When I was thirteen, my family moved from Boston to Tucson, Arizona. ______ the move, my father ______ us in the living-room on a freezing January night. My sisters and I sat around the fire, not ______ that the universe would suddenly change its course. “In May, we’re ______ to Arizona.” The words, so small, didn’t seem ______ enough to hold my new life. But the world changed and I awoke on a train moving across the country. I watched the ______ change from green trees to flat dusty plains to high mountains as I saw strange new plants that ________ mysteries yet to come. Finally, we arrived and ______ into our new home. ______ my older sisters were sad at the loss of friends, I ______ explored our new surroundings.
One afternoon, I was out exploring ______ and saw a new kind of cactus(仙人掌). I crouched(蹲) down for a closer look. “You’d better not ______ that.” I turned around to see an old woman. “Are you new to this neighborhood?” I explained that I was, ______, new to the entire state.
“My name is Ina Thorne. Have you got used to life in the ______? It must be quite a ______ after living in Boston.” How could I explain how I ______ the desert? I couldn’t seem to find the right words.
“It’s vastness,” she offered. “That vastness ______ you stand on the mountains overlooking the desert — you can ______ how little you are in comparison with the world. ______, you feel that the possibilities are limitless.” That was it. That was the feeling I’d had ever since I’d first seen the mountains of my new home. Again, my ______ would change with just a few simple words. “Would you like to come to my home tomorrow? Someone should teach you which plant you should and shouldn’t touch.”
1.A. During B. Until C. Upon D. Before
2.A. gathered B. warned C. organized D. comforted
3.A. hoping B. admitting C. realizing D. believing
4.A. going B. moving C. driving D. flying
5.A. good B. simple C. big D. proper
6.A. picture B. ground C. scene D. area
7.A. suggested B. solved C. discovered D. explained
8.A. settled B. walked C. hurried D. stepped
9.A. If B. After C. Once D. While
10.A. bitterly B. easily C. proudly D. eagerly
11.A. as well B. as usual C. fight away D. on time
12.A. move B. dig C. pull D. touch
13.A. of course B. in fact C. after all D. at least
14.A. desert B. city C. state D. country
15.A. luck B. doubt C. shock D. danger
16.A. found B. examined C. watched D. reached
17.A. why B. when C. how D. where
18.A. prove B. guess C. sense D. expect
19.A. However B. Otherwise C. Therefore D. Meanwhile
20.A. idea B. life C. home D. family
Choosing the Right Path to Be a“Better”Person
Life is a constant exercise in self-improvement．In the rush to achieve，the idea of being“better”can become lost sometimes．You may always wonder how to improve yourself and fulfill your dreams in an easier way． 1.
Explore your talents．
Everybody has some outstanding skills or interests．So it’s often necessary to be patient and try many things before you find one that suits you．
2. For example，people loving adventure may not be interested in the quiet chess club，but someone who enjoys other quiet activities might be．Determining who you enjoy being around may help you know what you’11 enjoy．
3.
No matter how much money you make．you will not be happy if you spend your entire life doing something you hate．It’s important to at least devote some of your time to what makes you happy．
If you’re particularly unhappy at your job，consider why．4. If you feel your job isn’t meaningful，or isn’t in line with your values，consider finding another job．
Experience something new．
Research has shown that when we’re in our comfort zone，we aren’t as productive as we are when we step just beyond it．5. Because of that，we may react slowly to our own positive experiences and interactions with others，even when those are little scary．Doing so can help you achieve more．
A.Do what you love．
B.Here are some tips for you．
C.Register in a class you’re interested in．
D.Humans adapt very quickly to positive events．
E.It’s possible that some changes may change your feeling．
F.Similar types of people may be attracted to the same activities．
G.Try not to allow yourself to focus so much on a certain aspect of your life．
This holiday season, holiday shoppers can for the first time send festive greetings that contribute to protecting rather than destroying our evergreen world. The beautiful e-card can be sent via TreeGreetings, available at http://www. TreeGreetings. com.
Each $8.95 TreeGreetings e-card comes with a virtual tour of the actual location where the gift tree will be planted along with a full-color, personalized planting certificate. The greetings feature musical slide shows with nature photography and inspirational messages.
“Our cards exemplify the spirit of holiday giving,” said Alan Shamir, founder and CEO of Your True Nature Inc., which markets TreeGreetings electronic products. “Our customers can give back to the Earth by contributing to reforestation while sharing holiday goodwill with friends and family.” TreeGreetings offers a full range of e-cards to celebrate any occasion including birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, new homes, congratulations, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day.
Individuals and organizations can easily send personalized TreeGreetings to their entire holiday lists at quantity-discounted rates, and distribution on a selected date can be scheduled days, weeks, or months in advance.
Gift trees are planted and cared for by well-established, reliable non-profit organizations including the internationally recognized Trees, Water & People, which has planted 1.2 million trees in Central America, and Plant-It 2020, a foundation created by singer John Denver in 1992.
After having received a Magnolia tree for his 11th birthday, Shamir gained a lifelong appreciation for the value and joy of receiving a living growing gift. He said, “My tree and I ‘grow up’ together! It has been such a valuable and important part of my life that I want to give others the experience of having a tree planted for their special occasions.”
1.What will happen if you buy a TreeGreetings e-card?
A.You will be presented with a gift.
B.You’ll receive a photograph with music.
C.You can determine the type of gift trees.
D.You’ll know where the tree will be planted.
2.What can we infer from Para. 3?
A.TreeGreetings e-card brings high profits.
B.TreeGreetings e-card does prove popular.
C.TreeGreetings e-card helps protect the Earth.
D.TreeGreetings e-card deserves to be stored.
3.What do we know about John Denver from the 5th paragraph?
A.He has a high fame worldwide.
B.He must be possessing a big farm.
C.He founded Plant-It 2020 himself.
D.He’s abandoned singing completely.
4.Why did the author mention Shamir’s 11th birthday?
A.To show it has a lasting influence on him.
B.To emphasize he didn’t get gifts ever before.
C.To call on people to value teenagers’ growth.
D.To collect data for his support for the project.
Many college students turn to ADHD(注意缺陷障碍) medicine during exam week, which is regarded as “smart drugs” that will help their academic(学术的) performance. The thinking is that if the drugs help students with ADHD improve their focus, they should provide the same benefit for people who don’t have the disorder.
But a new study shows that drugs can actually damage brain function of healthy students who take the drug hoping to boost their intelligence. “It’s not a smart drug which suddenly improve their ability to understand information they read,” said Lisa Weyandt, a professor at the University of Rhode Island.
To test whether this effect is real or not, researchers organized 13 students to take part in two five-hour study sessions(一段时间) in the lab. The students took the standard 30mg ADHD drugs before one session, and a sugar pill before the other. Students on ADHD drugs did experience an increase in their blood pressure and heart rates. “The medicine was having an effect on their brain,” Weyandt said. The students also showed an improvement in their ability to focus, the researchers found.
However, students on ADHD drugs experienced no improvement in reading comprehension, reading fluency or knowledge reviews, compared to when they’d taken a sugar pill. “We read aloud stories to them and asked them to recall information from the stories,” she said. “That didn’t improve.”
Worse, the ADHD drug actually harms students’ memory. It’s often misused because people pull all-nighters and they’re tired, and they think it’s going to keep them awake. Maybe it does, but it’s certainly not going to help their academic work. The brain is still developing until the mid to late 20s. It’s important to keep it healthy. There’s also a chance that ADHD drugs could endanger a student’s heart health.
1.Why do some college students take ADHD drugs?
A.To improve their sleeping. B.To get higher marks.
C.To make them feel relaxed. D.To treat brain disorder.
2.Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word “boost” in Paragragh 2?
A.Analyze. B.Affect.
C.Improve. D.Understand.
3.What effect did ADHD drugs have on the students in the experiment?
A.They became more focused.
B.Their blood pressure was reduced.
C.Their reading fluency was greatly raised.
D.They could remember better and more quickly.
4.Where can we read this text?
A.In a drug instruction. B.In a textbook.
C.In a travel magazine. D.In a news report.
Paper route
A paper route is one of the most common tried and true ways to earn money, and has been the first job for many kids over the decades.
Pros:
First, if your child rides his bicycle every morning during deliveries, he will be getting a great workout while he is earning money. Second, paper deliverers have the freedom to do their route as quickly as they want, in the order that they want; and they don’t have to dress up to do it!
Cons:
Unpredictable Weather: your child will be facing adverse(不利的) weather conditions.
Early Morning Hours: newspapers have to arrive early, many times by 5:00 in the morning. But your children might have to be up as early as 2: 00 a. m. to get the papers out on time.
Collecting Money: It can be intimidating(令人胆怯的 ) for some children to ask strangers for money.
What Kids Can Learn About Money (by doing a paper route):
Paper routes depend on punctuality of the paper delivery. Your child will learn to deliver the papers by a specified time each morning.
Family business
If you own your own business, you can hire them to work for your family business.
Pros:
Since you will be the employer, you can make changes to their schedule if you need to. In addition, your child will work for you, so you’ll always know where he is and be able to keep an eye on him.
Cons:
Variability: depending on your line of work, you may not have enough work to keep your child busy consistently.
Limited for Children: If you don’t have your own business, but like the idea, you may want to ask friends, neighbors, or relatives you know who might want to hire some additional help.
What Kids Can Learn About Money (by working for the family business):
Working for the family will give your children a direct line of communication when they want to talk. Give them the opportunity to discuss pay rates with you. Introduce them to negotiations to agree on a fair rate.
1.What are the advantages of paper routes, according to the passage?
A.They are safe and have a flexible schedule.
B.You just work in the morning and can get a great workout.
C.You don’t have to wear a uniform or work in your spare time.
D.You will get exercise and have the freedom to work the way you want.
2.What is the advantage of parents having their children work for the family business?
A.They can change their children’s schedule as they want.
B.They can ensure the safety of their children.
C.It makes them busy, so they don’t have time to work.
D.it will help children develop the spirit of enterprise.
3.Which of the following is TRUE about the two jobs mentioned above?
A.Children have to arrive at 5: 00 am to prepare the newspapers on a paper route.
B.Parents approve of children asking strangers for money on a paper route
C.Working for the family business can increase the communication between parents and children.
D.Only children whose parents own a business can work
假如你是高三学生李华，请写一篇演讲稿，准备代表全体同学在毕业典礼上发言，内容要点如下：
1) 毕业的心情；
2) 高中三年的收获；
3) 感谢和决心。
注意：1) 词数100左右；
2) 可以适当增加细节,以使行文连贯；
3) 开头语和结束语已为你写好。
Goodmorning, everyone!
I’m Li Hua. It’s my great honor to stand here to deliver my speech. It has been three years since I started my high school.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you for your listening.
Yours,
Li Hua
