Journey to the West
If you have a dream, go for it.
My dad talked of the jewel in China’s western part, Tibet Autonomous Region. Tibet was a region I wanted to see and discover but its remoteness and my inability to find the right time to go delayed my journey. After a few talks with my dad, we decided to take a pause in our lives for a few weeks in July 2019 to start an amazing adventure.
We started our journey on a Saturday morning at the Guangzhou train station in south China. We started the first leg of the journey admiring the mysterious mountains of south China. The next day it changed quite suddenly to the dry, waterless landscape of central-west China as we passed through Shanxi and Gansu provinces. That evening we arrived at Xining, Qinghai Province, where we got onto the Xining-Lhasa train.
We were greeted on the train with Tibetan yogurt. The train signs were also written in Tibetan, the beautiful handwriting matched its environment and people. The following afternoon we arrived in Lhasa. Lhasa, one of the highest-altitude cities in the world, is a gem hidden on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. We started our tour of the jewel by exploring the palace and watching local people do morning prays and dances in the park. Overlooking the Jokhang Temple, we enjoyed an amazingly beautiful breathtaking view, just like we had been in the fairyland. It’s a stunning (令人震惊的) golden temple in the middle of old Lhasa, which we visited next before wandering in the old quarters and Barkhor Street in the evening. Barkhor Street is the ideal place to try local food and buy local products.
The following day, we started our journey to the Qomolangma base camp by road from Lhasa. Along the way we stopped to admire the beautiful Yamdrok Lake, a huge freshwater lake that is one of the three largest sacred lakes (圣湖) in Tibet. Yaks (牦牛) in blankets and bells at the lake made for a picturesque impression of perfect countryside Tibet.
About a week later, the highlight came in the afternoon when we arrived at the Qomolangma base camp. We were staying in a guesthouse just next to the base camp. After dropping off our backpacks, we headed straight outside to see the magnificent Mt Qomolangma. There it was, the top of the mountain peeking through the clouds, astonishing us with its unbelievable height. We enjoyed the mountain waves and saw the beautiful clouds separated until the sunset over the peak, feeling I would have regretted for the rest of my life if I hadn’t made the journey.
1.The author wanted to go to Tibet Autonomous Region because _____.
A.his father wanted him to travel there
B.his father thought it was worth visiting
C.he was interested in the mysterious place
D.he wanted to go to the farthest place of China
2.The author thought the most exciting part of the journey was visiting _____.
A.Jokhang Temple B.Barkhor Street
C.Yamdrok Lake D.Mt Qomolangma
3.The underlined word “gem” in the fourth paragraph means _____.
A.smart genius B.precious stone
C.unique temple D.beautiful grassland
4.The author wrote this passage to tell us _____.
A.beautiful views are worth the risk you take
B.if you have a dream, you should try to make it happen
C.you can finally achieve your dream if you put your heart on it
D.traveling ten thousand miles is better than reading ten thousand books
4 Eco-Friendly Bikes to Ride This Summer
Nowadays, many drivers are searching for more environment-friendly ways to get around and are starting to look back to bikes. Bikes don’t require gas. In terms of convenience, bikes can be easier to park and can help riders get their daily exercise in.
Companies everywhere are beginning to take the traditional bike and adapt it to people’s needs. Below are eco-friendly bikes to consider adding to your morning ride.
1. Bamboobikes
Ccycles produces Bamboo Bikes. The company sources bamboo and carbon fiber joints for their bike frames. Bamboo is ideal for bikes because it can absorb significantly more shock than carbon fiber. It is also very lightweight compared to traditional bike materials, like steel. But bamboo is incredibly strong and can take on twice the compression force as steel.
2. Cowboy
Cow offers Cowboy, a bike hides the battery in its frame under the saddle. The removable battery takes about two and half hours to charge and has a range of roughly 31 miles, but the best part is the app features. The Cowboy app gives travelers a real time dashboard (仪器板) to check out their speed and distance. Riders never need to worry about getting lost since it has navigation and can pull up your route history from your ride states. This smart tech also gives riders updates about the bike’s status. The Cowboy has a high tech locking system so the owner is the only one who can start up the bike.
3. The Faraday Bicycle
Faraday ebikes have a 250W motor, and the battery can be fully charged in less than 4 hours. Faraday recently partnered with the organization One Tree Planted to help reforest California after the state underwent serious damage from wildfires that destroyed thousands of acres of land in the area. The company stepped up and donated $100 from every bike sold to plant 100 trees.
4. The Donky Bike
Wilson, who works for Donky, created The Donky Bike, a practical cargo bike. This bike was designed to easily carry a cargo load on the frame. Like any great workhorse, this bike was built with simple low-maintenance components and has a strong, durable frame.
1.Which bike can show you where you are?
A.Cowboy. B.Bamboobikes.
C.The Donky Bike. D.The Faraday Bicycle.
2.If you want to help reforest California, you can buy a bike from _____.
A.Faraday B.Ccycles
C.Donky D.Cow
3.The bike that Wilson created _____.
A.has a 250W motor B.carries a cargo on the frame
C.is lightweight but strong D.has a battery under the saddle
True Manliness
Fred Liscom was a twelve-year-old boy. His mother was very _____ but his father was away from home. Fred was the person to take care of his mother.
One day, Tom Barton, one of Fred’s classmates, saw him with a _____ in his hand, cleaning the table. He _____ this at school, and Fred received the greeting “Girl boy!”
“Fire! fire!” The _____ spread out one night, and the fire bells began to ring. Fred was _____ by the alarm and he saw the red light streaming into his room. He _____ himself in a moment, and tapped at the door of his mother’s bedroom.
“It is Mr. Barton’s house, Mum. Do let me _____.” he said in eager, excited tones. Mrs. Liscom thought for a moment. He was young, but she could _____ him. “Yes, you may go.” she answered: “But be careful. Don’t do _____ things.” Fred promised to follow her advice, and _____ to the fire.
Mr. and Mrs. Barton were not at home. The house had been left in charge of the servants. The fire _____ with fearful speed, for there was a high wind, and it was found impossible to save the house. The servants ran about, screaming but doing nothing to any purpose.
Fred found Tom Barton outside. “Where is Katy?” he asked. Tom, trembling with _____, seemed to have had no thought. He said, “Katy is in the house!” “In what room?” asked Fred. “In that one,” said Tom, pointing to a window in the upper story.
It was no time for words, but for _____. The staircase was already on fire; there was but one way to reach Katy which was full of _____. The second floor might fall at any moment, and Fred knew it. But he _____ sought help and guidance.
A ladder was quickly brought, and placed against the _____. Fred climbed it, followed by the hired man, dashed in the window, and pushed his way into the room where he found Katy with some _____. The poor girl lay nearly suffocated（ 窒 息 ）with _____. Fred managed to carry her to the window as quickly as possible, and placed her upon the sill (窗台). She was immediately grasped, and _____ down the ladder, Fred following as fast as possible. They had scarcely reached the ground before a crash of falling timbers told them that they had barely escaped with their lives.
Fred showed us true _____ is in harmony with gentleness, kindness, and selflessness.
1.A.beautiful B.kind C.strict D.sick
2.A.textbook B.dishcloth C.toothbrush D.newspaper
3.A.reported B.followed C.controlled D.criticized
4.A.whistle B.secret C.cry D.fire
5.A.wakened B.saved C.disturbed D.challenged
6.A.dressed B.seated C.absented D.enjoyed
7.A.apologize B.explain C.know D.go
8.A.persuade B.trust C.remind D.respect
9.A.boring B.childish C.useless D.silly
10.A.hesitated B.struggled C.hurried D.prepared
11.A.burned B.spread C.moved D.disappeared
12.A.terror B.anger C.relief D.anxiety
13.A.confusion B.thanks C.regret D.action
14.A.turns B.danger C.plants D.furniture
15.A.suddenly B.excitedly C.slowly D.calmly
16.A.staircase B.window C.wall D.door
17.A.difficulty B.uncertainty C.curiosity D.patience
18.A.water B.illness C.smoke D.poison
19.A.rolled B.carried C.pushed D.sent
20.A.friendliness B.nobleness C.manliness D.effectiveness
阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写一个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。
The 24 solar terms originate from the Yellow River basin. In the Spring and Autumn Period, the four solar terms of midspring, midsummer, midautumn and midwinter were identified. The 24 solar terms were 1. (full) established during the Qin and Han Dynasties, and they 2. (record) in the book of Huainan Zi. In 104 BC, the Taichu Calendar 3. Deng Ping and other people, formally recorded the 24 solar terms and made clear the astronomical position of the 24 solar terms.
阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写一个适当的单词， 在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。
My dearest parents,
It 1. (be) quite a long time since the last time we really talked. I know you are very busy trying 2. (earn) a living, but all I hope is to have more of your company. There is a lot going on in high school. The academic pressure is huge because my courses are difficult to understand. So, I wish you could encourage me to do better 3. I fail tests. And I wish to see your brightest smiles and applause for me if I finally win.
Best,
Mary
阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写一．个．适当的单词， 在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。
One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class walking home from school， 1. (carry) all of his books. A bunch of kids were running toward him, knocking all his books out of his arms and making him land in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up and I saw this terrible 2. (sad) in his eyes. So, I ran over to him and 3. (hand) him his glasses. He looked at me and said, “Hey thanks!” There was a big smile on his face, 4. was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.
