Most of my earliest childhood memories are of the beach — in the hot sun, building sandcastles, burying Dad in the sand.
Now the coast has a pleasant and relaxing attraction beyond words. I look forward to a windy cliff-top walk or a rainy day rock-picking just as much as those rare moments when I get to a short sleep in the sun. But there’s nothing more pleasurable than turning up at a beach to find it deserted.
These are my favourite secret beaches — ones either not well known or take a bit of effort to get to. Most of those listed scored highly in the Marine Conservation Society Good Beach Guide 2009; the others are too secret even for them.
Sennen Clove is just a mile northeast of Land’s End, the westernmost point of mainland England. It’s a beautiful spot, with white sands, deep green sea and amazing sunsets over the Isles (群岛) of Scilly, 28 miles away.
The west-facing beach is popular with surfers, with bigger waves and winds often found at the Gwenver end. There’s a beach restaurant with good views of the bay and the sunsets.
The smallest of Isles of Scilly, Bryher is a mile long, half a mile wide — and a natural wilderness of unbelievable scenery. Walk along the narrow sandy roads to the eastern seaboard and you come to two quiet beaches.
Green Bay has views over to the palm trees of Tresco’s Abbey Gardens, and a little further south is Rushy Bay, a beautiful beach facing the deserted island of Samson.
On Bryher, farm shops sell locally grown produce, and they trust you to leave the money in the pot. It’s that kind of place.
1.The best title for this passage is ________.
A. The Beautiful British Isles
B. Secret Beaches on the British Isles
C. The Most Pleasurable Place in Britain
D. My Experience of Searching Beaches
2.According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A. The author is a tourist guide in a tourist agency.
B. The author likes walking on a rainy cliff-top most.
C. The author wrote the article to advertise for the beaches.
D. The author loves beaches that are not known to most people.
3.Which of the following maps can correctly describe the geography position?
(LE=Land’s End SC=Sennen Cove IS=the Isles of Scilly)
4.In the author’s view, farmers on Bryher are ________.
A. sincere B. selfish C. courageous D. mean
Patti discovered the meaning of running when she was 23. At that time she was smoking two packs of cigarettes a day and had 36 over 50 pounds. “I decided to 37 ,” she says. She took a clock and started 38 what she did every day, and then she 39 an hour a day as a “be nice to Patti” hour. “I started having bubble（泡沫）baths with a candle 40 , because Cosmopolitan Magazine 41 that this would be good for me. But I got 42 of that soon,” Patti remembers. She wanted to do something really pleasant. She found that the 43 times in her life were times when she was physically active. So she took up 44 .
She decided to start 45 the next day. She ran for an hour, 46 a total of 7 miles on her first run. “I couldn’t walk for 2 weeks 47 I felt painful all over!” Patti recalls. “But I felt so wonderful!” Patti wasn’t crazy about running yet, but she was in 48 with the after effects of it.
Within seven months, Patti had run her first marathon, qualified for the Boston Marathon, and placed 25th in the world for 49 distance runners. Over the next years, she 50 records and set standards for women in the sport. She was the first American woman to run a marathon 51 than 2 hours 30 minutes, and then broke another two records 52 an 8-month period.
Patti believes that, if we can 53 standards for ourselves, we can pull ourselves out of the most difficult 54 and come out on top. “Everybody has to be a/an 55 and everybody has that in them.”
1.A. lost B. gained C. earned D. reduced
2.A. change B. move C. walk D. cry
3.A. remembering B. collecting C. sharing D. recording
4.A. set out B. set up C. set aside D. set about
5.A. lit B. swung C. surrounded D. burnt
6.A. spoke B. said C. wrote D. went
7.A. afraid B. fond C. tired D. ashamed
8.A. happiest B. saddest C. loneliest D. luckiest
9.A. smoking B. bathing C. dieting D. running
10.A. only B. right C. even D. again
11.A. overcoming B. spreading C. passing D. covering
12.A. but B. although C. since D. because
13.A. peace B. line C. love D. touch
14.A. men B. women C. adult D. children
15.A. kept B. held C. broke D. cleared
16.A. faster B. more C. slower D. rather
17.A. for B. over C. at D. on
18.A. set B. follow C. require D. seek
19.A. pleasures B. pities C. challenges D. purposes
20.A. expert B. runner C. athlete D. champion
I didn’t know his address yesterday, otherwise I __________ him a visit.
A. would pay B. would have paid C. paid D. had paid
Success is how you are viewed by others, _______ achievement is something you do yourself.
A. while B. in case C. even if D. as long as
Today, people all over the world are moving out of small villages in the country to go and live in big, noisy cities. They are moving from the peaceful hills, mountains, fields, rivers and streams of the countryside to the busy world of streets, buildings, traffic and crowds. This movement from rural(乡下的) areas to urban areas has been going on for over two hundred years.
In many countries, the main reason people come to live in towns and cities is work. After one or two large factories have been built in or near a town, people come to find work, and soon an industrial area begins to grow. There is usually a_residential_area nearby, too. The families of these workers need schools, hospitals and shops, so many people come to live in the area to provide these services and a city grows.
In every major city in the world, there is a business district where the big companies have their main offices. In the United States, this area is usually in the city center downtown. It is here that you can see many huge skyscrapers(摩天大楼)and office blocks. The people who work here often travel a long way to work each day. Many of them live in the suburbs of the city, far away from the industrial area and the city center. Some suburbs are very pleasant, with nice houses and big gardens. There are usually parks for children to play in and large department stores where you can buy all you need.
But what is the future of the big cities? Will they continue to get bigger and bigger? Perhaps not. Some major cities have actually become smaller in the last ten years, and it is quite possible that one day we will see people moving out of the major cities and back into smaller towns and villages.
1.The underlined phrase “a residential area” means an area________.
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A．where people can buy things |
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B．which is suitable for living in |
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C．where people can do business |
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D．which is near a city center |
2.Why do people move to live in cities or towns?
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A．Because they can live more comfortably there. |
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B．Because they like noisy life better than peaceful life. |
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C．Because they mainly want to find work there. |
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D．Because they are sure of having a better life there. |
3.Which of the following statement is NOT true about the business district?
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A．Big companies usually have their main offices in the business district. |
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B．People usually work and live in the business district. |
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C．A business district usually lies in the city center downtown. |
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D．Nearly every major city has its own business district. |
What’s delicious to eat and comes in a variety of colors? Eggplant! And no, it has nothing to do with chickens! This strangely named vegetable is, however, as versatile as an egg．It can be steamed, fried, and baked．It can be eaten by itself or combined with meats and other vegetables．
Eggplant was first grown in India in the 5th century BC．Its popularity soon spread to China and then throughout Asia．Finally, during the Middle Ages the vegetable made its way to Europe．At that time, eggplant was not the shiny purple vegetable most people know today．Instead, it’s like a white egg．Due to this egg - like appearance, eggplant got its name．In its early days, the vegetable was so bitter that people often called it a “mad apple.” This nickname started because people believed its bitterness was bad for one' s health．People actually thought eggplant could cause madness and cancer．
Fortunately today people know that eggplant doesn't cause insanity or cancer．In fact eggplant is so healthy that it may prevent cancer．In addition, the brain and the heart benefit from this super vegetable．Since it's high in fiber, eggplant can improve digestion．
Italy, Turkey, Egypt, China and Japan are the leading growers of eggplant in the world today．Depending on its location, eggplant may be purple, green, orange or yellow - white．And it can be as small as a tomato or as large as a cucumber．Dish varieties range from simple to complex, with all of them being delicious．
Today, thousands of people gather in Loomis, Calif, for the annual Loomis Eggplant Festival．The main activity at the festival is eating delicious eggplant dishes．There is plenty more to do and see, though．Recipe contests, arts and crafts, performers, races and children's activities all “egg – cite” festival - goers．Most people at the festival would agree—eggplant is an “egg—cellent” vegetable．
1.Eggplant got its name because of its _____．
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A．appearance |
B．taste |
C．color |
D．value |
2.Which of the following does NOT belong to the qualities of eggplant?
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A．It can be cooked in various ways． |
B．It is easy to digest． |
|
C．It can prevent cancer． |
D．It is valuable and priceless． |
3.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
|
A．Eggplant can be eaten to cure cancer |
B．Eggplant used to taste bitter． |
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C．India produce the most eggplant in the world today． |
D．Eggplant has a history of nearly 1,000 years． |
4.Most people come to the Loomis Eggplant Festival to_____．
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A．see arts and crafts |
B．enjoy food with eggplants |
|
C．take part in recipe contests |
D．promote eggplant |
