Students in the US don’t begin their spring break at the same time. It depends on where they live. While students from one town are on vacation, their neighbors in the next town may have classes as usual.
You may have heard of it from many hit US TV shows and movies. It’s usually in the middle of March, when characters on shows like Gossip Girl get a week off from classes, go to the beach and throw big parties. It’s spring break – or, “party time!”
Unlike our semester, which starts in late February or early March this year, American schools begin as early as January. So in late March and April, most American schools, ranging from kindergartens to colleges, give students one to two weeks off school.
College students often take planes to places like Florida or Cancun, Mexico. They relax on the beach, enjoy cold drinks and get a tan.
Younger kids take trips with their parents, visiting a new state or even a new country. Sometimes teachers lead overseas trips for groups of students. On a ten-day trip, for example, students may go on a tour through Spain, France, and Italy, which gives them a great chance to see different parts of the world.
Having a “staycation”, which means being a tourist in your own city, is another popular trend (趋势). You can visit local art galleries (美术馆), museums or have a big meal in a nice restaurant.
For those who are not in the mood to go out, spring break is a good time to catch up with hit TV series or play video games.
There are also students who want a different kind of spring break experience. Instead of partying, they choose to do community service, help with disaster-hit areas and do other volunteering work.
No matter how they’ve spent the break, one thing is for sure – students return to school feeling refreshed (恢复活力的) and ready to finish the school year.
1.Students in the US begin their spring break at a different time, don’t they?
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2.How long does the spring break usually last?
.
3. Where do college students often go during the spring break?
.
4.According to the passage, how can students spend the spring break differently?
By .
5.What’s the advantage of having a spring break?
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6. If you are given the spring break, how will you spend it? Why?
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Read the passage and fill in the blanks with proper words (在短文的空格内填入适当的词,使内容通顺, 每空格限填一词，首字母已给) (14分)
More play and less work makes for more talented(有才能的) children. Some officials suggested that school hours for children aged 7 to 12 should be reduced, and that they should be e 1. to spend at least an hour a day on team sports.
All work and no play makes children depressed. Becky, an 8-year-old girl, used to be happy when she finished classes every day, but now, life has become unhappy. To make sure she has enough time for the lessons, she has to study until 11 at night to finish her homework.
Some ideas are offered for helping cultivate(培养) kids’ talents. The ideas i 2. cutting down classroom hours, introducing more team sports for children, getting parents to stop putting too much pressure on children and some other suggestions. It is believed that all these can help train young people to be confident.
“I used to go to the park with my parents on weekends before because I like playing tennis with my dad and I can play well,” a boy said, “But now, I h 3. have time to do that any more.”
“I would like to try other things, such as drawing,” Nara said. She was interested in drawing, but her parents thought it was not a bright way for her.
Children now spend more time doing homework than playing, and we all know it’s quite n 4. for them to have plenty of sleep. A lot of homework and heavy school bags are driving more young children away from a joyful childhood.
Parents believe that b 5. well in school is a sure way to make their children have a bright future. The study showed that about 80 percent of parents said they expected their children to get a university degree or some form of higher education. About 15 percent of students in primary school and 40 percent in middle school said they thought their parents were not s 6. with their marks.
“Parents must always be willing to talk to their children and make them happy,” an educator advised, “Encourage him or her to be confident when he or she faces d 7. . Parents should know what their children like and what they want.”
Perhaps the only test score that I remember is the 55 I got when I was in high school.
The test was the final for a course. I remember waiting anxiously as my teacher Mr. Right handed out our papers one after another. It was a rather test. I heard my classmates groaning (叹息), and I could tell by the groans that the scores weren’t looking good.
Mr. Right put my paper on my desk. There in big red numbers, circled to draw attention , was my score, 55! I lowered my head, and covered the score up quickly. A 55 is not something that you wanted your classmates to see.“The scores were not very good, none of you 7 ,” Mr Right said. “The highest score in the class was a 55.”
A 55. That’s me! my sad look didn’t look so bad. I had the highest score. I felt a lot better.
I walked home alone that day with the low but high score. My mother knew that I had a big test that day and asked me as soon as I got home, “How did you do in your test?” “I got 55,” I said. A frown(皱眉) now stood on my mother’s face. I knew I had to immediately. “But Mum, I had the highest score in the class,” I proudly stated (陈述). I thought that explanation would make a difference. “You failed!!” my mother replied. “But it’s the highest!” I insisted. “I don’t care what scores others had, you failed. What matters is what you do!” my mother firmly (坚定地) said.
For years, my mother was in that way. It didn’t matter what others did, it only mattered what I did and that I did it excellently.
We often don’t understand the of good parents until we ourselves stand in the parents’ shoes. My mother’s words have carried me throughout life.
1.A. boring B. difficult C. strange D.interesting
2.A. failed B. missed C. passed D.won
3.A.Suddenly B.Finally C. Certainly D. Slowly
4.A. insist B. explain C. prove D. answer
5.A. always B. seldom C.still D. once
6.A. courage B.kindness C. trouble D. wisdom
On Lunar New Year’s Eve on Feb 18, 2015，Beijing had a good day. PM2.5 levels were below 50. However, the nice day ended with firework celebrations at night.
In the first hour after the start of the celebration, PM2.5 levels rose to 500 in certain parts of the city, with the average across the city around 400.
According to the China National Environmental Monitoring Center, on Lunar New Year’s Day, air pollution reached “dangerous levels” in 201 Chinese cities, because of fireworks, with more than 40 of them seeing “serious pollution”. As a result, the debate on whether to ban (禁止) fireworks during the Spring Festival is also heating up.
Sina surveyed 3,000 Internet users, and results show that only 38 percent of the people support setting off fireworks, and 60 percent are against it.
“I support a ban on fireworks,” a netizen (网民) nicknamed ann019 said. “Lighting fireworks can only bring problems： air pollution, disturbing sleep, causing fire and exhausting sanitation workers (环卫工人).”
Others thought it to be hard to ban traditions, and lighting fireworks during holiday seasons won’t cause lasting pollution.
Some, however, suggest a moderate (温和的) way to solve the problem.
“As a tradition, fireworks absolutely add to the festival’s happiness. They shouldn’t be banned totally,” commented netizen Tracy on the China Daily online forum (论坛). “But the time should be reduced. For example, it can be allowed just during New Year’s Eve, the first day of the Lunar New Year and the Lantern Festival.”
1. caused serious air pollution on Lunar New Year’s Eve.
A. The factories B. The cars
C. The fireworks D. The bad weather
2. cities saw serious air pollution on Lunar New Year’s Day.
A. 201 B. More than 40
C. Around 400 D. 500
3.According to Sina’s survey, over half of the Internet users setting off fireworks.
A. are against B. enjoy
C. support D. don’t care about
4. was not mentioned by the netizen nicknamed ann019.
A. Exhausting sanitation workers
B. Disturbing sleep
C. Wasting money
D. Causing fire
5.According to the passage, we know is a moderate way to solve the problem.
A. to ban fireworks totally
B. to reduce the time of setting off fireworks
C. to get more people to set off fireworks
D. to never change the tradition
6.What does the passage mainly talk about?
A. Air pollution.
B. A Survey on the Internet.
C. Moderate ways to reduce firework celebrations.
D. Whether to ban festive fireworks.
Rewrite the following sentences as required（根据所给要求，改写下列句子。62-67题,
每空格限填一词。68题注意句首大写) (共14分)
1.The young man dealt with the customer’s complaint well. (改为否定句)
The young man with the customer’s complaint well.
2.Jim and his two friends went cycling along the lake yesterday afternoon. (对划线部分提问)
Jim and his two friends do yesterday afternoon?
3.The government spent huge amounts of money on the protection of the ancient buildings. (改为被动语态)
Huge amounts of money on the protection of the ancient buildings.
4. It’s fun to have a barbecue on such a sunny day. (改为感叹句)
it is to have a barbecue on such a sunny day!
5.Martin seldom woke up during the night when he was young. (改为反意疑问句)
Martin seldom woke up during the night when he was young, ?
6.Linda said sorry to Sue. She took her digital camera home by mistake. (保持原句意思不变)
Linda to Sue for her digital camera home by mistake.
7. pollution, to, something, air, we, in, do, stop, Shanghai, should (连词成句)
____________________________________________________________.
Complete the sentences with the given words in their proper forms（用括号中所给单词 的适当形式完成下列句子） (共8分）
1.Tim’s uncle plans to have his birthday party next week. (thirty)
2.It is that such a hardworking student should pass the exam. (nature)
3. My cousin moved to a larger flat with three last Saturday. (balcony)
4. Carl did badly in the maths test, but Ben did even ________. (baD.
5.Tom’s mother is a waitress. She always speaks to her customers. (gentle)
6.We haven’t found the yet, but I’m sure we’re on the right track. (solve)
7.The computer people to communicate with each other more conveniently. (able)
8. Nobody likes to make friends with persons. (honest)
