Far out in the lake was a large wooden platform on which stood an improbably high diving board — a kind of wooden Eiffel Tower. It was, I’m sure, the county’s tallest wooden structure and no one had ever been known to jump from it.
So it was quite a shock when our teacher, Mr. Milton, announced that he would dive off the high board that very afternoon.
Word of his questionable plan was already spreading through town as Mr. Milton swam out to the platform. He was just a tiny, stick figure when he got there but even from such a distance the high board seemed almost to touch the clouds. Once at the top, he paced the enormously long board, then took some deep breaths and finally stood at edge. He was going to do it.
Several hundred people had gathered at the shore to watch. Mr. Milton stood for quite a long time, then he raised his arms, took one massive bounce and launched himself into a perfect dive. It was beautiful. He fell with perfect style for what seemed minutes. The crowd fell silent. The only sound to be heard was the faint whistle of his body tearing through the air toward the water far, far below.
But about three quarters of the way down he seemed to have second thoughts and began suddenly to panic, waving his arms and legs like someone having a bad dream. When he was perhaps thirty feet above the water, he gave up on waving and spread his arms and legs wide, apparently hoping that it would somehow slow his fall.
It didn’t.
He hit the water at over six hundred miles an hour. The impact was so loud that it made birds fly out of their trees three miles away. I don’t think he entered the water at all. He just bounced off it, about fifteen feet back into the air. After that, he lay still on the surface, spinning like an autumn leaf.
He was brought to shore by two passing fishermen in a rowboat and placed on an old blanket where he spent the rest of the afternoon. Occasionally he accepted small sips of water, but otherwise was too shocked to speak. From head to toe, he was covered with deep red bruises.
... It was the best day of my life.
1.What did the writer think of Mr. Milton’s plan to jump from the diving board?
A. Crazy. B. Disappointing.
C. Heroic. D. Confused.
2.In Paragraph 3, Mr Milton is described as “a tiny, stick figure” because he was __________.
A. tired after swimming
B. very small and thin
C. very far away
D. sure to be broken
3.Why did Mr. Milton suddenly start swinging his arms and legs during the dive?
A. He thought it was the best way to slow his fall.
B. He lost his confidence and started to panic.
C. He was signalling the crowd for help.
D. He wanted to show his courage.
4. Which of the following sentences from the passage is an example of a fact?
A. He hit the water at over six hundred miles an hour.
B. The impact was so loud that it made birds fly out of trees up to three miles away.
C. He just bounced off it, about fifteen feet back into the air.
D. He was brought to shore by two passing fishermen in a rowboat ….
As a child, visiting the zoo was more a punishment than a treat. I didn’t find the chimps’ tea parties funny, nor the bird shows entertaining. Feeding time for seals was less painful, but their performances still seemed like they belonged more in a circus.
And I hated circuses, especially the animal acts — men teasing lions, girls balancing on elephants and monkeys playing football. I knew that every trick a circus animal did was unnatural, achieved through strict training and quite possibly cruelty.
Happily, during my lifetime public attitudes and the law have changed. Circuses using wild animals are now almost extinct, and zoos have definitely evolved.
When my children were young, I occasionally took them to our local zoo. The elephants were in tiny cages and the gorillas looked bored as they sat peeling bananas and staring at teasing visitors. Each cage had a sign which listed the animal’s name and where it came from. But, back then, there was little information included about the environmental challenges they faced.
As a result, environmentalists and animal lovers often oppose zoos. “Animals belong in the wild,” is a common — and understandable — complaint. But what do the animals themselves prefer?
Generally speaking, zoo animals have a longer life. But — you may protest — they are not free. What? Free to be hunted and killed, free to die of hunger or thirst? Maybe sitting in a cage eating bananas isn’t so bad.
Not that such conditions are acceptable in modern zoos, due to the work of BIAZA, the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums. These days every zoo requires BIAZA’s approval to operate, and the association sets the standards, observes conditions in zoos and develops animal-research programmes, both in the UK and abroad. BIAZA also organises the animal exchanges between zoos all over the world.
Consequently, today, most zoo animals are born and raised in zoos, live in large, comfortable enclosures and are cared for by well-trained, knowledgeable and caring zoo employees. Of course it’s no substitute for living in the wild but unfortunately this isn’t always possible. Meanwhile, why not visit your local zoo and decide for yourself?
1.The passage is mainly about __________.
A. how zoos have improved
B. whether a zoo should be closed down
C. a new environmental organisation
D. the difference between zoos and circuses
2.From Paragraph 2, we can guess that the writer believes circus animals __________.
A. had much shorter lives than those in the wild
B. were not treated well by their trainers
C. should have been placed in zoos
D. were not as intelligent as those in zoos
3.Which of the following roles are performed by BIAZA?
A. Organising animal study projects and training zoo workers.
B. Checking zoo conditions and arranging animal exchanges.
C. Designing zoos and approving zoo operations.
D. Caring for ill animals and setting zoo standards.
4.Which of the following statements about zoos would the writer agree with?
A. Zoo animals should be freed into the wild.
B. Zoos are more popular now than in the past.
C. Zoo animals are more restricted than in the past.
D. Zoos now provide caring living conditions for animals.
For many people, leisure time is an opportunity to get outdoors, have some fun and meet interesting people. Add two pieces of advanced 21st century technology — global positioning system (GPS) devices and the Internet — to get “geocaching”.
The word geocaching comes from “geo” (earth) and “cache” (hidden storage). Geocachers log onto a website to find information about the location of a cache — usually a waterproof plastic box containing small items such as toys and CDs — along with a notebook where “finders” can enter comments and learn about the cache “owner”, the person who created and hid the cache. Finders may take any of the items in the cache but are expected to replace them with something of similar value. They then visit the website again and write a message to the owner.
Geocaching became possible on May 1, 2000, when a satellite system developed by the U.S. Department of Defense was made public. Using an inexpensive GPS device, anyone on earth can send a signal to the satellites and receive information about their position. This is basically a high-tech version of orienteering, the traditional pastime which uses maps and compasses instead of GPS to determine one’s location.
Geocachers are a very considerate group. Owners carefully choose a cache’s location to give finders an enjoyable experience, such as a beautiful view or a good campsite. They also consider the environmental impact of their cache since it could result in an increased number of visitors to an area. As for the content of the caches, owners and finders must only use items that are suitable for the whole family, as caches are found by geocachers of all ages.
1.According to the passage, geocaching is __________.
A. an outdoor leisure activity
B. a new type of technology
C. a game used to teach geography
D. a program to protect environment
2.How can finders learn about the cache owners?
A. By meeting them. B. By going to a website.
C. From the notebook. D. From the satellite.
3.Which of the following is NOT used in geocaching?
A. A GPS device. B. A compass.
C. A plastic container. D. The Internet.
4.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. Most geocachers are adults.
B. Any item can be placed in the caches.
C. The caches should be put in a remote place.
D. Geocachers try to avoid damaging the environment.
Make a difference with your photography
Take the chance to make a real difference with your photography and contribute to One Minute on Earth, a project aiming to help street children around the world.
We all live on the planet Earth, in different time zones and different parts of the world. When you read this, it will be night in one part of the world and morning somewhere else. A sunset and a sunrise is always there at any minute on earth.
In 2015 on the 7th of April at 13:00 (New York time), 200 photographers all around the world clicked on the button of their cameras all within the same minute on earth. From all these amazing landscape photos and stories, a photobook was made which was sold to raise money for charity.
100% of this profit was donated to the Ashalayam Deutschland organisation which used this money to support a street children center in Kolkata India. You can still buy this book from our website, which will help us continue to support the kids.
We plan to hold this event annually, with the next one scheduled on June 21st 2017 at 21:00 (New York time). Money raised from the sale of the new photobook will go to a home in South Africa where 75 parentless children live. This year’s event will include not only landscape photos but also street photos. The main rule is that the sky must be shown in the photo, so all can see at what time it was shot when this year’s One Minute on Earth got to you.
1. What is the main goal of One Minute on Earth?
A. To raise money for children.
B. To publish a photobook.
C. To find the best picture.
D. To take pictures of different places.
2.What do the 2015 and 2017 events have in common?
A. They take place on the same date.
B. They each produce a photobook.
C. They require the same type of picture.
D. The money raised goes to the same children.
3.What is the main rule of the 2017 event?
A. All photos must be landscapes.
B. The photos must be taken in Africa.
C. The sky must appear in every photo.
D. Each photographer can submit only one photo.
书面表达
假设你叫李华，你打算利用假期为史密斯先生所在的社区的外国人免费教汉语，同时希望提高自己英语水平.请你用英语给史密斯先生写一封电子邮件，请他帮忙联系。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
短文改错
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文,请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误,每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加:在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧),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:在错的词下画一横线,并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意:1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词;
2.只允许修改10处,多者(从第11处起)不计分。
As is known to us all, only before experiencing pains and failures in life can we really grow up good and mature physically and mentally. Once I was among the top student in my class, but later I suffered from serious disease, which almost cost my life. Luckily, I was survived. But I fell behind your fellow classmates due to missing too much lessons. But I was in despair. Then in came my head teacher, who encouraged me to study hard, convinced me that a rainbow only came after rain. And now with great efforts I have made progress.
