As a young girl growing up in the 1930s, I always wanted to fly a plane, but back then it was almost unheard of for a woman to do that. I got a taste of that dream in 2001, when my husband arranged for me to ride in a hot air balloon for my birthday. But the experience turned out to be very dull. Around that time, I told my husband that I wanted to skydive. So when our retirement community announced that they were having an essay competition and the topic was an experience of a lifetime that you wanted to have, I decided to write about my dream.
In the essay, I wrote about my desire to skydive, stating George Brush Sr. did it at age 80. Why not me? I was just 84 and in pretty good health. A year went by and I heard nothing. But then at a community party in late April 2009, they announced that I was one of the winners. I just couldn’t believe it. Inspired by this, I decided to realize my dream, even though some of my family members and my doctor were against it.
On June 11, 2009, nearly 40 of my family and friends gathered in the area close to where I would land while I headed up in the airplane. My instructor, Jay, guided me through the experience. The plane was the noisiest one I had ever been in, but I wasn’t frightened—I was really just looking forward to the experience. When we reached 13,000 feet, Jay instructed me to throw myself out of the plane. When we first hit the air, the wind was so strong that I could hardly breathe. For a second I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” But then everything got calmer. We were in a free fall for about a minute before Jay opened the parachute（降落伞）, then we just floated downward for about five minutes. Being up in the clouds and looking at the view below was unlike anything I have ever felt—much better than the hot air balloon. I was just enjoying it.
Skydiving was really one of the greatest experiences of my life. I hope other people will look at me and realize that you don’t stop living just because you are 84 years old. If there’s something you want to experience, look into it. If it’s something that is possible, make it happen.
1.What happened to the author in 2001?
A. She flew an airplane.
B. She entered a competition.
C. She went on a hot air balloon ride.
2.The author mentioned George Bush Sr. in her essay to .
A. make her argument persuasive
B. show her admiration for him
C. compare their health condition
D. build up her own reputation
3. How did the author feel immediately after she jumped out of the plane?
A. Excited. B. Regretful. C. Nervous. D. Scared.
4.What did the author enjoy most when she was skydiving?
A. The beautiful clouds. B. The wonderful view.
C. The company of Jay. D. The one-minute free fall.
5.What is the best title of the passage?
A. Impossible is nothing. B. A dream made come true.
C. An unforgettable skydiving. D. I Went Skydiving at 84!
When milk arrived on the doorstep
When I was a boy growing up in New Jersey in the 1960s, we had a milkman delivering milk to our doorstep. His name was Mr. Basille. He wore a white cap and drove a white truck. As a 5-year-old boy, I couldn’t take my eyes off the coin changer fixed to his belt. He noticed this one day during a delivery and gave me a quarter out of his coin changer.
Of course, he delivered more than milk. There was cheese, eggs and so on. If we needed to change our order, my mother would pen a note----“Please add a bottle of buttermilk next delivery”----and place it in the box along with the empty bottles. And then, the buttermilk would magically appear.
All of this was about more than convenience. There existed a close relationship between families and their milkmen. Mr. Basille even had a key to our house, for those times when it was so cold outside that we put the box indoors, so that the milk wouldn’t freeze. And I remember Mr. Basille from time to time taking a break at our kitchen table, having a cup of tea and telling stories about his delivery.
There is sadly no home milk delivery today. Big companies allowed the production of cheaper milk, thus making it difficult for milkmen to compete. Besides, milk is for sale everywhere, and it may just not have been practical to have a delivery service.
Recently, I saw an old milk box in the countryside. I took it home and planted it on the back porch （门廊）. Every so often my son’s friends will ask what it is. So I start telling stories of my boyhood, and of the milkman who brought us friendship along with his milk.
1.Mr. Basille gave the boy a quarter out of his coin changer____.
A. to show his magical power
B. to pay for the delivery
C. to satisfy his curiosity
D. to please his mother
2.What does “this” in the third paragraph refer to?
A. The milkman’s magic power
B. The milkman’s kindness to me
C. The note to change an order
D. The home delivery service
3.What can be inferred from the fact that the milkman had the key to the boy’s house?
A. He wanted to have tea there.
B. He was a respectable person.
C. He was treated as a family member.
D. He was fully trusted by the family.
4.Why does home milk delivery no longer exist?
A. Nobody wants to be a milkman now.
B. It has been driven out of the market.
C. Its service is getting poor.
D. It is forbidden by law.
5.Why did the author bring back home an old milk box?
A. He missed the good old days.
B. He wanted to tell interesting stories.
C. He missed it for his milk bottles.
D. He planted flowers in it.
There are times when people are so tired that they fall asleep almost anywhere. We can see there is a lot of sleeping on the bus or train on the way home from work in the evenings. A man _____1_____(fold) the newspaper, and seconds later, ______2______ appears as if he is trying to eat it. Or he will fall asleep on the shoulder of the stranger _____3______ (sit) next to him. Another place where unplanned short sleep goes on is in the lecture hall _____4______ a student will start snoring（打鼾）so ____5______(loud) that the professor has to ask another student to keep the sleeper awake. _____6_____ more embarrassing situation occurs when a student starts falling into sleep and the weight of the head pushes the arm off the desk, and the ____7______ (move) carries the rest of the body along. The student wakes up on the floor ___8_____ no memory of getting there. The worst time to fall asleep is when driving. Police reports are full of accidents that occur when people fall into sleep and go __9____ the road. If the drivers are lucky, they are not seriously hurt. When people are really tired, _10____ will stop them from falling asleep ---- wherever they are.
Get Yourself Lost
Travelers to new cities are often told to start their trip with a bus tour. The thinking is that they can then ____1____ to the places that interested them. Nonsense! What you see from the____2____ of a moving bus is unreal and completely removed from the authentic sights, sounds and ____3____ outside.
Be adventurous! The best way to experience any place is ____4____ and with absolutely no travel ____5____. Simply go wherever your feet and your ____6____ lead you. You eventually will get to the same sites that are on the bus tour - the museums, the monuments city hall- but will have ____7____ much more. You will have felt the contemporary life of the city.
“But what if I get lost?” People might ask. No one gets ____8____ lost in a major city. Eventually, you can find your way back to a well-known location. If it frightens you to be “lost”, just find a taxi and go back to where you____9____. However, the nicest things can happen if you get lost. You stop at a sidewalk café to ____10____ and relax. You ask instructions of the local people at the ____11____ table. And even if they don’t speak your language, your trip becomes more ____12____ because of the experience.
So next time you see a poster advertising an introductory bus tour, ____13____ your money. Instead, wander on your own. I ____15____ you a time you’ll remember with great pleasure.
1.A. return B. come C. walk D. drive
2.A. backside B. inside C. outlook D. outlet
3.A. grasses B. flowers C. smells D. feelings
4.A. by car B. on foot C. by bike D. by plane
5.A. plan B. map C. money D. ticket
6.A. nose B. mouth C. habits D. interests
7.A. observed B. touched C. seen D. watched
8.A. uncertainly B. unluckily C. carelessly D. hopelessly
9.A. started B. went C. enjoyed D. left
10.A. talk B. stop C. laugh D. sit
11.A. next B. window C. front D. back
12.A. forgettable B. memorable C. reasonable D. acceptable
13.A. get B. spend C. save D. Waste
14.A.However B.So C.Instead D.Take it easy
15.A. wish B. give C. hope D. promise
阅读下面的短文，然后按照要求写一篇150词左右的英语短文。
A little boy is telling his Grandma how everything is going wrong: School, family problems, severe health problems, etc. Meanwhile, Grandma is baking a cake. She asks the child if he would like a snack, which of course he would.
"Here. Have some cooking oil."
"Terrible!" says the boy.
"How about a couple of raw eggs?"
" Terrible! Grandma."
"Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?"
"Grandma, those are all awful!"
To which the Grandma replies, "Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake! Life works the same way. Many times we wonder why we have to go through such bad and difficult times, but when we put these things all in a suitable way, they always work for good!”
“The trials of life serve a meaningful purpose in making us stronger. Don’t lose heart if life is not easy for you right now, but encourage yourself and know you will be much stronger mentally and physically because of the trials of life.”
[写作内容]
1.以约30个词概括短文的内容；
2.然后用120个词以“Facing the Trials of Life”写一篇文章, 内容包括：
1）你阅读短文后的感受；
2）讲述你经历的一次困难或考验；
3）你认为应当如何看待生活中的考验。
[写作要求]
1）可以使用自己亲身的经历或虚构的故事, 也可以参照阅读材料的内容, 但不得直接引用原文中的句子；
2）文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称。
[评分标准]
概括准确, 语言规范, 内容合适, 篇章连贯。
某国际动物关爱协会面向全球中学生招募“动物代言人”，希望申请者选择一种自己喜欢的动物，为之代言（speak for）。假设你是南海育才中学的学生李华，有意参与该活动。下面是你的申请表：
|
Name (姓名) |
LiHua |
Sex (性别) |
boy |
Age (年龄) |
18 |
|
Statement of Application (申请陈述) |
l 表示有意参加 l 说明自己喜欢动物、关爱动物 l 介绍熊猫：可爱；国宝；珍稀动物；数量减少 l 打算为熊猫代言，理由：唤起动物保护意识 |
【写作内容】
现根据上面的申请表，写一封申请信。内容包括：
1.你的个人基本情况
2.申请陈述内容
【写作要求】
1.只能用5个句子表达全部内容
2.文章的开头和结尾已经给出，不计入总句数。
【评分标准】
句子结构准确，信息内容完整，篇章连贯。
Dear Sir or Madam,
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
I hope I can do something for pandas. I’m looking forward to your reply.
Yours Sincerely,
LiHua
