Two of the saddest words in the English language are “if only”. I live my life with the goal of never having to say those words, because they express regret, lost chances, mistakes, and disappointment.
My father is famous in our family for saying, “Take another minute to do it right.” I always try to live by the “another minute” rule. When my children were young and likely to cause accidents, I always thought about what I could do to avoid an “if only” moment, whether it was something small like moving a cup full of hot coffee away from the edge of a table, or something that required a little more work such as taping padding (粘贴衬垫) onto the sharp corners of a glass coffee table.
I don’t only avoid those “if only” moments when it comes to safety. It’s equally important to avoid “if only” in our personal relationships. We all know people who lost a loved one and regretted that they had foregone a chance to say “I love you” or “I forgive (原谅) you.” When my father announced he was going to the eye doctor across from my office on Good Friday, I told him that it was a holiday for my company and I wouldn’t be here. But then I thought about the fact that he’s 84 years old and I realized that I shouldn’t give up a chance to see him. I called him and told him I had decided to go to work on my day off after all.
I know there will still be times when I have to say “if only” about something, but my life is certainly better because of my rule of doing everything possible to avoid that possibility. And even though it takes another minute to do something right, or it sometimes takes an hour or two in my busy timetable to make a personal connection, I know that I’m doing the right thing. I’m buying myself peace of mind and that’s the best kind of insurance for avoiding saying “if only”.
1.Why does the writer regard “if only” as two of the saddest words in the English language?
A.Because people use them when they feel sad.
B.Because they mean sadness in the English language.
C.Because they mean regrets and disappointment in life.
D.Because they make the writer think of some sad experiences.
2.What’s the meaning of the underlined word “foregone” in Paragraph 3?
A.given up. B.looked for.
C.waited for. D.made use of.
3.The author decided to go to her office on Good Friday to .
A.see a doctor B.finish her work
C.join a celebration D.create a chance to see her father
4.What is the best title for the passage?
A.Advice from My Father B.The “Another Minute” Rule
C.Avoidance of saying “If Only” D.The Saddest Words in English
In many ways, Alma Deutscher is like other 11-year-olds. She loves to climb trees, dance, read, and draw. But Alma, who lives in Dorking, England, has made one very special achievement. She has composed a full opera and brought it to the stage. Her opera, a retelling of Cinderella (灰姑娘), premiered (首次演出) in December 2016, in Vienna, Austria.
“I’ve loved Cinderella since I was 3,” Alma said. But she felt the story needed an improvement. “I didn’t like the thing about the shoe,” she says. “Why should the prince find her because of her feet?”
In Alma’s version (版本), Cinderella is a composer. She creates a melody (旋律) that she sings to the prince before fleeing the ball. “He remembers the beginning but not how it went on,” Alma says. The prince realizes that only Cinderella would know how the melody continues. He uses that knowledge to find her.
Alma began writing the opera when she was 8. It premiered on December 29, 2016, and the audience stood up and cheered. Alma played the piano and violin and performed in the show. “It was something that was completely inside my head, in my imagination, and then it came to life,” Alma says.
Alma says she is sure that music will remain a major part of her life. “I have lots of things that I want to compose,” she says. “The first one is a piano concerto (协奏曲). Then I’m writing a novel, and I want to write a movie based on it, and the music for that.”
She also has advice for kids who want to achieve their big dreams. “It’s a lot of work to reach a high level,” Alma says. “But if you love what you are doing, it doesn’t feel like hard work. Don’t let anyone stop you from doing it.”
1.What does the author mostly want to tell us about Alma Deutscher in Paragraph 1?
A.She is a cute girl. B.She lives in Vienna Austria.
C.She has a special music talent. D.She is always ready to help others.
2.What can we learn from Alma’s version of Cinderella?
A.The prince knows how the melody continues.
B.The prince finds Cinderella because of a melody.
C.The prince finds Cinderella because of her shoes.
D.The prince sings a melody to Cinderella before her fleeing the ball.
3.How was the performance of Alma’s Opera Cinderella?
A.It was a great success. B.It disappointed the audience.
C.It set a good example for other kids. D.It was something in Alma’s imagination.
4.What can we learn from Alma’s advice to other kids in the last paragraph?
A.Knowledge is power. B.A good beginning is half done.
C.Failure is the mother of success. D.Nothing is difficult if you’re enthusiastic.
Here are some Chinatowns for those outside of China wishing to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
London
Although it may not be as large or as long-built as others, having only become a center for the Chinese community during the 1950s, London’s Chinatown is perfectly formed little firework (烟花) that knows how to see in the year with a bang. Decorated (装饰) with red lanterns, previous years have seen shows with acrobatics, martial arts, dance and opera nearby.
San Francisco
San Francisco’s Chinatown is perhaps the most famous in the USA. The city was the main entry-point for Chinese who had crossed the Pacific to the USA during the early 19th century. Between the Grant Avenue and the Stockton Street, this historic area is a local treasure, attracting more visitors per year than the Golden Gate Bridge.
Bangkok
With an about 100-year-old history, the Thai capital’s Chinatown contains complex streets offering all kinds of tasty food, clothes, and toys. Sunday market days are such a good time to get the full atmosphere of the neighborhood. The area is also famous for its gold dealers, and there are lots of gold shops along the road.
Mauritius
Found in Port Louis, this Mauritian Chinatown shows the island nation’s rich multicultural diversity. Built in the early years of the 20th century by settlers from China, its tiny shops and restaurants serve locals and visitors. During the Chinese Spring Festival, the most exciting sight is the Dragon Dances on Rue Royale when Chinese musicians and dancers perform the traditional lion dances through the streets.
1.Which of the following has the longest history?
A.London’s Chinatown. B.San Francisco’s Chinatown.
C.Mauritius’s Chinatown. D.Bangkok’s Chinatown.
2.What’s special about Bangkok’s Chinatown?
A.It is crowded with Chinese restaurants.
B.It is the major entrance for the Chinese.
C.It is well-known for its gold business.
D.You can enjoy fireworks there.
3.If you want to enjoy the Dragon Dances, you can go to ________.
A.Rue Royale in Port Louis, Mauritius B.the Sunday market in Bangkok
C.the Grant Avenue in San Francisco D.the Chinese community in London
假如你是李华，你们学校将在下周二晚举办五月艺术文化节晚会(Art and Culture Evening)。请给你的留学生朋友Eric写封信邀请他参加。内容包括：
1. 发出邀请
2. 晚会时间，地点；
3. 校长讲话及节目表演等活动内容。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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。
As we all know, culture is similar with an iceberg. There are cultural roles where are obvious and easily to understand. Most of our cultural values, however, is not clear or hidden. For example, when you will visit a restaurant in Japan, people may sit in the floor and use chopsticks to eat. These eat habits are easy to come across. You may not know, therefore, that it’s common for a man to sit cross-legged on the floor, but it’s not considered acceptable for woman to do so. You have to study people’s body language to understanding this less obvious cultural rule.
“You are never too old to start something new!” says Englishtown student Ellen Rema, 1. began to learn English at the age of fifty. She2.(make) such great progress ever since that she can now express herself3.(free) in the language.
Ellen chose to study on Englishtown because no evening classes were offered in the German countryside where she lives. “Englishtown is a wonderful place for study,” she says. Ellen began with the first level and quickly progressed. “I spent hours and hours4.(study), ” she said. “I finished all my courses after 2 years, but I still had5.(difficult) learning the grammar.”
Instead of giving up, she chose to continue. After another two years, she’s still studying in the online classroom. “I never feel6.(tire) of studying online.”
Ellen says7.is great fun studying English. “I really like the online conversation classrooms,” she says. “I have learned so much about other8.(country) across the world.”
Ellen has been able to put her English into use9.visiting England five times! “I’m very 10. (thank) to Englishtown and my life has been improved because of it,” Ellen says.
