There were many beautiful buildings in ancient Rome, but the living conditions for ordinary people were bad. Most of their homes were so poorly made that they fell down or were fire hazards (danger) with their steep, narrow wooden stairways. Most people were packed into apartment buildings that rose shakily (unsafely) six to twelve floors above the ground. The apartments were rooms about three metres square, and each building housed about five hundred people.
These tall buildings faced each other across streets only three metres wide, so no sunlight reached the ground. Even so, apartments were costly, though cheaper places could be found outside Rome. But people wanted to be near their work and entertainment. So the streets became crowded and it was hard to move quickly. At night, the streets were filled with noise as food and supplies were brought into the city on wagons and carts.
1.In ancient Rome, most people lived in ________ apartments.
A.small and crowded B.clean and tidy
C.spacious and sunny D.tall and big
2.The streets in ancient Rome were ________.
A.crowded and noisy B.wide and bright
C.narrow and dark D.both A and C
3.People liked to live in Rome because________.
A.the apartments were comfortable
B.the living expenses were low
C.they have no money to build houses outside the city
D.they wanted to enjoy the conveniences of the city
4.This passage is mainly about ________ in ancient Rome.
A.the beautiful buildings
B.the living conditions of ordinary people
C.the streets and transportation
D.the food and daily supplies
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the eleventh largest nation in Europe. England, Wales and Scotland make up the island of Great Britain, which takes up most of the Britain Isles. Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are mountainous. The highest mountain is Ben Nevis in Scotland. Plains and valleys cover much of England. The British climate is mild.
About 58 million people live in the United Kingdom. Few other countries are so crowded. Four out of five people live in cities such as Belfast, Glasgow, and London. London is the capital. Great Britain grows half of the food it needs. Its industries help to pay for the food that is bought from abroad. The United Kingdom manufactures a wide range of goods. Service industries, such as tourism, that provide services rather than producing goods, are increasing. Traditional industries, such as coal mining, are declining.
1.There are many mountains in ______________.
A. Northern Ireland, Scotland and England
B. England, Wales and Scotland
C. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
D. Northern Ireland, Wales and England
2.In the United Kingdom, about __________people live in big cities.
A. 58 million B. 48.8 million
C. 38.8 million D. half
3.According to the passage, which of the statements is true?
A. Great Britain grows all of the food it needs.
B. The United Kingdom manufactures a narrow range of goods.
C. The speed of tourism in UK is increasing faster than producing goods.
D. The coal mining is also increasing fast.
Kwame Alexander is a best-selling author of 24 books. His novel in verse (诗体) The Crossover won the Newbery Medal in 2015, and was followed by another verse novel in 2016, Booked. In the just-released The Playbook: 52 Rules to Aim, Shoot, and Score in This Game Called Life, Alexander aims to inspire readers to dream big and reach for their goals.
Time For Kids:
What can you tell us about The Playbook?
Kwame Alexander:
I wanted to write a book about how important it is to persevere (坚持) and accept the challenges that come, because they only make you stronger. And I wanted to do it in a really cool and fun way, using sports as a metaphor (隐喻), so students would be interested in reading a book that is telling them how to make their lives better.
TFK:
Where did you get the idea for the book?
Alexander:
In The Crossover, the father of the main characters, Josh and Jordan, gives them these rules for life, called Basketball Rules. Well, I was having breakfast with a friend of mine in New York City. He said, “Kwame, I love those Basketball Rules you have in The Crossover. You should think about writing a whole book on those.” That’s where it all began.
TFK:
Is it hard to mix sports and poetry (诗歌)?
Alexander:
I love sports, and I’ve been writing poetry since I was a kid. So those two things are as natural to me as breathing, laughing and walking.
TFK:
You’ve said teachers need to make learning poetry fun. Did you have a teacher like this as a kid?
Alexander:
My mom. She read poetry to my sisters and me when I was a kid, and she would make the words jump off the page!
TFK:
What advice would you give to young writers?
Alexander:
Read everything you can get your hands on. The best way to become a good writer is to read what other people have written.
1.What can we learn about The Playbook?
A.It is a historical novel.
B.It won the Newbery Medal.
C.It is actually about rules for life.
D.It is based on Alexander’s true life.
2.Who inspired Alexander to write The Playbook?
A.His mom who read poetry to him.
B.The teacher who taught him poetry.
C.His friend who read The Crossover.
D.The two characters in The Crossover.
3.When Alexander was a kid, how did he feel about poetry?
A.It was rather boring. B.It was quite difficult.
C.It was pretty mysterious. D.It was very interesting.
4.In Alexander’s mind, what’s important to become a good writer?
A.Always dream big.
B.Gladly accept challenges.
C.Read as much as possible.
D.Have a wide knowledge of poetry.
假如你是澳大利亚男孩 Tom, 你的朋友李华来信向你咨询如何才能学好英语。请根据下列要点给李华写封建议信。
1、参加英语课堂活动；
2、看英语书刊，看英语电视；
3、学唱英语歌曲；
4、交外国朋友，在网上和他们用英语聊天。
注意：1、词数不少于100。
2、可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Li Hua,
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Tom
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
Though Chinese is 1.(old) than English, English is spoken 2. many people around the world every day. English speakers are always 3.(make) new words and we should be able to know where most words come from.
Sometimes, however, no one may 4.(real) know where a word comes from. Did you ever think about why hamburgers are called hamburgers, especially when they are not made with ham? About a hundred years ago, some 5.(man) went to America from Europe. They came from a big city in Germany 6.(call) Hamburg.
They did not speak good English, 7. they ate good food. When some Americans saw them 8.(eat) round pieces of beef, they asked the Germans what it was. The Germans did not understand the question and answered, ＂We came from Hamburg.＂ One of these Americans owned 9. restaurant, and had an idea. He cooked some round pieces of the beef like the man from Hamburg ate and 10.(sell) them in many countries around the world.
I will never forget the two impressive things that happened last winter. One of my classmates and I were_______ our project work late one night on my university’s campus far from home. Since there was_______ in the forecast, I had worn a winter_______ to school that day with a raincoat in my bag.
Throughout our work on the project, I could_______ that my friend was tired from a very long day working. As we stepped outside to begin the_______ walk home hand in hand, I_______ she was trembling(颤抖).The temperature had dropped to the low thirties(Fahrenheit) and she_______ had a sweater on. I_______ offered her my warm jacket. She accepted it and asked what I_______ wear then. I told her I had another one and pretended that my________ was a jacket. She said later that she________ the next morning and the first thing on her mind was feeling moved about my________ of the jacket.
Coincidentally (碰巧),the next day I went to an open-air play and I was freezing________ I didn’t expect it to be so________ A person who I hardly________ insisted that I wear his jacket. I was________ touched by this warm gesture. He was so matter-of-fact(不带感情的)about me________ his coat, too; he simply took it off and handed it to me saying that I should________ it. I used to think that this vast universe was a cold________ It turns out that even when the temperature drops low, the people never________ to warm each other’s hearts.
1.A.starting B.destroying C.showing D.doing
2.A.rain B.fog C.snow D.cloud
3.A.suit B.jacket C.cap D.mask
4.A.think B.guess C.see D.check
5.A.easy B.short C.safe D.long
6.A.heard B.believed C.noticed D.expected
7.A.bravely B.nearly C.only D.usually
8.A.suddenly B.immediately C.madly D.calmly
9.A.would B.could C.should D.might
10.A.blouse B.sweater C.dress D.raincoat
11.A.ran away B.woke up C.fell ill D.got hurt
12.A.sale B.size C.color D.offer
13.A.though B.until C.since D.if
14.A.warm B.cold C.sunny D.dark
15.A.knew B.mattered C.loved D.blamed
16.A.deeply B.wrongly C.finally D.firmly
17.A.envying B.watching C.holding D.wearing
18.A.keep B.buy C.borrow D.throw
19.A.environment B.place C.wind D.situation
20.A.allow B.help C.refuse D.stop
