What looks like an angry old man and lives at the bottom of the ocean? It’s the world’s ugliest animal---the blobfish(水滴鱼).
Its strange skin is shaped by its habitat. It lives 800 meters below the ocean’s surface, a depth where very few other creatures can survive.
Most fishes have a swim bladder(鱼鳔), which is filled with gas and helps them stay afloat. At the depth that the blobfish live, water pressure is 80 times higher than that at higher sea levels and any swim bladder wouldn’t be able to serve its purpose.
The blobfish don’t have a swim bladder because their skin works the same way. It helps them stay afloat without having to use any energy.
The blobfish have a pretty relaxed attitude towards eating. All they do is stay and wait for crabs or lobsters to come by.
Since the blobfish like to eat crabs and lobsters, they often get caught in nets that are used to catch lobsters or crabs and end up dying or being killed. They are not suitable for eating so they are useless for fishermen.
There’s a purpose behind the blobfish’s new title; it has become the new mascot for the Ugly Animal Preservation Society, an organization whose purpose is to preserve endangered ugly animals.
“We’ve needed an ugly face for endangered ugly animals for a long time and I’ve been amazed by the public reaction,” said the Society’s Simon Watt. “For too long cute animals have taken the limelight(风头) but now the blobfish will be a voice for those who always get forgotten.”They hope this new face will help the world know that we need to help preserve the populations of ugly animals too.
1.The biggest difference between the blobfish and most other fishes is that the blobfish_____ .
A. cannot be eaten by people
B. don’t have a swim bladder
C. only live at high sea levels
D. aren’t active in catching food
2.What makes the blobfish stay afloat?
A. Their skin. B. Their tail.
C. Their mouth. D. Their swim bladder.
3.We can learn from what Simon Watt said that _____ .
A. most ugly animals are in danger
B. the population of the blobfish is increasing
C. the blobfish have attracted the public’s attention
D. people knew nothing about the blobfish in the past
4.What is the purpose of the passage?
A. To discuss the importance of preserving animals.
B. To give the reason for starting an organization.
C. To present the results of a survey.
D. To introduce a special animal.
Apple picking | |
Apple picking is always a popular fall activity, with families looking for a fun way to spend time together outdoors. Check out some options on where and how to pick close to Toronto: | |
Where to pick | Pine Farms Tel: 905-833-5459 Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 9 am to 5 pm Details: Pick your own apples from mid-August to November. |
Albion Farms Tel: 905-584-0354 Hours: Daily 10 am to 6 pm Details: Pick your own apples on weekends only | |
Watson Farms Tel: 905-623-9109 Hours: Monday to Friday 9 am to 8 pm Weekends 9 am to 6 pm Details: Pick your own apples only in early September. | |
Brooks Farms Tel: 905-473-3920 Hours: Daily 9 am to 5 pm Details: Picking your own apples is not available(可得到的)，but apples are available in the farm market. | |
Willis Family Fruit Farms Tel: 905-876-2606 Hours: Weekends 10 am to 8 pm Details: Pick your own apples only in September and October. | |
Apple picking tips | Call first: Certain apple types may not be available because demand and farm hours can change without notice. So call ahead before setting out. |
What to bring: Some farms provide containers(容器) for you to carry the fruit home, but it’s not a bad idea to bring them yourself. Comfortable shoes and clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty are a must. And keep the weather in mind: pack a sweater for cooler days, and bring sun cream. | |
1.According to the author, apple picking ______ .
A. helps farmers harvest the fruit
B. can bring great pleasure to families
C. is better for teenagers than for adults
D. is becoming more and more popular in cities
2.If you are only free after 6 pm on Tuesday, you can choose _____ .
A. Pine Farms B. Albion Farms
C. Watson Farms D. Willis Family Fruit Farms
3.What can we learn from the passage?
A. You may dirty your clothes when picking apples.
B. Apples on all the farms are on sale at the same time.
C. You have to pay to take the apples you have picked home.
D. You are not allowed to take containers for carrying apples.
I regularly train at a local boxing gym and I’m lucky enough to meet an amazing man, Adrian Charter. Adrian comes to the gym to train, just like me. The difference is, I’m 31 years old, and Adrian is 72!
I watched Adrian as he was training, early on a Sunday morning, and he was hitting the punching bag harder and quicker than most men in their twenties would. Adrian was a former boxer whose last professional fight was in 1972. Even though he has stopped competing as a boxer, his discipline(纪律) still makes him stick to a training rule.
It simply amazed me as to how a 72-year-old man could train so hard. Believe me, boxing is one of the most difficult sports on the earth, needing much patience,skill, and effort.
What surprised me even more was that a few days earlier he did some running. He ran 9 kilometers. He does this on a regular basis. For me, I can run 5 kilometers at most.
When I questioned him about how he kept such discipline, he calmly replied, “It is all in my mind.”
I thought about it for a moment. If discipline can push a 72-year-old man to train so hard and enjoy it, could I imagine how discipline could serve every single human being on the earth? Right at this point, as you read this story, please pause and ask yourself, “What is my level of discipline?”
Adrian’s example told me that the power of discipline will get us to the finishing line! The bigger the challenge is, the more our discipline can serve us and the sweeter the taste of success will be!
1.The author noticed Adrian Charter mostly because Adrian Charter _______ .
A. was a famous former boxer
B. was the oldest in the boxing gym
C. acted faster even than young people
D. didn’t want to compete any longer
2.What does the author think of boxing?
A. It has high requirements.
B. It has strict training rules.
C. It has a limit to people’s age.
D. It makes people become quick and strong.
3.The underlined sentence in the last paragraph probably means “______ ”.
A. Rome was not built in a day
B. no pains, no gains
C. failure is the mother of success
D. early birds can catch worms
4.What can be the best title for the text?
A. Grasp every chance to keep fit
B. An unforgotten experience
C. The power of discipline
D. An amazing boxer
假定你是李华，一直热心于公益活动。你在校园看到学生会招聘志愿者的海报，打算参加。请根据海报上的信息，用英语写一封申请信。
注意: 1. 词数120左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 短文中不能出现与本人相关的信息。
Dear Miss Liu,
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Yours Sincerely,
Li Hua
短文改错（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌系的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏词符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Dear Editor，
I'm sorry to occupy your precious time, and I really want to tell you anything about the problem of some people keeping too many pets nowadays. I take a problem more and more seriously for the following reason. First of all, as it is known to people, pets make so much noise that it troubled residents a lot. What's more, it is widely accepted that animal waste pollutes the environment, where makes people quite uncomfortable. Many owners like taking their pets to public place where they may frighten children or even bite people. The mostly important is that pets can spread some diseases and this has attracted much attention.
Take all these factors into consideration, I sincerely hope that I can get help from you and expect the media do something for this.
Yours Truly，
Wang Lin
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
Last weekend our school held a sports meeting. 1. (Realize) it was our last high school sports meeting, we decided to make it an unforgettable experience for all of us.
We first attended the opening parade, for 2. our class had made a lot of 3. (prepare). 4. our excitement, our parade performance was a great success. After the parade, the games started. My classmates attended 5. (vary) events such as running, high jump and long jump. Due to the hard training they6. (do) before, their performances were very 7. (impress). On the stand, my classmates applauded and cheered for the athletes, some 8. (raise) their cameras to capture the exciting moments. Finally, the result 9. ( announce). It was amazing that our class won the second place. Our efforts paid off! Cup in hand, we took a picture together.
I believe this sports meeting will remain a precious memory for all of us 10. time goes by.
