A British shopper, Emma Mumford, who was named “the Coupon(优惠券) Queen” has spent just ￡350 on a luxury Christmas for her and her family-but got ￡2,500 worth of food, drink and presents thanks to coupons and offers.
Ms Mumford is a so-called “extreme couponer” and spends hours hunting out the best deals and bargains. She has been preparing for this Christmas since the end of the last one. Ms Mumford made the huge savings by checking price comparison websites and as a result collected more presents than she needed for Christmas. After sorting out gifts for all of her family, she has even been able to donate ￡1,000 worth of presents to her local hospital.
“It has been so nice to have Christmas sorted and not having to worry about breaking the bank. I wanted to get high quality presents for my family and show that you can do it without spending a fortune. There is a misconception that everyone who does couponing only gets value products but through my careful shopping I have managed to purchase designer perfumes, a high-end coffee machine.” she explained.
She said “What started as a hobby to help me save money has turned into my life and I am able to run a business helping people save money. I know what it feels like to struggle as my ex-partner had a lot of debt which I took on for him. We were in a poor situation where every penny counted. That’s what really inspired me.”
She has now turned her bargain-hunting addiction into a business where she searches for the best deals and offer tips to the general public through video blogging and her Facebook Page.
“I try and show people that it is just a little bit of work in the beginning but it will eventually pay off. One of the best things to do is just to be a bit forward thinking and save throughout the year.”
1.How did Emma make the huge savings ?
A. She compared prices through websites.
B. She hunted out bargains in real shops.
C. She used coupons and offers worth ￡2,500.
D. She collected more Christmas presents than needed.
2.What does “breaking the bank” in the third paragraph mean____?
A. Buying presents of low quality.
B. Spending more money than you have.
C. Breaking into the bank.
D. Taking out money from the bank.
3.What really inspired Emma to help people save money?
A. Her addiction to bargain-hunting.
B. The financial difficulties she shared with her ex-partner.
C. The poor situation people around her were going through.
D. Her experience of running an unsuccessful business.
4.Which of the following can best describe Emma?
A. Ambitious and creative.
B. Sensitive and determined.
C. Brave and lucky.
D. Careful and caring.
Together the two boys, who go to Escondido High School in California, have had the difficult job of learning in schools where the majority of the students can speak and hear. Orlando lost his hearing at the age of one. German was born deaf, and his parents moved from Mexico to find a school where he could learn sign language. He met Orlando on their first day of kindergarten.
“We were in a special class with about 25 other deaf kids,” German remembers. “Before then, I didn’t know I was deaf and that I was different.”“Being young and deaf in regular classes was very hard,” signs Orlando. “The other kids didn’t understand us and we didn’t understand them. But we’ve all grown up together, and today, I’m popular because I’m deaf. Kids try hard to communicate with me.”
Some things are very difficult for the two boys.“We can’t talk on the phone, so if we need help, we can’t call an emergency service,” German signs. “And we can’t order food in a drive-thru.”
Despite their difficulties, the two boys have found work putting food in bags at a local supermarket. They got their jobs through a “work ability” program, designed for teenagers from local schools with different types of learning disabilities. German has worked in the supermarket since August, and Orlando started in November.“The other people who work here have been very nice to us,” Orlando signs.“They even sign sometimes. At first, we were nervous, but we’ve learned a lot and we’re getting better.”The opportunity to earn money has been exciting, both boys said. After high school, they hope to attend the National Technical Institute for the Deaf in New York.
1.Orlando and German have been_____________.
A．to Mexico together.
B．deaf since they were born.
C．friends since they were very young.
D．to different high schools.
2.The word “emergency” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to________.
A．food. B．crisis. C．alarm. D．quick.
3.Both boys are happy to__________________.
A．have the opportunity to earn money.
B．work at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf.
C．help students with learning disabilities.
D．design programs for the deaf
Sitting for more than three hours a day can decrease a person’s life expectancy(预期寿命)by two years, even if her or she is physically active and gets rid of (摆脱)dangerous habit like smoking ,according to a study. Watching TV for more than two hours a day can worsen that problem, decreasing life expectancy by another 1.4 years.
The analysis comes just two years after Australian researchers found that people who said they watched TV for more than four hours a day were 46% more likely to die of any cause than people who said they spent less than two hours a day watching TV. Those watching TV more than four hours a day were also 80% more likely to die of cardiovascular (心血管的) disease. “Long-sitting behavior is something we need to take note of beyond telling people to get 30 minutes of activity a day ,” said Peter T. Katzmarzyk, one of the lead researchers. But while the evidence of illnesses is increasing, it remains difficult for many people to find time to get on their feet, especially if they do desk jobs.
“Try to stand as much as you can,” Dr Katzmarzyk said. “Typically when you are on the telephone you can stand and use the speakerphone. Instead of e-mailing someone in the office, just get up and so to talk to them.” However , Dr Katzmarzyk added, standing shouldn’t be alternative to exercising, but an alternative to sitting . “Several studies show that when you’re sitting , your leg muscles are completely inactive,” he said . “When you’re sitting and completely inactive, this is when you run into trouble managing blood sugar.”
1.What is the main idea of the first paragraph?
A. Watching TV too long can worsen our mental health.
B. We should be active and give up smoking.
C. Sitting for too long a time can shorten one’s life.
D. Smoking too much can be harmful to health.
2.The researchers draw the conclusion of the effect of long-sitting behavior by_______.
A. making comparisons(比较) B. listing figures
C. giving examples D. classifying facts
3.What does Dr Katzmarzyk think of long-sitting behavior ?
A. It warns people to exercise 30 minutes a day.
B. It’s a bad behavior worth considering seriously.
C. It can lead to death at once.
D. It is good for desk job workers.
4.According to Dr Katzmarzyk, if you are sitting all the time, you may__________.
A. phone your friends and talk about your problem
B. put on weight quickly and become more inactive
C. want to have more sugar for your meals
D. find it hard to keep your blood sugar proper
For as early as I could remember, my mother had been a bright, cheerful woman deeply interested and involved in the world around her. However, in the last fifteen years of her life, she had to live with senile dementia (老年痴呆). I would go to my home to pay her a visit in California and she would curiously look at me and then ask, “Who are you?” I would answer, “I’m your own son, of course.” “Where do you live?” She would ask. “In Virginia”, I would tell her. “Isn’t that interesting,” she would say, “I have a son in Virginia.”
Mother seemed only forgetful as well as confused at the beginning of that disease, but sometime later she would go through different time of intense anxiety. She would keep walking through the house she used to live in most of her life crying uneasily that she would like to go home. Or sometimes she left home and wandered away if she were unattended(无人照看) for a short time.
Hoping to make her happy and put her mind at ease I would take her in my car, visiting sites where she used to live when she was a child. In the yard of the hillside house in Shipman I sat in the car and admired the view of the old oaks and long green lawn. I pictured my mother that there was a little girl playing with the pet lamb she had been so fond of. I looked to her for some response. She shook her head and said, “I want to go home.”
Over the years I have decided that what my mother was calling home was not a place, but a time. I think it was a time when she was much younger, when her children were still underfoot, when her husband was still energetic and attentive.
Watching my mother’s suffering set me wondering where I would have in mind if someday I couldn’t find home and wanted to go there. In this family we tend to be long-lived and we grow fuzzy (糊涂的) minded as the years go by. At eighty I have already noticed some alarming symptoms（症状）. My doctor says the forgetfulness is only natural and that it comes with age. Still the fear of senile dementia is haunting there. Someday if and when I become even more cloudy minded than I am now, unable to drive and unable to tell you where "home" is, my dear son, I expect I will ask you to take me home, I know you will do your best to find the place I need to be. I leave these notes for your guidance.
1.Which of the following is NOT the symptom of the mother of the author?
A. forgetful B. confused C. cheerful D. uneasy
2.What’s the meaning of the underlined word “picture”?
A. 摄影 B.描绘 C.出现 D. 绘画
3.What can you infer from the third paragraph?
A. The author cared much about his mother.
B. The mother of the author liked pet lambs very much.
C. The author found a very little girl who was playing with a pet lamb.
D. The mother of the author did not like her usual home.
4.What’s the best title of the passage?
A. Where Is Home?
B. A story about a son and a mother.
C. Everyone will suffer with senile dementia.
D. Take Mother Home.
单词拼写
1.____( decorate) with gold and jewels, which took the best artists about ten years to make, the Amber Room was a treasure.
2.This was a time ___the two countries were at war.
3.The man, ___ whom the castle belonged, decided to explode it.
4.The Winter and the Summer Olympics are held every four years___ a regular basis.
5.No_____ countries could join in, nor could slaves or women!
6.The more you speak English, the ___(good) your English will become.
7.Please move over to make room ____ the hero.
8.We can make this world a better place ___which to live.
9.____ time went by, I did research into how to make my radio.
10.What do the five stars on National Flag stand ____?
11.Ancient people read books ___ the light of moon.
12.Life is like an ocean; only__ strong-minded can reach the other shore.
13.Each side takes___(turn) to debate and gives reasons for their opinion.
14.The government has improved people’s____(house) conditions
15.____ happened to the Amber Room remains a mystery.
16.Do the athletes compete___ prize money in the Modern Olympics？
17.There is no doubt ___the boxes were put on a train for a German city.
18.I think highly of those who ___(search ) for the Amber Room.
19.Only athletes who have reached the agreed standard for their event_____(admit) as competitors.
20.Since the 1970s, many applicants ____(allow) to go abroad to further their education.
书面表达
假定你是李华，你的美国朋友Sarah 打算暑期来北京旅游，来信询问改建后前门大街的情况。请你写封回信，简单介绍以下内容：
1. 简况：长800余米、600多年历史、300余家商铺；
2. 位置：天安门广场南面；
3. 交通：公共汽车17、69、59等路，地铁2号线；
4. 特色：步行街、当当车、茶馆、剧院等。
参考词汇：步行街 pedestrian street
当当车 trolley car
地铁 subway
注意：
1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.开头语已为你写好，请将完整的回信书写在答题卡上。
Dear Sarah,
Thank you for your letter asking about the rebuilt Qianmen street. Here is something about it.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you !
Yours sincerely,
Li hua
