Tom appeared on the sidewalk with a bucket of whitewash and a long-handled brush. He stopped by the fence in front of the house where he lived with his aunt Polly. He looked at it, and all joy left him. The fence was long and high. He put the brush into the whitewash and moved it along the top of the fence. He repeated the operation. He felt he could not continue and sat down.
He knew that his friends would arrive soon with all kinds of interesting plans for the day. They would walk past him and laugh. They would make jokes about his having to work on a beautiful summer Saturday. The thought burned him like fire.
He put his hand into his pockets and took out all that he owned. Perhaps he could find something to pay someone to do the whitewashing for him. But there was nothing of value in his pockets. So he put the bits of toys back into his pockets and gave up the idea.
At this dark and hopeless moment, a wonderful idea came to him. It filled his mind with a great, bright light. Calmly he picked up the brush and started again to whitewash.
While Tom was working, Ben Rogers appeared. Ben was eating an apple as he walked along the street. When he came close to Tom, he stopped.
Tom went on whitewashing. He did not look at Ben. Ben stared a moment and then said: “Hello! I’m going swimming, but you can’t go, can you?”
No answer. Tom moved his brush carefully along the fence and looked at the result with the eye of an artist. Ben came nearer. Tom’s mouth watered for the apple, but he kept on working.
Ben said, “Hello, old fellow, you’ve got to work, hey?”
Tom turned suddenly and said, “Why, it’s you, Ben! I wasn’t noticing.”
“I’m going swimming. Don’t you wish you could? But of course you’d rather work. You seem to like it very much.”
“Like it? Well, I don’t see why I shouldn’t like it. Does a boy get a chance to whitewash a fence every day?”
Ben stopped eating his apple. Tom moved his brush back and forth, stepped back to look at the result, added a touch here and there, and stepped back again. Ben watched every move and got more and more interested. Soon he said,
“Tom, let me whitewash a little.”
Tom thought for a moment, was about to agree; but he changed his mind.
“No, no, it won’t do, Ben. You see, Aunt Polly wants this fence to be perfect. It has got to be done very carefully. I don’t think there is one boy in a thousand, maybe two thousand, that can do it well enough.”
“No — is that so? Oh come, let me just try. Only just a little.”
“Ben, I’d like to, but if it isn’t done right, I’m afraid Aunt Polly ...”
“Oh, I’ll be careful. Now let me try. I’ll give you half of my apple.”
“Well, here — No, Ben, now don’t. I’m afraid ...”
“I’ll give you all of it.”
Tom gave up the brush with unwillingness on his face, but joy in his heart. And while Ben worked at the fence in the hot sun, Tom sat under a tree, eating the apple, and planning how to get more help. There were enough boys. Each one came to laugh, but remained to whitewash. And when the middle of the afternoon came, Tom had won many treasures. The fence had been whitewashed three times. If he hadn’t run out of whitewash, Tom would have owned everything belonging to his friends.
He had discovered a great law of human action that in order to make a man or a boy want a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to get.
1.Why did Tom take all his bits of toys out of his pockets?
A. Because he was tired and wanted to play with his toys.
B. Because he wanted to exchange his toys with his friends.
C. Because he wanted to give his toys to his friends.
D. Because he wanted to know if he could buy help with his toys.
2. Tom was about to agree to let Ben whitewash when he changed his mind because ______.
A. Tom wanted to do the whitewashing himself
B. Tom planned to make Ben give up his apple first
C. Tom was unwilling to let Ben do the whitewashing
D. Tom was afraid Ben couldn’t do the whitewashing well.
3.We can learn from the passage that ______.
A. Tom was fond of whitewashing the fence
B. Tom had a lot of friends who were ready to help him
C. Tom managed to let other boys do the whitewashing for him
D. Tom was better at whitewashing the fence than others
4.Which of the following is the most suitable title for this passage?
A. The Happy Whitewasher
B. Tom And His Fellows
C. Whitewashing A Fence
D. How To Make Things Difficult To Get
Are you still troubled by a disease called overactive bladder(膀胱)? Why not try TOVIAZ, a medicine used to treat adults 18 years older facing such a condition?
You are strongly advised not to take TOVIZ if you have following symptoms:
★ Your stomach empties slowly.
★ You are suffering from eye problems.
★ You’re allergic to any ingredients of TOVIAZ.
Remember the possible side effects of TOVIAZ
★ Dry mouth.
★ Constipation(便秘)
★ Dry eyes.
★ Trouble empting the bladder
Remember to ask your doctor for a complete list, since these aren’t all possible side effects of TOVIAZ.
More Detailed Instructions to take TOVIAZ:
★ Your doctor may give you the lower 4mg dose of TOVIAZ if you have severe kidney problem.
★ Take TOVIAZ with liquid and swallow the tablet whole. Do not chew, divide or crush the tablet.
★ You can take either TOVIAZ with or without food.
★ If you miss a dose of TOVIAZ, start taking it again the next day.
★ Decreased sweating and severe heat illness can occur when TOVIAZ is used in hot environments.
★ Drinking alcohol while taking TOVIAZ may cause increased sleepiness.
1.What is the main purpose of the passage?
A. To present a discovery on a scientific research.
B. To give information about a kind of medicine.
C. To teach patients ways of recovery from illness.
D. To show the importance of taking proper medicine.
2.What can be inferred from the passage?
A. There are only four possible side effects of TOVIAZ.
B. Don’t take TOVIAZ if you are allergic to its ingredient.
C. It’s unwise for people under 18 years old to use TOVIAZ
D. You may feel excited while eating TOVIAZ with alcohol.
3.Which of the statements about taking TOVIAZ is TRUE?
A. It’s OK to take it with food or without food.
B. Chew the tablet well before you swallow it.
C. Use TOVIAZ in hot environment to cure heat illness.
D. If you miss a dose, do take it right away on the same day.
Charles Dickens is often thought of as one of the greatest British writers. February 7 marked the 200th anniversary of his birthday. Yet for many, his language is old-fashioned and his stories often improbable. So why do so many people know and read Dickens today?
One reason is the British government’s insistence that every child studies a Dickens novel at school. Alongside William Shakespeare, Dickens is on every English literature school reading list.
His stories, though often long by today’s standards, are great moral tales. They are filled with colorful characters.
Earlier this month, a ceremony was held in Portsmouth, where Dickens was born. Prince Charles said at the ceremony, “Dickens used his creative genius to campaign passionately for social justice… His characterization (人物刻画) is as fresh today as on the day it was written.”
His books stand out from many other writers because of his insight into human nature. Dickens, like Shakespeare, tells us truths about human behavior. They are as true in the 21st century as they were to his readers in the 19th century.
Readers have returned to Dickens’ books again and again over the years to see what he has to say about their own times.
No surprise then that it was Dickens whom Britons turned to during the economic crisis in the last couple of years. Dickens helped them make sense of a world that was rapidly falling apart. The BBC adapted one of his less well-known novels, Little Dorrit, into a popular television drama that introduced many Brits to the novel for the first time. A dark story about greed and money, it was the perfect illustration of bad times.
As long as Dickens’s novels have something to say to modern audiences, it seems likely that he will remain one of Britain’s best-loved writers.
1. In the article, the author intends to tell us ______.
A. why Dickens’ novels still appeal to readers in modern times
B. that Dickens’ works are no longer popular among young people
C. why the British government puts Dickens on school reading lists
D. that Dickens and Shakespeare’s works are required for study at school
2.In Britain, people still read Dickens because of ______.
a) romance in his books
b) moral value in his books
c) his colorful characters
d) his insight into human nature
e) government education requirement
f) his prediction of the current economic crisis
A. abdf B. bcde C. bdef D. abed
3.We can infer from the article that ______.
A. it’s better to read Dickens in time of difficulty
B. Dickens was a great social observer of his time
C. human nature seems worse during bad times
D. Dickens’s novels are short and easy to read
4.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Little Dorrit is one of Dickens’ best-known novels.
B. Dickens’ novels are of greater value during economic crisis.
C. Dickens’ works have gained more popularity than Shakespeare’s
D. Dickens’ novels are still of realistic significance to today’s world.
下面这幅图展现了我国大学热门专业的变迁。请根据你对这幅图的理解用英语写一篇短
文。
Popular University Majors in China Maths Civil Engineering Physics International Finance Computer science Automation Engineering
In the early 1980s In the 1990s Around 2000 In 2014 |
你的短文应包含以下内容：
1.简要描述上图中热门专业的变迁（30词左右)；
2.分析变迁的原因（1-2个)；
3.介绍你未来的专业选择并说明原因（1-2个)。
注意：
1.可参照图片中文字及下面文章开头所给提示作必要发挥。
2.词数150左右。开头部分已写好，不计入词数。
3.作文中不得提及考生所在学校和本人姓名。
Over the past 30 years, China has witnessed great changes in popular university majors.
Escape from FoMO
Here’s a test you might enjoy: rate these situations on a number scale, ranging from 1 for mild discomfort to 7 for unbearable distress.
Situation 1: you’re visiting New York City and realize there’s no way you’ll be able to get to all the exhibits, see all the recommended plays or take in even part of the“musts”. How do you feel now? Something like 5?
Situation 2: you’re at dinner with friends, and you’ve all agreed to make it a strictly phone-free evening. But your smart phone won’t stop beeping Twitter and text alerts. Something is obviously up in your social network, but you can’t check. Even 7 wouldn’t match the stress you’re feeling now.
Welcome to FoMO (Fear of Missing Out), the latest mental disorder caused by social media connections sharing updates that leaves individuals feeling that they are missing out on something more exciting, important, or interesting going on somewhere else. It is an outcome of technological advancement and booming social information. According to a recent study, 56 percent of those who use social networks suffer this.
It is not uncommon that at night when you’ve sworn again to put the phone aside or turn off the computer, you cast one last glance at the screen on your way to bed in case you miss some titbit (趣闻)supplied by mere acquaintances or even strangers’ requesting your “friendship”.
We all know the studies showing that end-of-life regrets centre on what we didn’t do, rather than on what we did. If so, constantly watching others doing things that we are not is rich ground for a future of looking back in sorrow. Attractive online images—so charming from afar—make FoMO more destructive. Technology has become the major construct through which we define intimacy (亲密).You may look on in wonder as someone taps out an endless text message instead of actually talking to the person they’re with. Being connected to everyone, all the time, is a new human experience; we’re just not equipped to cope with it yet.
Researchers say our dependence on technology can be reduced if we manage to separate ourselves, even for short periods of time, from our gadgets. However, the problem can only be settled when we grasp that our brains and our humanity—not our technologies—enable this addiction. We cannot seek solutions without honestly asking ourselves why we are so afraid of missing out. Researchers find FoMO occurs mostly in people with unfulfilled psychological needs in fields such as love, respect and security. FoMO levels are highest in young people, in particular young men.
What, then, can we do about something so damaging to our quality of life? The best way to cope with FoMO is to recognize that, at our fast-paced life, we are sometimes bound to miss out. Instead of trying to maximize our benefits, we seek a merely “good enough” result. If you still doubt that“good enough” is the best cure for FoMO, the words of the American essayist and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson might strike the right chord,“For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else.”
Escape from FoMO
An old man in a faded yellow shirt sat in a windowless room on a raised concrete form. The only source of heat came from somewhere beneath the plastic mattress and the rough blanket the blank-faced police woman had handed him after taking his thumb prints. He heard voices and metallic clang as the cell door swung open.
At the front desk a tired looking policeman handed the old man back his belongings, his worn-out cap and the Seiko watch that had stopped working the day his beloved Evelyn left. The policeman dramatically held the blue plastic bag at an arm’s length to the old man who took it and made sure its contents were undamaged: the goat meat, palm oil, leaves and spices. He ignored the confused expression on the officer’s face and signed the document declaring he had been returned the possessions they had taken off him the night before.
No one spoke to him as he walked slowly towards the exit.
“Mr. Easy-nwa?” He stopped and prayed to the God who now took care of Evelyn to please take him far away from this unhappy place of expressionless faces, clipped accents and people who did not even attempt to pronounce his name right.
“Ezenwa,” He said and looked at a woman with tangerine lips, her name tag said Jessica Harlow, Social Services. “A bit far from home”，she said as she drove fast and with confidence the way Evelyn used to. He wondered if she meant the 50 miles from Liverpool or the 50,000 miles from Enugu，a city in Nigeria. He did not bother replying as this woman had plenty to say about the weather, bad drivers, her daughter’s school play...
At last she drew up outside the block of flats where he lived.
“Got here in the end”，said she seriously, “Really Mr. Easy-nwa, if you keep getting lost, we will have to consider moving you into a home”.
“No need, I was not lost，”he answered.
He carefully rolled up the sleeves of the oversize bomber jacket he wore and turned on the tap to wash his hands, relieved the pipes were not frozen. In a clean pan he placed the chopped pieces of goat meat. The herbs and spices that had taken him three months to track down, the uziza seeds had taken him into the heart of Granby Market in Liverpool, his uchanwu leaves down a shady back alley in Manchester, and yesterday, among other food items, the finest goat meat from a Sierra Leonean Butcher in Birmingham. That had taken some time, so much he missed the last train and when the police found him shivering outside the locked up station, so cold he couldn’t answer loudly enough the pink-faced big copper who yelled in his face, “What’s your name sir?” spraying his face with spittle (吐沫）as he did so, leaving them with no choice but to search an exhausted, frozen old black man and finding him in possession of mysterious condiments (调味品）including a bag of dried bitter-leaf which could of course be mistaken for anything that resulted in him getting read his rights and charged with ...possession?
He lifted the lid of the bubbling soup, the room was filled with the rich and spicy scent of his culinary (烹饪的）effort. He served two bowls, taking the chipped one and placing the other opposite where Evelyn would have sat. He would tell her about his adventure, it was their anniversary and this was the perfect pepper soup to celebrate.
Ken Onyia, UK (Nigeria) Commonwealth Sport Short Story Prize
1.Why was Mr. Ezenwa taken to the prison for a night?
A. He was too weak to move.
B. He couldn’t find his way back home.
C. He then had nowhere else to go.
D. He was suspected of possessing drugs.
2.When Mr. Ezenwa was to leave the prison,
A. his thumb print was taken immediately
B. the policeman was confused about what he had
C. a social worker was assigned to drive him back home
D. the policeman was so kind as not to damage his belongings
3.What did Mr. Ezenwa do for his wedding anniversary?
A. He collected all sorts of valuables as presents.
B. He cooked native food as a surprise for his wife.
C. He prepared a special Nigerian pepper soup carefully.
D. He travelled a lot, attempting to get his wife back.
4.What words can be used to describe Mr. Ezenwa?
A. Hopeless and pessimistic.
B. Mysterious and troublesome.
C. Affectionate and persistent.
D. Energetic and sympathetic.
5.What theme does the author want to express through the story?
A. Racial prejudice.
B. Hard life of the elderly.
C. Struggle for freedom.
D. Preservation of tradition.
