Every winter people talk about the inconveniences (不便) that snow brings and no one really takes time to fully enjoy it. On the night of the first snow this season I went outside and just stood in it, happily looking up at the dancing snow that greeted me with kisses as they landed on my face.
While people complain about snow, the old saying is completely right in this case: you never know what you have until it's gone. Do you remember the winter two years ago when it hardly snowed and wildfires and drought (干旱) ran across the state the next summers? People should love snow instead of hating it, since if it snows more we'll have more water. Now the drought in California, which has troubled the state since 2011, has been less terrible, because of increased levels of rain and snow throughout the state. Without enough snow, the soil for crops isn't ready for spring, and food prices rise. Without snow, it doesn't feel like the holidays.
I understand why people hate snow. It's cold, it freezes everything and it's hard to drive in. However, there is something beyond these inconveniences. Last winter, half the towns cars were stuck in the snow. The other half were helping. Everyone who wasn't stuck got a tool and stopped to help everyone in need. People at school whom I had never talked to helped me dig out my car. Because of the snow, everyone came together and was filled with holiday spirit.
Here in Utah we should be especially obliged for the snow. Utah is famous for its skiing sports and with the snow come tourists and outdoor fun for ourselves. Even if you can't afford expensive activities such as skiing or snowboarding, there are still snowmen to be built and ice houses to be set up.
Remember: we can't control the weather but we can control our attitudes.
1.How did the author feel on the night of the first snow that season?
A.Worried. B.Surprised. C.Bored. D.Excited
2.What does the author want to show by mentioning California?
A.People there prefer winter to summer. B.The weather there changes frequently.
C.There is more snow in California. D.Snow helps California a lot.
3.What's Paragraph 3 mainly about?
A.The good things coming with snow. B.The inconveniences caused by snow.
C.The reason why some people hate snow. D.The funny activities connected with snow.
4.What does the underlined word "obliged" in Paragraph 4 mean?
A.Prepared. B.Grateful. C.Concerned. D.Careful.
It's late at night, the weather is bad, and you're hungry. Your favourite restaurant is less than a mile away, but you don't want to pay a $5 delivery (递送) fee. So, what do you do? Back in the old days, you would have braved the weather. But those days are coming to an end, at least in Washington.
A group of about 20 knee-high robots recently has come out on the sidewalks (人行道) of the nation's capital. Their tasks are to bring take-out food from restaurants to hungry customers at home while keeping the delivery cost to around a dollar.
The robots are European, created in Estonia by a company called Starship Technologies. Each of them is a middle-sized cooler on six wheels, and drives at an average (平均的) speed of about 4 miles per hour, about the speed of a walker. It has lights and a tall, bright orange flag so that it can be noticed by people on the sidewalk.
Here in Washington, Starship has teamed up with Postmates, the online delivery service, and the robots already are completing deliveries around the city. They move almost silently. They are electric, so there isn't much sound, except for their wheels. Their cameras recognize a lot-including traffic lights and stop signs.
The robots have only been in Washington for about a month, and they're still causing quite a stir (轰动), often getting stopped for photos. A young mother Maria Garcia is on the sidewalk, pointing out the robot to her daughter. "It's super cool," she says, "But the only thing that makes me worry about-is it going to put people out of jobs?
The company does not see robots as a replacement (代替), says Russell Cook, the director of Postmates. "We have people that drive cars, walk, and bike, and we see robots as another type of vehicle that helps us to offer deliveries," he says.
1.What does the underlined word "It" refer to?
A.The walker. B.The robot. C.The company. D.The car.
2.What do we know about the robots mentioned in the passage?
A.They were developed by a US company. B.They are able to travel at a high speed.
C.They create little noise while working. D.They can communicate with walkers.
3.What is the mother's worry about the robots?
A.They may not be as safe as expected. B.They may cause a stir on the sidewalk.
C.They may be destroyed by some people. D.They may take the place of deliverymen.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A.A leading online delivery company. B.Delivery robots in Washington, D. C..
C.The recent development of Postmates. D.People's growing worry about robots.
My name is Charlotte Dujardin. I'm an Olympic dressage champion (花式骑术冠军). What is my life like? You may wonder.
I'm one of those people who need their sleep. If I don't get enough, I can be pretty sleepy. I start riding by 7:30 am and I'm usually so tired from a day's training that my head is on the pillow by 9:30 pm. I'm like an old person. I've always been a deep sleeper; not even the thought of an Olympic final keeps me awake.
I work with a personal trainer who makes sure I follow a strict diet. The things I eat must provide enough energy for my daily training. For breakfast I have eggs and bread, a chicken wrap and salad for lunch, a healthy meal of meat and lots of vegetables for dinner, plus two snacks of nuts and fruit. On days off, like normal girls, I love ice-cream.
I often work seven days a week, riding from 7:30 am till 5 pm, then training at the gym. I also teach at the weekend but the days don't feel long because I love my job very much. I have a proper holiday once a year when I don't see a horse for 10 days: I need time to rest and relax.
My family is very supportive of what I do and always come to competitions. I miss my parents and other family members but balancing (平衡) my work with the relationship with them can be difficult as I'm away a lot.
1.What does the author most probably mean by saying "I'm like an old person" in Paragraph 2?
A.She looks very old. B.She wakes up very easily.
C.She needs to go to bed early. D.She gets tired easily in the daytime.
2.What does Paragraph 3 say about the author?
A.She always eats too much. B.Her trainer prepares food for her.
C.She is never allowed to eat sweet food. D.Eating the right food is important to her.
3.Charlotte have a holiday ______.
A.Once a month. B.Once a year. C.Twice a month. D.Twice a year.
4.What problem does the author face in her life?
A.She doesn't get help from her family.
B.She doesn't have enough time to relax.
C.She can't spend much time with her family.
D.She fails to win a medal in the Olympic Games.
Because I'm a writer and book lover, others would naturally think that I started to like literature (文学) from an early age. Actually, I once saw reading as a frightening thing that would always be difficult. Then I discovered books that caught my imagination-stories like The Little House Series and A Little Princess. Can you imagine how a reluctant (不情愿的) reader became a book lover and later an author?
This row of books that changed my life now decorates my desk. These stories are so dear that they feel like part of me.
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett—I began to think that if I looked carefully enough, I would find a secret garden in my backyard and bring it back to life.
A Friend in the Storm by Cheryl Ricker—This book of poetry got me through some of life's most difficult times.
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl—This is the book that made me want to be a writer someday.
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo—Inspired (鼓舞) by it, I wrote a three- part blog post for books, started giving it to kids as gifts, and still listed it as one of my favorite stories.
Every book in the row inspired, comforted, or challenged me. I know today that, while many are well-known titles and a few were written by not-so-famous authors, they all remind me that we can never know what we will do with our talents. What can we do? Just follow our hearts.
1.Which book helped the author get through hard times?
A.The Secret Garden B.A Friend in the Storm
C.Les Miserables D.Anna Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
2.The book Anna Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl made the author want to be a ______ in the future.
A.writer B.teacher C.farmer D.doctor
3.What's the author's suggestion for us?
A.Showing our talents earlier. B.Following our hearts.
C.Reading books with famous titles. D.Never caring what others think of us.
There were several special people in my life. One was my Oma. "Oma" is German for grandmother. In my memory, she was strong, kind and tall.
In 2003, when we were on the beach in Florida she said she felt ______, so she went back home and saw her _____. After some tests he told her that she had leukemic (白血病).
Oma was told she had several days to ______. With courage, she ______ to fight the disease until the very end. She never complained, no matter how much ______ she was suffering (遭受).
When it was clear that the doctors could not cure (治愈) her, they ______ her home. During the last few months of her life I was able to spend a lot of ______ with her. She would even ______ me with my homework. Oma had been a teacher for many years. And she always ______ me to be a good student.
Oma survived (活下来) the long winter, and ______, when spring arrived, she was happy to see it and enjoyed a few days outside in her wheelchair in the warm sunshine. This was one of our last ______ together.
Oma said to my mom one beautiful day that she felt she could not ______ much longer. My mom ______ that the time was near, and she took Oma to the hospital. A few days later, Oma passed away.
Oma's taught me a lot. She was the ______ person I have ever known. ______ I have difficulties, I think of Oma and everything she went through. The doctors just gave her several days to live, and she stretched (延伸) it to nine months. She is the person that I will always admire and remember.
1.A.calm B.lonely C.awake D.ill
2.A.student B.doctor C.worker D.professor
3.A.treat B.recover C.wait D.live
4.A.refused B.decided C.remembered D.pretended
5.A.pain B.risk C.pity D.worry
6.A.sent B.invited C.shouted D.left
7.A.trouble B.money C.time D.energy
8.A.save B.help C.tell D.educate
9.A.forced B.allowed C.encouraged D.begged
10.A.suddenly B.finally C.gradually D.immediately
11.A.moments B.choices C.events D.challenges
12.A.go by B.go back C.go up D.go on
13.A.imagined B.realized C.regretted D.reminded
14.A.luckiest B.cleverest C.strongest D.gentlest
15.A.Whenever B.Wherever C.Whatever D.However
— Are you camping with us next weekend?
— ______! What should I prepare for it?
A.No, thanks B.No way C.You bet D.I'm glad to hear that
