From my earlier memory of Mother, it seemed quite natural to think of her as different, nor of everyday things as Father was. In those days he was a young-looking man. He did not hesitate to make friends with children as soon as they were able to talk to him and laugh at his stories. Mother was older than he was. She must have been a woman of nearly forty, but she seemed even older. She changed little for a long time, showing no indication of growing old at all until, towards the end of her life, she suddenly became an old lady.
I was always inquisitive about Mother’s age. She never had birthdays like other people, nor did anyone else in our family. No candles were ever lit or cakes made or presents given in our house. To my friends in the street who talked delightfully about their birthday parties, I would repeat my mother’s words that such celebrations were only foolish.
“Nothing but deception,” she would say. “As though life can be marked by birthdays. It’s deeds, not years, that matter.”
Although I often repeated her words and even prided myself on not having birthdays, I once could not help asking Mother when she was born.
“I was born. I’m alive as you can see, so what more do you want to know?” she replied, so sharply that I never asked her about her age again.
In so many other ways Mother was different. Whereas all the rest of the women I knew in the neighboring houses took pride in their housewifely abilities, their new furniture, the neat appearance of their homes, Mother regarded all those things as of little importance. Our house always looked as if we had just moved in or were about to move out.
1.How did Father impress the author?
A.He liked writing stories. B.He talked a lot.
C.He was a very young man. D.He was popular with children.
2.Before the end of her life, Mother ______.
A.looked quite young B.looked like an old lady
C.looked younger than she was D.looked like a 40-year-old woman
3.What does the underlined word “inquisitive” (in Paragraph 2) probably mean?
A.Certain B.Curious.
C.Cautious. D.Confident.
4.What do we learn about Mother?
A.She was lazy. B.She was strict.
C.She was proud. D.She was special.
Having an older brother comes with plenty of benefits. However, a new study finds an interesting downside: children with older brothers take longer when it comes to developing language skills.
The study, conducted by a group of researchers in Paris, France, builds upon early research that having older brothers is associated with poor linguistic(语言的)development. Now, researchers say they have come to a more specific conclusion: only children with an older brother show these linguistic difficulties. One would assume(假设) that children with older brothers would grow up around more conversation on a daily basis, thus speeding up their language development. But researchers say such children actually take longer than their older brothers to begin developing these skills. Researchers studied more than 1,000 children from birth to the age of five-and-a-half years old. Each child’s language skills were tested at ages 2, 3, and 5.5, using tests specially designed to measure many aspects of language development such as vocabulary and syntax(句法). What the research team discovered was significant: children with an older brother had, on average, a two-month delay in their language development compared to studied children with an older sister. As far as explaining this phenomenon, researchers have given two assumptions. The first is that older sisters tend to talk more often than older brothers, which would make up for parents being less present than they were for their first child. The second assumption is that older sisters usually compete with their brothers and sisters less than older brothers for their parents’ attention.
So far, the study’s authors say they can’t say for certain why children with older brothers have a harder time developing language skills. In the future they’d like to investigate it further.
1.What does the word “downside” mean in the first paragraph?
A.slide. B.advantage.
C.upside down. D.disadvantage.
2.What can be learned from the passage?
A.Children with older brothers will speak earlier.
B.No one knows exactly the reason why children with brothers speak later.
C.Children with an older sister had a two-month delay in speaking.
D.Researchers studied over 1,000 children of all ages.
3.What’s the weakness for the children with older brothers?
A.The parents will never care about them any more.
B.The older brothers will always fight with them.
C.The development speed of their linguistic skills will be put off.
D.They won’t enjoy life-long close relationships with the older brothers.
4.What’s the best title of the passage?
A.Young brothers usually speak earlier?
B.Having older brothers always benefits you?
C.Parents love older brothers more?
D.Sisters often compete with brothers?
Finding a suitable name for a baby is a big deal in China.When picking out a Chinese name,parents usually select two or three characters that have a carefully thought out meaning, but when deciding on an English name, many of them struggle.That's where Jessup and her company, Special Name,come in. In the last few years, Jessup has helped name 677,900 Chinese babies, and earned over $400,000 in the process, more than enough to pay her college fees.
Jessup came up with the idea for Special Name in 2015,after accompanying her father on a business trip to China.One of her dad's business partners,a Mrs.Wang, asked her to help choose an English name for her daughter.Jessup felt honored and quickly realized the importance of choosing a proper name in Chinese culture.The woman wanted people to be surprised by the things her daughter could achieve,so Jessup suggested the name"Eliza"after the character Eliza Doolittle from the play Pygmalion.Mrs.Wang seemed delighted with Jessup's choice."If Mrs.Wang needed this service,maybe other parents would as well,"Jessup thought.
After returning to UK,Jessup borrowed ￡1,500 from her parents and paid a web designer to build a website,She then spent her free time filling up a database(数据库)with around 4,000 English names,associating them with five major personality characteristics,like honesty and optimism.
In the beginning, Jessup offered the service for free to promote the website,but later,she started charging fees.The business is almost completely self-sufficient,requiring only a small team in China that manages technical operations.She updates the database each month,allowing her to focus full-time on studies.
1.What's the purpose of Special Name?
A.To help Chinese teens go abroad.
B.To strengthen children's personalities.
C.To pick an English name for a Chinese baby.
D.To make a deal with Chinese parents.
2.What inspired Jessup to set up Special Name?
A.A suggestion from a business partner. B.Her interest in Chinese culture.
C.A Chinese mother's request. D.A character from a play.
3.What did Mrs.Wang want her daughter to be in the future?
A.A woman with achievements. B.A famous actress.
C.A successful businesswoman. D.A western culture expert.
4.What can we infer from the last paragraph about Special Name?
A.It offers free service. B.It's updated every day.
C.It's operated completely by itself. D.It is easy to manage.
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。你所在的学校摄影社团正在招收新成员。请给你的留学生朋友Eric写封邮件邀请他加入，内容包括：1.社团活动；2.报名方式及截止日期。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Eric,
How is everything getting along?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours sincerely,
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(∧)，并在其下面写出修改后的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线(＼)划掉。
修改：在错的词下画一横线，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。
When I look at this picture of myself, I realize of how fast time flies. I had grown not only physically, and also mentally in the past few years. About one month after this photo was took, I entered my second year of high school and become a new member of the school music club. Around me in picture are the things they were very important in my life at that time: car magazines and musical instruments. I enjoyed studying difference kinds of cars and planes, playing pop music, and collecting the late music albums. This picture often brings back to me many happy memories of your high school days.
