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.
Books to Read in Your 20s
The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini
As a Middle Eastern and North African Studies student, I have a great interest in books about what takes place in this area. I first read this book in high school and really enjoyed it because of its accurate language. If any of you is interested in reading this book and hasn’t yet, I highly recommend (推荐) it.
Firefly Lane
By Kristin Hannah
This is my favorite book. It is a story about friendship, love and life lessons. The story covers the lives of two best friends, Tully and Kate, from childhood to adulthood. I learned so much about friendship and life. So, read Firefly Lane! You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and then you’ll share this book to your best friend.
Half the Sky
By Nicholas Kristof
For any person of any age, Half the Sky is a must-read. It describes the struggle of women and the most pressing human rights problems of our time: the common oppression of women and girls.
The Little Prince
By Antoine de Saint
This children’s book is simple. It might seem like a wrong book to recommend to someone in their twenties but perhaps that’s what makes it a good choice. It sings praises to exploration and shows the importance of making friends.
1.Who is the writer of the book The Kite Runner?
A.Khaled Hosseini. B.Kristin Hannah.
C.Nicholas Kristof. D.Antoine de Saint.
2.What can you learn from Firefly Lane?
A.It’s written by Tully and Kate. B.It’s about friendship, love and life lessons.
C.It’s a simple book for children. D.It’s a book written for any person of any age.
3.Which book will you read if you want to know about human rights problems?
A.The Kite Runner. B.Firefly Lane.
C.Half the Sky. D.The Little Prince.
假定你是李华，你的美国笔友 Richard 准备来你们市参加龙舟赛(the dragon boat race )。他写信给你，希望你帮他预订好旅馆，并带他游览市内著名景点。请你给他写封回信，内容包括:
1.回复他的要求；
2.询问具体信息(到达时间、呆多久等)。
注意:1.词数 100 左右；
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.开头己给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Richard,
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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。
Lucy was used to live in my community. Her father went abroad and didn’t support her financial. My mother saw the situation and decided to help her out. She bought us a same lunch bags. When we left off school every morning, whichever was in my lunch bag was in hers. Then one day, her father returned to pick her up live with him abroad. Years late, we saw a stranger stood at our gate and looking in. It was Lucy, who came back to show appreciations to my mother for what she has done for her.
The other day, my husband and I took the kids for dinner at a branch of Pizza Express. There was a very friendly lady ____alone at the next table. When the time came for her to pay the ___, her bank card was declined. The waitress told her, in a very kind way, that there was a ____but that she would call her manager for help. Seeing this, my husband ___got up and told the waiting staff that we would pay for the lady's meal.____, when the manager arrived, he explained to the lady that although she couldn't use her ___, there was no need to ___. Pizza Express authorizes (授权) the restaurant to____two free meals per month and on this ____, they would like to provide her with a free meal.
She was extremely grateful and apologetic that she had been ____to pay. We were relieved that the lady had been ____with dignity instead of being placed in a ___position.
Then, the manager_____our table. He said that ___we had shown such generosity, he would like to donate the second free meal that the restaurant was able to ____to us! we were absolutely ___! I had never heard of any chain restaurant behaving in such a(n) ___way. We were quite____with gratitude. I made sure that the lady was able to get home OK, and then we ____the staff and left ourselves. I was really impressed by how the restaurant had treated this ____case.
1.A.waiting B.working C.ordering D.dining
2.A.menu B.bill C.service D.recipe
3.A.disadvantage B.solution C.problem D.technique
4.A.immediately B.bravely C.cautiously D.slowly
5.A.Actually B.Finally C.However D.Therefore
6.A.cash B.card C.phone D.check
7.A.worry B.help C.pay D.bother
8.A.let out B.pick up C.give away D.take on
9.A.condition B.demand C.moment D.occasion
10.A.unable B.likely C.ready D.unwilling
11.A.treated B.encouraged C.appreciated D.pleased
12.A.dangerous B.difficult C.painful D.pleasant
13.A.noticed B.remove C.approached D.cleaned
14.A.as B.after C.if D.when
15.A.share B.cover C.spare D.offer
16.A.annoyed B.confuse C.interested D.astonished
17.A.strange B.generous C.abnormal D.awkward
18.A.supplied B.equipped C.filled D.burdened
19.A.praised B.thanked C.greeted D.met
20.A.special B.regular C.unique D.complex
Many people often find themselves waking up in the middle of the night, unusually awake and excited.1.. That’s really frustrating. However, there is no need to worry. Here are some effective ways to help you fall asleep again.
Remain in bed. For you to fall asleep, your heart rate needs to slow down. When you get up, your heart rate goes up. So, avoid going to the bathroom during the night if you can. Do not eat too little or too much for dinner. Do not drink and fill your bladder（膀胱）before bed.2.. It may make you fall asleep faster, but it may also disrupt your sleep later in the night.
Stay in the dark. When you cannot sleep, LED lights on printers and cable boxes may be the reason. The same is true for light streaming in through cracks in curtains. 3.. You should cover lights with tape and wear a sleep mask. A popular choice has deep eye cups so your eyes can open and shut while you wear them.
Quiet your mind. Try ways to relax, such as deep breathing, meditation, and mindfulness exercises.4.. The point is to keep your brain busy with something that is not demanding and is relaxing.
5.. If your wake-up time is 6:30 a.m. and your clock reads 3:00 a.m., do not think Oh no! I have only three hours left! Instead, say to yourself, Oh great! I have three more hours to sleep!
You have a problem if you wake three times a week for more than three months. It may affect your quality of life. You need to find a sleep expert who can help identify the cause and fix it.
A.Think in a positive way.
B.Keep a calm attitude.
C.They may keep you awake.
D.Most importantly, avoid drinking in the evening.
E.You can do simple math problems in your head.
F.Getting up to do some mild exercise is also helpful.
G.Tossing and turning in bed, they are unable to fall asleep.
