Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth on 7th February, 1812. His father, John Dickens, was a clerk in the Navy. In 1814 the Dickens family moved to London and two years later to Chatham in Kent. Charles attended a private school for a few years there until the family moved back to London in1822.
Two years later Charles’s father was sent to a debtors’ prison for not paying his bills. Charles was 12 years old at the time. The family had no money, so he had to leave school and get a job in a factory that made shoe polish. The conditions there were very bad and the workers were very poor. It was a completely different world from one Charles knew and he was often sad and lonely.
His father managed to leave the prison and Charles returned to school, but this experience had a great effect on him. He never forgot it and described it in several of his novels.
Great Expectations is usually described as a bildungsroman, a type of novel that was popular in Victorian times. Bildungsroman is a German word used for novels that show the psychological and moral development of the main character as he or she grows up. However, Great Expectations, like most of Charles Dickens’s novels, can not be so easily defined. It is also a story about love and passion, a mystery story and a story that comments on the society of the time.
Great Expectations is set on the marshes(湿地) of Kent and in London in the early to mid-1800s. The main character is a poor orphan boy called Pip, who lives with his old sister and her husband, Joe. One day he meets and falls in love with a rich girl called Estella. She laughs at him because he is a poor village boy and he starts to become unhappy with his life. A few years later he learns that he has a secret benefactor（捐助人）, who wants him to live the life of a gentleman. Now that he is rich, he thinks that he has a chance of winning Estella’s love. He leaves his village and goes to live London, where he makes new friends. He starts to feel ashamed of his home and his family, particularly Joe, who he treats unkindly. However, after many adventures he is finally able to recognize his mistakes.
Charles Dickens originally wrote a sad ending for Great Expectations but he decided to change it to a happier one because of a suggestion from one of his friends. Most books today contain the new ending but there are some that also include the original one.
1.According to the passage, which of the following is Wrong about Dickens?
A.Financial difficulties forced the Dickens family to move to London.
B.He was left to take care of himself at 12 when his father was put into a debtor’s prison.
C.He had a little primary education and lived a sad and painful life.
D.Great Expectations was based on much of Dickens’ personal experience.
2.What does the underlined word “Bildungsroman” in paragraph 4 mean?
A.a process of maturation(成熟) and self-discovery.
B.a process of becoming independent.
C.a process of physical and mental development.
D.a change from selfishness to love and passion.
3.What will Pip’s relationship with Joe be possibly like at the end of the story?
A.Pip will become more ashamed of his family and less kind to Joe.
B.Pip will be grateful to Joe and reward him.
C.Pip will be kind and friendly to Joe.
D.Pip will be cold and distant with Joe.
4.Pip realizes what is the most important thing in life at the end of the story?
A.wealth and social status.
B.love and loyalty.
C.lifelong ambition and successful careers.
D.great expectations and wildest dreams.
Many kids help out around the house with chores such as emptying the dishwasher, putting laundry away, and taking out the trash. In exchange, some kids get allowances or other rewards such as extra computer time.
But some people do not think that kids should get rewards for doing chores. Susie Walton, a parenting educator and family coach, believes that by rewarding kids, parents are sending a message that work isn’t worth doing unless you get something in return. ’’Running any kind of household is a team effort, Susie said. "A home is a living space for everyone in the family. It’s important for kids to see that we all have responsibilities in the house, and that families decide together how they want their home to look, and how they are going to keep it looking like everyone wants it to look.”
Other people believe that getting a cash allowance or other rewards motivates kids to do chores, and it also teaches them real world lessons about how we need to work to earn money. There are also new applications that give kids points and digital gifts that can be redeemed (兑取) either online or in the real world. With the ChoreMonster app, kids earn digital points by completing chores that they can turn in for real-life rewards such as extra Xbox time or a trip to the mall. “Our goal is to encourage kids to earn rewards,’’ says Chris Bergman, founder of ChoreMonster. “Kids need positive reinforcement to help motivate them."
What do you think? Should kids be rewarded for doing chores? Or should kids help out around their homes without getting anything in return?
Write a 200-word response. Send it to tfkasks4you@timeforkids.com. Your response may be published in a future issue of Time For Kids. Please include your grade and contact information of your parent or teacher if you want your response to be published. The deadline for responding is February 18.
1.How does the author start the passage?
A.By presenting some facts.
B.By listing some evidence.
C.By comparing different views.
D.By stating his own experiences.
2.According to Susie Walton, .
A.kids should be rewarded for doing chores
B.parents decide what kids can do for the family
C.kids have the responsibility to share housework
D.kids can get extra computer time for doing chores
3.Paragraph 3 is mainly about .
A.Chris Bergman’s opinion on raising kids
B.main reasons why kids need encouragement
C.how to motivate kids to try new applications
D.the advantage of rewarding kids for doing chores
4.The purpose of writing the text is to .
A.invite readers to express their opinions
B.inform readers of two different opinions
C.call on readers to reflect on their behavior
D.present the author's viewpoint about parenting
It was the summer of 1965. DeLuca, then 17, visited Peter Buck, a family friend. Buck asked DeLuca about his plans for the future. “I’m going to college，but I need a way to pay for it” DeLuca recalls saying, “Buck said ‘You should open a sandwich shop.’”
That afternoon, they agreed to be partners. And they set a goal: to open 32 stores in ten years. After doing some research, Buck wrote a check for $1,000. DeLuca rented a storefront (店面) in Connecticut, and when they couldn't cover their startup costs，Buck kicked in another $1,000.
But business didn't go smoothly as they expected. DeLuca says, “After six months，we were doing poorly, but we didn't know how badly, because we didn't have any financial controls.” All he and Buck knew was that their sales were lower than their costs.
DeLuca was managing the store and going to the University of Bridgeport at the same time. Buck was working at his day job as a nuclear physicist in New York. They'd meet Monday evenings and brainstorm ideas for keeping the business running. “We convinced ourselves to open a second store. We figured we could tell the public. ‘We are so successful，we are opening a second store.’” And they did—in the spring of 1966. Still, it was a lot of learning by trial and error.
But the partners' learnasyougo approach turned out to be their greatest strength. Every Friday, DeLuca would drive around and hand-deliver the checks to pay their suppliers. “It probably took me two and a half hours and it wasn't necessary, but as a result, the suppliers got to know me very well, and the personal relationships established really helped out.” DeLuca says.
And having a goal was also important. “There are so many problems that can get you down. You just have to keep working toward your goal.” DeLuca adds.
DeLuca ended up founding Subway Sandwich, the multimilliondollar restaurant chain.
1.DeLuca opened the first sandwich shop in order to____.
A.support his family
B.pay for his college education
C.help his partner expand business
D.do some research
2.Which of the following is TRUE of Buck？______
A.He put money into the sandwich business.
B.He was a professor of business administration.
C.He was studying at the University of Bridgeport.
D.He rented a storefront for DeLuca.
3.What can we learn about their first shop？_______
A.It stood at an unfavorable place.
B.It lowered the prices to promote sales.
C.It made no profits due to poor management.
D.It lacked control over the quality of sandwiches.
4.What contributes most to their success according to the author？_______
A.Learning by trial and error.
B.Making friends with suppliers.
C.Finding a good partner.
D.Opening chain stores.
We all know that regular exercise is vitally important for both a healthy mind and body. Research has shown that just five minutes of exercise in a “green space” can help people to keep mentally healthy.
Let’s take a look at some ways to get close to nature and make them a part of your regular exercise routine.
Get on your bike
Cycling is a cheap, easy and fun way to get some good exercise in the outdoors. Try leaving your car at home and cycling to work one day, if that’s possible. Or get the family together and go on a weekend bike ride. Check out the local cycle paths before you go, and plan a safe route. Make sure you take some healthy snacks with you to keep your energy levels up.
Try some outdoor yoga
Practising yoga can be great for reducing anxiety and aiding relaxation, so why not take your yoga mat and try out some asanas (yoga postures) in the open air? Yoga is great for stretching tight muscles and increasing flexibility as well as improving mobility, control and breathing. Why not finish your practice with some quiet meditation to further calm the mind?
Go running
Instead of spending hours on the treadmill(跑步机), grab a friend and go off for a jog around your local park, or some nature trails. If you are used to running on a treadmill, you may find it harder at first, so make sure you have some good, supportive running shoes. You could also find out where your nearest Parkrun is. They are open to everyone, free, and are safe and easy to take part in.
Join a conservation(保护) group
Joining a conservation group is a great way of keeping fit while helping the world around you. Do some research into what’s going on in your local area and you could find yourself helping to plant trees, clear up rivers and so on. You never know it could lead to new friendships, as well as the knowledge that you are doing something productive for your local area!
1.If you want to cycle with your family, you’d better __________.
A.have a healthy body B.check the bikes carefully
C.learn some survival skills D.make good preparations for it
2.What’s the advantage of outdoor yoga according to the text?
A.Getting closer to nature. B.Feeling relaxed or peaceful.
C.Keeping active and energetic. D.Building up people’s bodies.
3.What problem do some people have if they want to run around their local park?
A.It takes them some time to get used to it. B.It needs some patience to continue.
C.It makes them lose interest in running. D.It leads them to fall behind their friends.
I used to hate being called upon in class mainly because I didn’t like attention drawn to myself. And_______otherwise assigned（指定）a seat by the teacher, I always_______to sit at the back of the classroom.
All this_______after I joined a sports team. It began when a teacher suggested I try out for the basketball team. At first I thought it was a crazy_______because I didn’t have a good sense of balance, nor did I have the_______to keep pace with the others on the team and they would tease me. But for the teacher who kept insisting on my “_______for it”, I wouldn’t have decided to give a try.
Getting up the courage to go to the tryouts was only the_______of it! When I first
started_______the practice sessions, I didn’t even know the rules of the game, much_______what I was doing. Sometimes I’d get________and take a shot at the wrong direction—which made me feel really stupid.________, I wasn’t the only one “new” at the game, so I decided to________on learning the game, do my best at each practice session, and not be too hard on myself for the things I
didn’t________“just yet”.
I practiced and practiced. Soon I knew the________and the “moves”. Being part of a team was fun and motivating. Very soon the competitive________in me was winning over my lack of confidence. With time, I learned how to play and made friends in the________— friends who respected my efforts to work hard and be a team player. I never had so much fun!
With my________self-confidence comes more praise from teachers and classmates. I have gone from________in the back of the classroom and not wanting to call attention to myself,________raising my hand— even when I sometimes wasn’t and not 100 percent________I had the right answer. Now I have more self-confidence in myself.
1.A.as B.until C.though D.unless
2.A.hoped B.chose C.meant D.agreed
3.A.changed B.continued C.settled D.started
4.A.plan B.idea C.belief D.saying
5.A.right B.ability C.chance D.patience
6.A.cheering B.looking C.going D.applying
7.A.point B.rest C.half D.basis
8.A.enjoying B.preparing C.watching D.attending
9.A.worse B.later C.less D.further
10.A.confused B.motivated C.embarrassed D.committed
11.A.Fortunately B.Interestingly C.Obviously D.hopefully
12.A.try B.act C.rely D.focus
13.A.want B.know C.support D.do
14.A.steps B.rules C.orders D.games
15.A.roles B.mind C.part D.value
16.A.situation B.operation C.movement D.process
17.A.improved B.expressed C.preserved D.recognized
18.A.dreaming B.hiding C.relaxing D.playing
19.A.by B.for C.to D.with
20.A.lucky B.happy C.sure D.satisfied
Directions: Write an English composition in 120--150 words according to the instructions given below in Chinese.
同学们经过了史上最长的假期，也同样首次经历了长时间的网课，现在重返校园，坐在课堂，同学们是否反思过，网上学习，给自己带来了哪些的收获，自己有哪些的遗憾？
请以Online study为题，谈谈你的收获与遗憾以及在今天的课堂中，你怎么去弥补你的遗憾。
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