlike long hikes through the woods , biking allows you to cover more ground and travel farther in nature. Mountain biking typically involves riding up and down steep slopes , between trees , and over rocks. If this sounds too intense or your tires aren't suited for rugged terrain( 地形) , consider taking a road bike on paved trails through forest preserves or along country roads.
Gardening
Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to travel beyond your own backyard to experience the beauty of nature every day. If your personality is less adventurous or your mobility restricted, consider planting a garden to grow your own vegetables , fruit , herbs，or flowers. There's something truly satisfying about mixing up a salad with fresh ingredients you grow yourself. One of the best parts about spending time in gardening is that it doesn't have to break your budget and anyone can do it.
1.W hat do hikers need for hiking?
A.Practical skills. B.Necessary equipment.
C.A useful map. D.A relaxed mood.
2.W hat's NOT the advantage of gardening according to the text?
A.You don't need to go far to enjoy the beauty of nature.
B.It gives you a sense of satisfaction when cooking with fresh ingredients.
C.It doesn't take any energy or money to do it.
D.I’s easy to start it for anyone who likes it.
3.Which of the following can take you to travel farthest?
A.Hiking. B.Backcountry Camping.
C.Mountain and Road Biking. D.Gardening.
假定你是李华，上星期向你校的交换生Tim借了一本英文版的《西游记》，但是不小心将它弄丢了。请你就此 给他写一封邮件，内容包括：
1. 表达歉意；
2. 说明原因；
3. 提出补救措施。
注意： 1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节,以使行文连贯；
3.开头和结尾已为你写好。
参考词汇:《西游记^Journey to the West
Dear Tim,
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每 句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加:在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧),并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除:把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改:在错的词下划一横线,并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意:1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
The wind was blowing hard as two boys were in their way to school. They met an old man, which could hardly walk. Just as they passed her, the strong wind blew the old man's hat off. It was carried quickly up the street, but the old man was not able run after it. "My boys, please picking up my hat," cried the old man. However, the boys burst into laughters and stood still. They thought it was fun to see the hat blowing about. Just then a little girl came. She ran at once but caught the hat. Then she careful wiped the hat clean before handing it to the old man. Seeing that, the boys were stopped laughing.
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。
I consider myself to be a patient person, but I find that I have trouble staying patient when 1. (teach) my youngest daughter how to read. She can read 2. word "the" seven times in one book and then struggle to sound it out the next time she sees it. Though I try to 3. (calm) encourage her, I still can't help getting impatient at the strange contradictions that come with learning how to read.
It turns out 4. I'm not alone. Researchers have found that it's hard for a parent 5.(sit) patiently by and listen to a kid struggle to read, and this is why dogs are needed. Experts assume that reading to dogs helps kids overcome the fear of being judged when they read. This is because reading to dogs gives kids a non-judgmental, comforting companion to listen to them 6. the pressure of perfection.
So far, the assumption that reading to dogs is beneficial to kids 7. (confirm) by researchers from the University of British Columbia Okanagan School of Education. They watched 17 children in grades I through 3 read, and found that children spent significantly more time reading and showed more 8. (patient) when a dog was in the room. What's more, the children reported feeling 9. (interested) in reading than before. So maybe it’s time that we had family dogs help with their reading 10. (lesson).
My birth name is Oyindasola, a common Nigerian name, but I am often called Chelsea. Some ask why I don't use my real ___. I tell them a story about my father __ Chelsea a year after I was born, where he had a wonderful holiday. "Chelsea" __ to him so much that it __ on every birthday cake of mine.
When I was seven, we decided to __ to Nigeria, where my grandparents had persuaded us to buy a house to live with them. And my mother needed to know what __ there would call me. The name I'd been called for as long as I could __ or the complex name on my passport?
A week later we found ourselves at an airport with groups of Nigerians speaking as we __ our cab. Soon, my memories of Disney in America were ____ with sounds of Nigerian music. My tongue grew heavier with Nigerian _____, and the words shared between my mother and grandmother in their native tongue finally ___But, I still wasn't Nigerian enough. There unfriendly looks and __ were a constant reminder of who was： an American girl with the westernized name. So I wasn't ___ sad when my mother announced our back to America for her work.
On the first day of middle school in America, ____ hit me because I knew my birth name wouldn't _____ the attendance list. I was __ when the teacher mispronounced my painfully long name and my classmates laughed.
But with every passing year, came new ____. Every new attendance roll call was responded with a braver voice and a ____ smile. That long name, mispronounced or not, is mine. The Nigerian accent slipping through is mine. Who I am is simple： a Nigerian girl with ___ to the American dream, a girl with two __ and two names.
1.A.origin B.identity C.name D.signature
2.A.describing B.visiting C.abandoning D.leaving
3.A.means B.exposes C.applies D.commits
4.A.competes B.happens C.withdraws D.appears
5.A.travel B.move C.pace D.walk
6.A.troop B.class C.family D.staff
7.A.remember B.predict C.imagine D.survive
8.A.pulled down B.tested out C.fixed up D.headed for
9.A.connected B.replaced C.faced D.decorated
10.A.recreation B.lifestyle C.accent D.diet
11.A.made sense B.took shape C.died away D.ran out
12.A.debates B.decisions C.negotiations D.remarks
13.A.rarely B.absolutely C.casually D.eventually
14.A.anxiety B.disappointment C.rudeness D.shock
15.A.form B.throw C.ruin D.escape
16.A.guilty B.regretful C.embarrassed D.confused
17.A.sympathy B.confidence C.generosity D.honesty
18.A.kinder B.deeper C.wider D.heavier
19.A.reaction B.objection C.response D.access
20.A.languages B.advantages C.degrees D.occupations
