Across the United States, universities and colleges have been looking to become more sustainable (可持续发展的) and more than 600 schools have already planned to become eco-friendly. The EcoDorm, home to 36 students at Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, was designed to be sustainable from top to bottom, or in this case, from its rainwater-collection system to its garden. The dormitory is bringing new meaning to the concept of living “green” at college.
At Warren Wilson College, a biological science school with fewer than 1,000 students, the sustainability drive came from the student body. The EcoDorm concept was presented ten years ago by two students; a planning committee firstly suggested using building materials like corncob. Although the architects disagreed with the idea, they came up with other creative solutions: Wood siding was taken from the trees grown in the school yard that were suffering from a disease, and rainwater was collected in an old railway car and pumped back into the house to clean the toilets.
All in all, the dorm uses nearly two-thirds less electricity than a similar-sized traditional building would. But even the most sustainable homes need continued efforts from its livers. And in the case of EcoDorm, students live by their words. Most also take advantage of the dorm’s bio-garden, planting and harvesting fruits and vegetables. “I didn’t have to worry about paper towels being wasted or feel bad about drying my clothes outside,” Jeremy Lekich, the dorm’s gardener, said. “Basically, it has made my life easier.”
1. We can learn from the text that the EcoDorm in the US .
A. offers students the chances to have a natural living at college
B. was firstly built by two college students
C. was designed for saving building materials
D. is only applicable in few schools
2. The second paragraph is mainly about .
A. where the EcoDorm was built
B. when the EcoDorm got its name
C. what the EcoDorm is made of
D. how the concept of EcoDorm started
3. What can be inferred from the text?
A. A long-term development calls for students’ efforts.
B. Students’ ideas should be encouraged at college.
C. Green living is a new trend at American colleges.
D. Students can learn to protect the environment through practice.
Guide dogs are going to be available for the children who are unable to see normally in the UK for the first time, as the age limit is to be removed. The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association is to begin training dogs to help blind people under the age of 16.
The association says too many youngsters with impaired eyesight are lacking in independence. They have only a limited social life because of their disability. Giving some of them guide dogs at a younger age is intended to help them to widen their range of activities and to improve their sense of self-confidence and independence. Guide dogs for these teenagers will begin to be provided from next year. There has been an experimental project to test the use of guide dogs with younger people.
Charlotte, aged 14, was among the youngest guide dog owners. She had been gradually losing her eyesight since the age of eight, and lost her eyesight completely this year. She has been assisted by a two-year-old guide dog. Charlotte used to have a long stick to help her move around, but having a guide dog allows her much more freedom and makes her feel safer.
However, the association says there is a worryingly patchy supply of services for the young blind people across the UK, and it calls for national standards to be introduced. As with adult blind people, only a small number of them are likely to be considered suitable for a guide dog. Most will continue to rely on extra help and training from education and social services.
1. We can learn from the text that owning guide dogs .
A. may meet with difficulties sometimes
B. is beneficial to blind children’s development
C. became possible in the UK recently
D. is quite universal in the UK
2.According to the text, Charlotte’s example proves that .
A. it is necessary to carry out the experimental project
B. guide dogs can get along well with disabled people
C. the association’s opinion is not quite right
D. youngsters need companions and friends
3.What does the underlined word “patchy” in the last paragraph probably mean?
A. Endless. B. Perfect.
C. Inadequate. D. Diverse.
4. What is the main idea of the text?
A. Blind people need guide dogs’ assistance in their daily life.
B. Age limit for the blind to have guide dogs is to be removed.
C. More guide dogs will be trained in the UK.
D. The project of using guide dogs is to begin.
The values of artistic works, according to cultural relativism(相对主义), are simply reflections of local social and economic conditions. Such a view, however, fails to explain the ability of some works of art to excite the human mind across cultures and through centuries.
History has witnessed the endless productions of Shakespearean plays in every major language of the world. It is never rare to find that Mozart packs Japanese concert halls, as Japanese painter Hiroshige does Paris galleries, Unique works of this kind are different from today’s popular art, even if they began as works of popular art. They have set themselves apart in their timeless appeal and will probably be enjoyed for centuries into the future.
In a 1757 essay, the philosopher David Hume argued that because“ the general principles of taste are uniform(不变的) in human nature,” the value of some works of art might be essentially permanent. He observed that Homer was still admired after two thousand years. Works of this type, he believed, spoke to deep and unvarying features of human nature and could continue to exist over centuries.
Now researchers are applying scientific methods to the study of the universality of art. For example, evolutionary psychology is being used by literary scholars to explain the long-lasting themes and plot devices in fiction. The structures of musical pieces are now open to experimental analysis as never before. Research findings seem to indicate that the creation by a great artist is as permanent an achievement as the discovery by a great scientist.
1.According to the passage, what do we know about cultural relativism?
A. It introduces different cultural values.
B. It explains the history of artistic works.
C. It relates artistic values to local conditions.
D. It excites the human mind throughout the world.
2.In Paragraph 2, the artists are mentioned in order to show that ---.
A. great works of art can go beyond national boundaries
B. history gives art works special appeal to set them apart
C. popular arts are hardly distinguishable from great arts
D. great artists are skilled at combining various cultures
3.According to Hume, some works of art can exist for centuries because ----.
A. they are results of scientific study
B. they establish some general principles of art
C. they are created by the world’s greatest artists
D. they appeal to unchanging features of human nature
4.Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage
A. Are Artistic Values Universal
B. Are Popular Arts Permanent
C. Is Human Nature Uniform
D. Is Cultural Relativism Scientific
Once when I was facing a decision that involved high risk, I went to a friend. He looked at me for a moment, and then wrote a sentence containing the best advice I have ever had: Be bold and brave — and mighty (强大的) forces will come to your aid.
Those words made me see clearly that when I had fallen short in the past, it was seldom because I had tried and failed. It was usually because I had let fear of failure stop me from trying at all. On the other hand, whenever I had plunged into deep water, forced by courage or circumstance, I had always been able to swim until I got my feet on the ground again.
Boldness means a decision to bite off more than you can eat. And there is nothing mysterious about the mighty forces. They are potential powers we possess: energy, skill, sound judgment, creative ideas — even physical strength greater than most of us realize.
Admittedly, those mighty forces are spiritual ones. But they are more important than physical ones. A college classmate of mine, Tim, was an excellent football player, even though he weighed much less than the average player. “In one game I suddenly found myself confronting a huge player, who had nothing but me between him and our goal line,” said Tim. “I was so frightened that I closed my eyes and desperately
threw myself at that guy like a bullet（子弹） — and stopped him cold.”
Boldness — a willingness to extend yourself to the extreme—is not one that can be acquired overnight. But it can be taught to children and developed in adults. Confidence builds up. Surely, there will be setbacks (挫折) and disappointments in life; boldness in itself is no guarantee of success. But the person who tries to do something and fails is a lot better off than the person who tries to do nothing and succeeds.
So, always try to live a little bit beyond your abilities and you’ll find your abilities are greater than you ever dreamed.
1.What is the implied meaning of the underlined part?
A. Swallow more than you can digest.
B. Act slightly above your abilities.
C. Develop more mysterious powers.
D. Learn to make creative decisions.
2.What was especially important for Tim‘s successful defense in the football game?
A. His physical strength. B. His basic skill.
C. His real fear. D. His spiritual force.
3.What can be learned from Paragraph 5?
A. Confidence grows more rapidly in adults.
B. Trying without success is meaningless.
C. Repeated failure creates a better life.
D. Boldness can be gained little by little.
4.What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?
A. To encourage people to be courageous.
B. To advise people to build up physical power.
C. To tell people the ways to guarantee success.
D. To recommend people to develop more abilities.
单句翻译
1.如果你的膳食不平衡，会有什么情况发生呢？
2.我们能够从小组讨论中获益良多。换句话说，学会交流很有益处。
3.显而易见没人喜欢被捉弄。（it 作形式主语）
4.正相反，我不同意你所说的。（宾语从句）
5.他在银川, 黄河岸边一个美丽的城市被抚养成人。(用同位语)
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。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（/\），并在此符号下面写出该加的词。
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：每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；只允许修改十次，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
I am so exciting that I can’t wait to share that I experienced with you today. I gave my first lesson in our school, that left me a deep impression.
When I entered into the classroom, my students began to make much noise. I stand on the platform, not knowing what to do at first. But soon I realized everything must be done. “My friends, do you know who I am?” I asked them in loud voice. Immediately, the classroom became quiet and the kids were curiously about me. Then I wrote my name on the blackboard and introduce myself in standard Chinese with local accent, which sounded very funny. “My friends, it seems that I can speak several language.” When hearing this, the kids burst into laugher. Gradually all the kids turned their attention to my class.
