Bexley Middle School eighth-graders won the grand prize at the 2009 National Engineers Week Future City Competition (TM) on Feb. 18 in Washington, D.C. They competed with 37 other schools across the country.
The students qualified for the national competition by winning a regional competition on Jan. 17 in Columbus. By winning the national event, the students earned an all-expenses paid trip to Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala., according to a Bexley school district news report.
Future City aims to stir (激发) interest in science, technology, engineering and math among young people. Bexley team members were Tom Krajnak, Abby Sharp, Wyatt Peery, Elizabeth Maher, Aaron Hutchinson and Truman Haycock. They work in teams under the guidance of a teacher, Margaret Englehardt, and a volunteer engineer, Mark Sherman, design and build a city of tomorrow. Mayor John Brennan presented the students during a recent Bexley City Council meeting. Each team in the Future City competition plans its city using Sim City software and creates a model to show a physical representation of one section of the city. Team members must write both an essay about the yearly theme and an abstract about their city. They also must make a presentation to judges.
Focusing on eco-responsibility, the Bexley team built “Novo-Mondum,” an Icelandic city in the year 2171. Krajnak said the team’s project included a new water system for each resident unit and a 500-word essay on using bacteria to purify water. “We used our essay and abstract (摘要) to build a model,” he said. “It was hard to organize which building would go where, what each building does and how to make it look good.”
Englehardt said her students did a good job answering impromptu (即席) questions during the regional competition. “They can think on their feet,” she said. Principal Harley Williams said the school is very proud of the students’ performance.
1... From the passage we can learn that the grand prize winners will _________.
A. receive scholarship for further studies
B. get a free trip to Space Camp in Huntsville
C. earn a large sum of money for their designs
D. be admitted to universities without exams
2..The goal of the Future City competition is to _________.
A. make the Sim City software popular
B. test the students’ knowledge of city planning
C. select future engineers from young students
D. make students become interested in engineering
3.. Each team must do the following EXCEPT _________.
A. write brief abstracts describing their city
B. present and defend their designs before judges
C. build a future city in Iceland by themselves
D. create model cities using the Sim City software
4.. According to Margaret Englehardt, the students _________.
A. always stand still in the competition
B. react very quickly to the questions
C. prepare for the questions in advance
D. take pride in the advisers’ performance
5.
What should you think about when trying to find your career? You are probably better at some school subjects than others. These may show strengths that you can use in your work. A boy who is good at mathematics can use that in an engineering career. A girl who spells well and likes English may be good at office work. So it is important to know the subjects you do well in at school. On the other hand, you may not have any specially strong subjects but your records show a general satisfactory standard. Although not all subjects can be used directly in a job, they may have indirect value. A knowledge of history is not required for most jobs but if history is one of your good subjects you will have learned to remember facts and details. This is an ability that can be useful in many jobs.
Your school may have taught you skills, such as typing or technical drawing, which you can use in your work. You may be good at metalwork or cookery and look for a job where you can improve these skills. If you have had a part-time job on Saturdays or in the summer, think what you gained from it. If nothing else, you may have learned how to get to work on time, to follow instructions and to get on with older workers. You may have learned to give correct change in a shop, for example. Just as important, you may become interested in a particular industry or career you see from the inside in a part-time job.
Facing your weak points is also part of knowing yourself. You may be all thumbs when you handle tools; perhaps you are a poor speller or cannot add up a column of figures. It is better to face any weakness than to pretend they do not exist. Your school record, for example, may not be too good, yet it is an important part of your background. You should not be apologetic (认错的) about it but instead recognize that you will have a chance of a fresh start at work.
1.. What is the passage mainly about?
A. The importance of working hard at school.
B. Choosing a career according to one’s strengths.
C. How to face one’s weakness.
D. The value of school work.
2.. The writer thinks that a student with a part-time job is probably _________.
A. a good way to find out his weak points
B. one of the best ways of earning extra money
C. of great use for his work in the future
D. a waste of time he could have spent on study
3.. From the passage we learn that if a student’s school performance is not good, he _________.
A. should pay more attention to learning skills and developing abilities
B. will be regretful about his bad results
C. may also do well in his future work
D. should restart his study in school
4.. The underlined phrase “be all thumbs” (in Para. 3) probably means “_________”.
A. be clumsy (笨拙) at doing things B. be skillful in doing things
C. be not interested in certain things D. be easily bored in doing things
5.. From the last paragraph we know one should _________.
A. make full use of one’s own weak points B. study harder for a new school record
C. apologize for one’s own school record D. face one’s own weak points bravely
One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided that the animal was old, and the well needed 31 (cover) up anyway; the donkey just wasn’t worth saving.
He invited all his neighbors to come over and help 32 . They all took a shovel (铲) and began to shovel some dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized 33 was happening and cried 34 (terrible). Then, to everyone’s amazement, he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He 35 (astonish) at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt 36 hit his back, the donkey was doing something 37 (amaze). He would shake it off and take a step up.
38 the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take one more step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over 39 edge of the well and happily ran off!
Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just 40 not giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.
阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出能填入相应空白处的最佳选项。
On August 26, 1999, New York City was struck by a terrible rainstorm. The rain caused the streets to 16 and the subway system almost came to a stop.
Unfortunately, this happened during the morning 17 hour. Many people who were going to work were 18 to go home. Some battled to 19 a taxi or to get on a bus. Still others 20 the storm bravely, walking miles to get to work.
I happened to be one of the people on the way to work that morning. I went from subway line to subway line only to find that most 21 had stopped. After making my way through crowds of people, I finally found a subway line that was 22 . Unfortunately, there were so many people waiting to 23 the subway that I could not even get down the stairs to the 24 . So I took the train going in the 25 direction, and then switched back to the downtown train. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the train 26 my stop. Then I had to walk several blocks in the increasingly heavy rain. When I finally got to my office, I was 27 through, exhausted and discouraged.
My co-workers and I spent most of the day drying off. When it was 5:00 pm，I was ready to go home. I was about to 28 off my computer when I received an email from Garth, my Director:
I would like to thank all of you who made the 29 and eventually reported to work. It is always reassuring (令人欣慰的), at times like these, when employees so clearly show their attention and devotion to their 30 . Thank you.
1..A. break B. flood C. sink D. crash
2..A. rush B. work C. business D. office
3.. A. forced B. refused C. invited D. gathered
4..A. order B. pay C. call D. search
5..A. showed B. fought C. broke D. faced
6..A. practice B. routine C. process D. service
7..A. operating B. acting C. turning D. rushing
8..A. check B. get C. board D. find
9..A. street B. ground C. floor D. platform
10..A. different B. opposite C. changed D. right
11.. A. paused B. crossed C. reached D. parked
12.. A. wet B. hungry C. angry D. cold
13.. A. pay B. get C. turn D. put
14..A. rule B. effort C. promise D. model
15... A. computers B. lives C. actions D. jobs
前几天,你在大街上恰巧看到一个十几岁的女学生坐在街边乞讨10元钱去上网.
根据以上故事和以下的提示写一篇英语作文.
1.乞讨上网可能是为了联系家人,朋友等,也可能是沉迷(be addicted to)网络不能自拔.
2.网络为我们提供了大量的信息.
3.青少年应该要有自控能力;
4.要合理利用网络,多做有益的事情.
写作要求: 只能使用5个句子表达全部内容,篇章结构连贯. www..com
I was having dinner at a restaurant when Tony Steele came in. Tony worked in a ___1.__ years ago, but he is now working at a bank. He gets a __2._, but he always __3.__from his friends and never pays it back. Tony saw me and came and sat ___4._. He has never borrowed money from me. While he was eating, I asked him to lend me twenty pounds. ___5.___, he gave me the money immediately. “I have never borrowed any money from you,” Tony said, “so now you can pay for my dinner!”
