Ai-Petri Bridges, Crimea
The views of the Crimean coast from the top of 1,234-metre high Ai-Petri Mount are amazing. The hanging bridges built in recent years can reach the top of the mount. If just walking across the bridges is not dangerous enough, it also happens to be one of the windiest places in the world. It is said that the bridges blow from side to side as wind speeds reach 170 kilometres per hour for 125 days of the year. It’s also very foggy, so you may not be able to see clearly!
U Bein Bridge, Myanmar
This five-metre-high, 1.2-kilometre wooden footbridge does not look as dangerous as the others, but do not be fooled. It was built in the 1850s and it’s certainly feeling its age! Some of the old wood is not as strong as it used to be. It is easy to lose your footing. Although there is no handrail (栏杆), large numbers of tourists cross it every day. When the tourists arrive in the evening to watch the beautiful sunset, this bridge could become the most dangerous of them all!
The Trift Bridge, Switzerland
At 100 metres high and 170 metres long, this is one of the highest bridges in the world. Built in 2004, the bridge is hidden among the high Swiss Alps. You wouldn’t have wanted to walk across the bridge before its repair in 2009. But if you have the courage to cross this bridge, you’d better do it quickly!
The Hussaini Hanging Bridge, Pakistan
In the mountainous area of Northern Pakistan, the Hussaini Hanging Bridge helps travelers cross the Borit Lake. However, you will not feel too confident when you get close to this bridge. It’s one of the oldest bridges in Pakistan and many locals use it every day to travel to work and school — imagine losing your homework over the side of this bridge! It’s made from rope, with a few pieces of wood that have large gaps (空隙) between them. Step carefully!
1.What can we learn about U Bein Bridge?
A.It’s very popular at sunset.
B.It’s safest for people to cross.
C.It’s the oldest bridge in the world.
D.It’s made from rope without handrails.
2.One may not enjoy the views clearly on ________.
A.U Bein Bridge B.Ai-Petri Bridges
C.The Trift Bridge D.The Hussaini Hanging Bridge
3.What do the bridges mentioned in the text have in common?
A.All require serious repair.
B.All top highest in their country.
C.All have a history of one century.
D.All require plenty of courage to cross.
Is Fresh Air Really Good for You?
We all grew up hearing people tell us to “go out and get some fresh air.” 1. According to recent studies, the answer is a big YES, if the air quality in your camping area is good.
2. If the air you’re breathing is clean—which it would be if you’re away from the smog of cities—then the air is filled with life-giving, energizing oxygen. If you exercise out of doors, your body will learn to breathe more deeply, allowing even more oxygen to get to your muscles(肌肉) and your brain.
Recently, people have begun studying the connection between the natural world and healing(治愈). 3. In these places patients can go to be near nature during their recovery. It turns out that just looking at green, growing things can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and put people into a better mood(情绪).Greenery is good for us. Hospital patients who see tree branches out their window are likely to recover at a faster rate than patients who see buildings or sky instead. 4. It gives us a great feeling of peace.
5.While the sun’s rays can age and harm our skin, they also give us beneficial Vitamin D . To make sure you get enough Vitamin D—but still protect your skin—put on sunscreen right as you head outside. It takes sunscreen about fifteen minutes to start working, and that’s plenty of time for your skin to absorb a day’s worth of Vitamin D .
A.Fresh air cleans our lungs.
B.So what are you waiting for?
C.Being in nature refreshes us.
D.Another side benefit of getting fresh air is sunlight.
E.But is fresh air really as good for you as your mother always said?
F.Just as importantly, we tend to associate air with health care.
G.All across the country, recovery centers have begun building Healing Gardens.
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。
China is in mourning after its most famous and oldest captive (圈养的) panda Basi died 1.(age) thirty-seven. Basi was born in the wild in 1980. At the age of four, she fell into an icy river and was 2.(fortune) rescued by some local villagers 3.(live) in the county of Baoxing in southwest China's Sichuan Province. The locals handed her over to the Strait Panda Research and Exchange Centre in Fuzhou, where she lived the rest of her life. Basi came to fame shortly4.she was chosen as the model for Pan Pan, the mascot of the 1990 Asian Games in Beijing.
Basi never bred (繁殖) but overcame several severe5.(ill) to live for more than6.(two) the 15-year life expectancy of wild pandas. Basi7.(confirm) to be the world’s oldest captive panda by Guinness World Records in August. Captive pandas tend to live8.(long) due to better nutrition and living conditions. Word has come9.Basi’s body will be put in Basi Museum, which is10.construction at present for people to remember her forever and share the spirit of the harmonious development between humans and nature.
I remember that it was a few years ago, an old woman stepped into my video store, along with her daughter. The_______was displaying a serious state of impatience, _______her watch every few seconds. If the daughter had possessed a leash（绳子）, her mother would have been_______to it as a means of pulling her along to_______the rush of other shoppers.
Walking over, I asked_______I could help her. The woman smiled up at me and showed me a _______on a piece of paper. _______rushing off to find the DVD for the woman, I asked her to_______with me so I could show her where she could find it and I wanted to enjoy her_______for a moment. As we walked along the back of the store, I________its floor plan (平面图): old television shows, action movies, cartoons, science fictions. The woman seemed glad of the unrushed “trip” and ________conversation.
I said to her daughter, “_______some advice?” “Of course not,” said the daughter. “Cherish ________,” I said. “When she’s gone, it’s the little ________that come back to you. Times like this. I know.” It was ________. I still missed my mom and remembered the times when I'd used my impatience to make her ________.
Together they made their way towards the store's resting area. They sat there for a moment, side by side, _______the holiday crowds. Then the daughter glanced over and immediately ______ her mother lovingly. And slowly she placed her arm with ______unaccustomed affection around her mother's shoulders and ________guided her back into the crowd.
1.A.merchant B.waitress C.mother D.daughter
2.A.fixing B.removing C.checking D.adjusting
3.A.fastened B.devoted C.accustomed D.applied
4.A.break away from B.make way for C.get along with D.keep pace with
5.A.when B.whether C.why D.how
6.A.tip B.title C.ticket D.receipt
7.A.Apart from B.As to C.Rather than D.Regardless of
8.A.communicate B.jog C.trade D.walk
9.A.stay B.holiday C.company D.time
10.A.described B.blamed C.appreciated D.corrected
11.A.casual B.attractive C.severe D.convincing
12.A.Prepare B.Mind C.Lack D.Offer
13.A.her B.me C.herself D.yourself
14.A.feelings B.presents C.chances D.moments
15.A.reasonable B.possible C.true D.appropriate
16.A.desperate B.upset C.puzzled D.astonished
17.A.approaching B.evaluating C.observing D.expecting
18.A.attended B.found C.recognized D.watched
19.A.apparently B.suddenly C.basically D.gradually
20.A.accidentally B.gently C.smoothly D.randomly
For Canaan Elementary’s second grade in Patchogue, N.Y., today is speech day, and right now it’s Chris Palaez’s turn. The 8-year-old is the joker of the class. With shining dark eyes, he seems like the kind of kid who would enjoy public speaking.
But he’s nervous. “I’m here to tell you today why you should … should…” Chris trips on the “-ld,” a pronunciation difficulty for many non-native English speakers. His teacher, Thomas Whaley, is next to him, whispering support. “…Vote for …me …” Except for some stumbles, Chris is doing amazingly well. When he brings his speech to a nice conclusion, Whaley invites the rest of the class to praise him.
A son of immigrants, Chris stared learning English a little over three years ago. Whaley recalls(回想起) how at the beginning of the year, when called upon to read, Chris would excuse himself to go to the bathroom.
Learning English as a second language can be a painful experience. What you need is a great teacher who lets you make mistakes. “It takes a lot for any student,” Whaley explains, “especially for a student who is learning English as their new language, to feel confident enough to say, ‘I don’t know, but I want to know.’”
Whaley got the idea of this second-grade presidential campaign project when he asked the children one day to raise their hands if they thought they could never be a president. The answer broke his heart. Whaley says the project is about more than just learning to read and speak in public. He wants these kids to learn to boast(夸耀) about themselves.
“Boasting about yourself, and your best qualities,” Whaley says, “is very difficult for a child who came into the classroom not feeling confident.”
1.What made Chris nervous?
A.Telling a story. B.Making a speech.
C.Taking a test. D.Answering a question.
2.What does the underlined word “stumbles” in paragraph 2 refer to?
A.Improper pauses. B.Bad manners. C.Spelling mistakes. D.Silly jokes.
3.We can infer that the purpose of Whaley’s project is to _________.
A.help students see their own strengths
B.assess students’ public speaking skills
C.prepare students for their future jobs
D.inspire students’ love for politics
4.Which of the following best describes Whaley as a teacher?
A.Humorous. B.Ambitious. C.Caring. D.Demanding.
语境填空
Ever since the 1.(invent) of the first telegraph at the end of the 19th century, English 2. 3. 4. (spread) around the world. It has a powerful influence 5. the media, 6. the internet and 7.pop music 8.is got going to go away. This communication revolution has turned the world 9.a “global village”, 10. 11.everyone needs to talk to each other--and so often nowadays 12.means in English.
More people now speak English 13. a second language 14.the world than 15.a native language. It is estimated 16.1.3billion people will use English 17.either a first or a second language by 2050. But what will that form of English be 18.?
