A woman from America has managed to train her beloved dog Stella how to talk. Sadly, the dog can't speak, but it can communicate basic commands by pressing buttons of a soundboard( 发生板). Stella's owner Christina started using the technology when the dog was just eight weeks old. Now Stella is 18 months old and can say 29 words.

“The way she uses words to communicate and the words she's combining are really similar to a 2-year-old child. Unsurprisingly, the dog's favorite word is"walk' fallowed closely by ‘beach’”, Christina said.

Stella's progress was updated online. “Today when she heard some noises outside and wanted to investigate, I told her we were staying inside,” said Christina. “Stella responded by saying, ‘Look’ 9 times in a row, and then ‘Come outside’. She was clearly in a more frantic （发狂似的）state, and her language use matched that. And I'm impressed that Stella is communicating with language during her more heightened state, not just when she’s calm and in a quiet space. This shows that words are becoming more automatic for her to use.

Stella surprised Christina when Stella was standing by the door and whimpering（呜咽）one day. After a bit of pacing back and forth，the dog went over to the soundboard and said “Want”, “Jake” and “Come”, saying that she wanted Christina’ s husband Jake to come home. In about 15 minutes, Jake walked through the door and Stella said the word “Happy”. Christina hopes to expand Stella’ s vocabulary in the future to see just how many phrases the dog can master.

1.What do we know about the soundboard?

A.It includes 29 buttons. B.It is Stella’ s favorite toy.

C.It is invented by Christina. D.it is used to help Stella talk.

2.Which of the following is probably Stella’ s favorite activity?

A.Taking a walk. B.Going to the beach.

C.Talking with kids. D.Looking after babies.

3.What can we learn from Paragraph 3?

A.Stella disliked staying at home.

B.Stella and Christina had a quarrel

C.Stella' s language skills were improved.

D.Stella made noises to draw people’s attention.

4.Why was Stella in a bad mood according to the last paragraph?

A.Her soundboard was broken. B.She was punished by Christina.

C.Her owner didn’t play with her. D.She failed to see Jake that day.

    There are many good places for a family to have fun together. Here are some of them.

Robert Skatepark

Phone: (904)209-0385

With 28.000 square feet of ground, the Robert Skatepark has plenty of room for skateboarders of all ages and abilities. We have pipes, rails, ledges, banks and a 9-and-half-foot pool to challenge even the most experienced skaters. Rules are posted. There are also picnic tables and benches.

MoGirts Creek Park

Phone:(904)630-4100

Located in Jacksonville's Westside, it offers after-school and summer camp activities for youths aged 6 through 12. The facility (设施) also has a computer lab and community space. The park also offers basketball courts, playground, picnic areas, trails, three youth baseball fields and two soccer fields. A highlight of the park is the "Field of Dreams"-Miracle League field, where children with special needs are able to experience playing in their own baseball league.

South Beach Park

Phone: (904)247-6236

This is a really fun park with lots of playground equipment for children of all ages. The park has gone through a recent renovation(修复) and now has bathrooms, jogging trails, basketball courts, tennis courts and picnic shelters. Try our Automatic Player Matching Service. At $ 6. 99 per month, and we will match you with other tennis partners automatically.

Metropolitan Park

Phone:(904)630-0837

It is located along the beautiful St. Johns River in Downtown Jacksonville. Since its opening in 1984, this once empty 27-acre facility offers something for everyone. Whether you prefer relaxing in the cool river breezes or listening to big-name entertainment at one of the many outdoor concerts, you'll have fun here. Metropolitan Park is also a perfect place for corporate events and family picnics.

1.Which number should a skateboarder dial?

A.(904)209-0385 B.(904)630-4100

C.(904)247-6236 D.(904)630-0837

2.Which park offers the service of matching players with partners?

A.Robert Skatepark. B.McGirts Creek Park.

C.South Beach Park D.Metropolitan Park.

3.What do the four parks have in common?

A.They are open to children of all ages

B.They all have places for picnics.

C.They all have experienced coach for children

D.They all have facility for children with special needs

阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。续写的词数应为150左右。

David Aguilar is a boy born without his right arm. Because of that, Aguilar has always stood out from the persons at the same age. As a child, he was very nervous to be in front of other guys, because he thought that he was different. While growing up, Aguilar had to learn how to do everything with just one hand. Although he was able to do almost everything people with two hands can do, Aguilar explained that he still thought about getting a prosthetic hand (假肢) throughout his childhood just so that he could look a little bit more normal and fit in with everyone else.

When Aguilar told his parents that those arms were cool because they were mechanical (机械的) and could make you look like a robot, his parents began thinking about buying a prosthetic arm for Aguilar. However, when Aguilar' s parents started looking into getting their son a prosthetic hand, they discovered how expensive it was. And they couldn't afford to buy one for their son.

Yet when Aguilar was playing with his Lego (乐高) at the age of nine years old, he started experimenting with building his own prosthetic arm. He didn't know it at the time, but his favorite toy was about to change the way he viewed himself as well as change the course of his life. At first, he just wanted to create something that could help him and be part of him. As he linked the blocks together around his arm, he just started making this prosthetic from Lego. When Aguilar looked at himself in the mirror for the first time with his Lego prosthetic, he was amazed by what he saw.

However, the arm wasn't the most strong and would often bend and break if he tried to do any heavy lifting with it. So almost ten years later, Aguilar set out to build himself a new prosthetic arm and he hoped to help more people who didn't have enough money to buy prosthetic hands. One day, one of his dad's friends gave him a Lego plane as a gift, but all he saw was an arm.

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假定你是李华，最近你校将举办以“榜样的力量”为主题的英语演讲比赛。请根据提示写一篇演讲稿。内容包括：

1. 活动的目的；

2. 榜样的故事；

3. 个人看法。

注意：1. 词数80左右；

2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯：

3. 开头和结尾已给出，不计人总词数。

Good morning. everyone!

I'm Li Hua from Class 1，Senior 3. It's my great honor to stand here to deliver my speech today.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

That's all Thanks for your listening.

    We've been traveling for a couple of months now and one thing we were most excited about was doing laundry.

Our_________in Corfu, Greece, was absolutely adorable-Angela is a professor of Ancient Greek. She met us by her place and _________ showed us around the apartment we'd_________ on Airbnb for a few days.

We hadn't stayed in a place with a(n) _________for weeks, so we all had an unpleasant smell around us and were in urgent _______of washing clothes. But when Angela got to the washing machine, she ___________ before replying. "I'm so sorry, "she said, "The washing machine is broken and nobody could come to _________it." I was a little angry when I heard this, she must have seen my face _________. "But if you need any _______ done, you can just give it to me and I will clean it and ________ it all for you in my home, "she told us.

We were__________ and thankful. As an Airbnb host, she went above and beyond. A day later, she __________ with freshly pressed clothes and we couldn't have been more__________. So when we left in the early hours of the morning, I ________ her a note and €50. She made our day, so we wanted to make hers ____________

1.A.friend B.cousin C.companion D.host

2.A.unwillingly B.suddenly C.kindly D.frequently

3.A.rented B.bought C.recommended D.decorated

4.A.refrigerator B.washing machine C.sewing machine D.air conditioner

5.A.queue B.process C.need D.honour

6.A.continued B.hesitated C.persuaded D.confused

7.A.conduct B.fix C.correct D.find

8.A.cure B.complain C.cheer D.fall

9.A.poster B.note C.laundry D.shopping

10.A.iron B.dry C.change D.ignore

11.A.alarmed B.inspired C.puzzled D.relieved

12.A.witnessed B.returned C.apologized D.prepared

13.A.thrilled B.fragile C.disappointed D.curious

14.A.took B.lent C.showed D.left

15.A.in vain B.in return C.in advance D.in turn

The Health Benefits of Gardening

Gardening is popular in many parts of the world. This outdoor activity gives us beautiful plants, pleasant smelling flowers and fresh fruits and vegetables. But it also gives us many health benefits.

1.

Gardening connects people. When you are gardening, you are outdoors. So it is a perfect time to socialize with your neighbors. Gardening can greatly widen a person’s community. Some people may not have the resources to have their own gardens. So, many cities and towns have community gardens. You can either volunteer or just visit to learn more.

2.

Gardening is a great activity to do with children, It gets families outdoors and off computers, televisions and other electronics. Gardening can be a great teacher. Children can learn about nature and wildlife. Gardening can teach a child about where food comes from and healthy eating.

Getting Vitamin D

When you are in your garden, you might feel the sunshine on your skin. This means you are getting Vitamin D. Vitamin D helps your bodies use calcium (钙). 3.. Vitamin D also helps you fight diseases.

Doing more exercise

Also, when you garden, you must move around, All the different movements needed for gardening—bending, twisting, stretching and lifting-work small muscles in the body.4..

Reducing stress

5.. A study by the Netherlands found that gardening may reduce the stress hormone cortisol (激素皮质醇) in the brain. Scientists say that high levels of cortisol in the body interfere (干扰) with learning and memory. It can also increase a person’s weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

A.Reducing loneliness

B.Getting along with children

C.That is necessary to keep bones strong

D.Gardening may help you stay energetic

E.Gardening may also help you to feel calm and happy

F.What you grow in a garden usually looks, smells, feels and tastes really good

G.And you can easily get a good workout when you are digging holes or pulling weeds

    A new paper published in Environmental Research Letters has some warning news for people living in the lower 48 states: You may be at risk from river flooding and not even know it until the water starts to rise.

In fact, the study, estimates of present and future flood risk in the United States, found that 41 million U. S. residents are at risk from flooding along rivers. That’s three times more than current estimates based on the flood maps produced by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) , which primarily maps the areas at risk for 1-in-100-year floods in populous (人口众多的) river basins.

Why does the big difference come into being? As always, it’s all about the data. Generally, FEMA prioritizes risk-assessment areas based on their population; reserving expensive field-work methodologies (研究方法) for the more populous river basins, but many other rivers have not yet been mapped at all.

The size of the USA means that flood maps made in this way are incomplete. It would be too expensive and time-consuming to survey every river basin in America. The national-scale flood maps produced by FEMA leave the flood risk of many parts of the country unaccounted for.

For this research, scientists from The Nature Conservancy adopted a pioneering methodology that avoids the defects of the FEMA approach, where individual catchments (流域) are studied by making use of big data. The study used a new high-resolution model, produced by the flood-mapping organization Fathom, which copies floods on all rivers across the entire continental United States.

“We were all surprised by how many people are actually exposed to freshwater flooding in the USA,” said Oliver Wing, lead researcher on the study and a PhD student at the University of Bristol. “It’s particularly worrisome considering that most of these people aren’t even aware of the risk they face. This study helps fill that critical information gap.”

1.What did the new paper intend to tell readers?

A.The mistakes made by FEMA.

B.The serious situation of the flood.

C.The populous river basins of the USA.

D.The unseen risk of the flood in the USA.

2.Why is the map produced by FEMA incomplete?

A.It’s dangerous to research all the rivers.

B.The size of the USA is too big.

C.It ignores less populous rivers.

D.The efficiency of making it is low.

3.What does the underlined word “defects” in paragraph 5 mean?

A.Shortcomings. B.Potential.

C.Consumption. D.Contributions.

4.What attitude does Oliver Wing have to the study?

A.Critical. B.Supportive.

C.Cautious. D.Uncaring.

    You may not pay much attention to your daily elevator ride. Many of us use a lift several times during a day without really thinking about it. But Lee Gray, PhD, of the University of North Carolina, US, has made it his business to examine this overlooked form of public transport. He is known as the “Elevator Guy”.

“The lift becomes an interesting social space where etiquette (礼仪) is sort of strange,” Gray told the BBC. “They are socially very interesting but often very awkward places.”

We walk in and usually turn around to face the door. If someone else comes in, we may have to move. And here, according to Gray, lift-users unthinkingly go through a set pattern of movements. He told the BBC what he had observed.

He explained that when you are the only one inside a lift, you can do whatever you want — it’s your own little box. If there are two of you, you go into different corners, standing diagonally (对角线地) across from each other to create distance.

Newcomers to the lift will need to size up the situation when the doors slide open and then act quickly. Once in, for most people the rule is simple — look down, or look at your phone.

Why are we so awkward in lifts? “You don’t have enough space,” Professor Babette Renneberg, a clinical psychologist at the Free University of Berlin, told the BBC. “Usually when we meet other people, we have about an arm’s length of distance between us. And that’s not possible in most elevators.”

In such a small, enclosed space it becomes very important to act in a way that cannot be considered to be threatening or strange, “The easiest way do this is avoid eye contact,” she said.

1.What is people’s response to the lift etiquette according to Gray?

A.Thinking much of it. B.Avoiding it on purpose.

C.Researching it continuously. D.Ignoring it unconsciously.

2.What does Gray think of riding a lift?

A.It’s funny and quick. B.It’s strange and dangerous.

C.It’s interesting but awkward. D.It’s convenient but boring.

3.What may most people do if they stay in the lift?

A.Talk loudly to each other. B.Keep still and silence.

C.Use mobile phones. D.Keep a close distance.

4.What’s the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A.To show how to ride each elevators.

B.To introduce some rules of elevator etiquette.

C.To show how to break awkwardness of riding lifts，

D.To analyze the reasons for keeping elevator etiquette.

    I enjoy life because I am endlessly interested in people and their growth. My interest leads me to widen my knowledge of people, and this in turn makes me believe in the common goodness of mankind. I believe that the normal human heart is good since their birth. That is, it’s born sensitive and feeling eager to be approved and to approve, hungry for simple happiness and the chance to live.

Like Confucius, I am absorbed in the wonder of the earth, and the life on it. With a great faith in the human heart and its power to grow toward the light, I find here are reasons enough for hope and confidence in the future of mankind. The common sense of people will surely prove that mutual (相互的) support and cooperation are only sensible for the security and happiness of all. Such faith keeps me continually ready to do what one person can toward shaping the environment in which the human being can grow with freedom. This environment, I believe, is based upon the necessity for security and friendship.

I take heart in a promising fact that the future world will contain food supplies enough for the entire earth population. Our knowledge of medical science will be sufficient to improve the health of the whole human race. Our resources and education, if administered on a world scale, will lift the intelligence of the race.

Half a century ago, few people thought of world food, health and education. Many are thinking today of these things. Now I find my only questions about this: Are there enough people now who believe? Is there enough time left for the wise to act? It is a contest between ignorance and death, or wisdom and life. My faith in humanity stands firm.

1.What results in the author’s belief in people’s goodness?

A.His understanding of people. B.His desire for happiness.

C.His sensitive attitude to life. D.His kindness to people.

2.What should people do to build a secure and happy world?

A.Get ready to develop more friendship. B.Compete with others in everything.

C.Defeat others to get enough freedom. D.Help and cooperate with each other.

3.What does the author want to express in paragraph 3?

A.His demand for the present life. B.His expectation of the future world.

C.His belief in better environment. D.His hope of human relationships.

4.What may be the best title of the text?

A.Human Nature Is Good B.Believe in Ourselves

C.Live a Happy Life D.Help People in Need

The Best Family Reunion Spot in Every State

The location for your family reunion could make the event. Choose one of these unique and comfortable spots in every state.

Alabama—Doublehead Resort, Town Creek

You can’t beat the waterfront cottages available at Doublehead Resort. Each has a washer and a full kitchen. A cottage can sleep ten people, making this resort the perfect relaxing location for your family reunion. This could be the setting for another funny family vacation story.

Arkansas—Whitney Mountain Lodge, Garfield

This Northwest Arkansas hotel has a breathtaking view of Beaver Lake. Located between the Rockies and the Appalachians, this peaceful site is the perfect place to escape with your family. They have three private dining rooms, all available for rent for your events. Arkansas might not be the first family reunion destination that comes to mind, but it has one of the coolest hidden sightseeing.

California—The Alisal Guest Ranch and Resort, Solvang

If budget isn’t an issue, book a family reunion at the Alisal Guest Ranch Resort in the Santa Ynez Valley. This 10,000-acre cattle ranch (牧场) is the ideal reunion spot for horse-back-riding families, and there’s also a spa for the family members who would prefer to relax.

Delaware—Cape Henlopen State Park, Lewes

Enjoy a beachside reunion at one of Delaware’s most scenic state parks. The pavilion (大帐篷) is available for rent, so make your base camp at the group site as you have fun at the two beaches and 18-hole golf course. You can also climb up to a former military bunker (碉堡) for a brief history lesson.

1.What is Doublehead Resort special about?

A.The weather. B.The sightseeing.

C.Its stories. D.Its cottages.

2.Which spot offers history education?

A.Doublehead Resort. B.Whitney Mountain Lodge.

C.Cape Henlopen State Park. D.The Alisal Guest Ranch and Resort.

3.In which section of a magazine can you read the text?

A.Daily life. B.Travel guide.

C.Entertainment. D.Environment.