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’ve 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 are sure 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. Why was the author sometimes unable to reach his goal in the past?
A.He faced huge risks.
B.He lacked mighty forces.
C.Fear prevented him from trying.
D.Failure blocked his way to success.
2. What is the implied meaning of the underlined part?
A.Swallow more than you can digest.
B. Develop more mysterious powers.
C.Act slightly above your abilities.
D. Learn to make creative decisions.
3. What can be learned from Paragraph 5?
A.Confidence grows more rapidly in adults.
B.Boldness can be gained little by little.
C.Repeated failure creates a better life.
D. Trying without success is meaningless.
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.
Regarded as one of the English language’s most gifted poets, John Keats wrote poetry that concentrated on imagery, human nature, and philosophy. Although Keats didn’t receive much formal literary education, his own studies and passion brought him much success. Additionally, his own life situation influenced his poetry greatly.
Growing up as a young boy in London in a lower middle-class family, the young John didn’t attend a private school, but went to a public one. His teachers and his family’s friends regarded him as an optimistic boy who favored playing and fighting much more than minding his studies. After his father’s death in the early 1800s, followed by his mother’s passing due to tuberculosis (肺结核), he began viewing life differently. He wanted to escape the world and did so by reading anything he could get his hands on.
At around the age of 16, the teenage John Keats began studying under a surgeon so that he too might become a doctor. However, his literary appetite had taken too much of his fancy, especially with his addiction to the poetry of Ehmund Spenser. He was able to have his first full poem published in the Examiner in 1816, entitled O Solitude! If I Must With Thee Dwell. Within two months in 1817, Keats had written an entire volume of poetry, but was sharply criticized by a magazine. However, the negative response didn’t stop his pursuit of rhythm (韵律).
John Keats’ next work was Endymion, which was published in May 1818. The story involves a shepherd who falls in love with the moon goddess and leads him on an adventure of one boy’s hope to overcome the limitations of being human. Following Endymion, however, he tried something more narrative-based and wrote Isabella. During this time, John Keats began seeing his limitations in poetry due to his own limit in life experiences. He would have to have the “knowledge” associated with his poems. His next work was Hyperion that would attempt to combine all that he learned. However, a bout (发作) with tuberculosis while visiting Italy would keep him from his work and eventually take his life in 1821.
1. John Keats’ attitude towards life changed because of _________.
A. his early education from school
B. the deaths of his parents
C. Edmund Spenser’s poetry
D. the criticism of a magazine
2. What is the common thing between John Keats and his mother?
A. They died of the same disease.
B. They had a bad childhood
C. They read many books.
D. They showed strong interest in poetry
3.While pursuing his dream of becoming a poet at first, John Keats was _________.
A. determined B. experienced C. knowledgeable D. impatient
4. What do we know from the passage?
A. Keats received little education at school.
B. Keats once had a chance of becoming a doctor.
C. In 1816 Keats spent two months writing a poem.
D. Endymion was about a real love story.
If you are a book-lover, you may be interested in the following.
Dietland, by Sarai Walker
If you’re sick of the stick-thin and perfectly slim models of society today, Dietland is for you. The funny novel follows Plum Kettle, an over-weight advice journalist who answers fan mail for a teen girls’ website. She’s convinced that her life won’t really start until she saves up enough money for her weight-loss operation — when she’ll finally look like the “perfect” woman. But after she gets pulled into a series of adventures with a group of women who live life on their own terms, she begins to reconsider her own opinions of what “beauty” really is.
Orhan’s Inheritance, by Aline Ohanesian
After Orhan’s Turkish grandfather dies, he learns that while he’s taken over his grandfather’s successful business, the house that’s been in his family for generations was not left to him. Instead, it went to an 87-year-old woman who lives in L.A. that no one in his family has ever heard of. To get to the bottom of this, Orhan travels to L.A. to meet with the woman. It’s then that he uncovers the secrets of his family.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, by Yuval Noah Harari
If the story of evolution (进化) has always interested you, this book is for you. In it, Dr. Yuval Noah Harari explores how, if 100,000 years ago there were six different kinds of humans on Earth, only one lived through to today: homo sapiens. He takes both an historical and biological approach to his discussion of how humans have evolved over time. He talks about the society created by sapiens and cultural wonders. And perhaps what is most fascinating is the evolution of humans.
1.What does Plum Kettle want before she joins the women in the adventures?
A. Natural beauty.
B. A large sum of money.
C. A healthy lifestyle.
D. A slim shape.
2.What puzzled Orhan after his grandfather’s death?
A.Their house was given to a stranger.
B.His grandfather’s business was such a success.
C.He had to take care of the 87-year-old woman.
D.The 87-year-old woman was one of his relatives.
3. What’s the most interesting in Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind ?
A. The advanced society. B. The rise of humans.
C. The development of biology. D. The cultural wonders.
假如你是李华，最近你在澳大利亚布里斯班的home stay打算来中国旅游并来看望你，来之前有些问题要咨询你，请根据下面home stay的电子邮件用英语回一封电子邮件。
Hi LiHua,
Hope you and your family are well. We have booked a tour to see the sights of China in March. In the travel we plan to fly to Wuhan to see you .How does that sound? Because we are going to stay in your city for two days, so can you keep us informed of your arrangements about our stay and how can we get to your city from the airport? By the way, which hotel we had better reserve in your city?
Waiting for your reply!
Steven and Karen
注意：1. 词数120字左右；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 写作内容不要透露你所在城市的任何信息，推荐酒店为White Swan Hotel。
Hi Steven and Karen，
I’ m more than thrilled to know that you are going to be with us for two days and___________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Looking forward to your coming!
Yours,
LiHua
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。每次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。
Sunny 31st ,July
It was sunny today and I was in a good mood. Tired of studying or the noise of city life, I come to the ecology park to enjoy scenery and get relaxing in the afternoon.
While I arrived at the park, what came into its sight were the thick green trees. The air was fresh. In addition, I could clearly see a path around the pond. Lying on the grasses decorated with various flowers, I felt with ease because all that I wanted was peace inside.
Therefore, with time going by quickly, the sun was setting in the west. So I had to return back home. I would never forget such romantic experience, which was really beyond description.
语法填空
阅读下面材料，按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求，在空格处用一个适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空。
In recent years many TV shows have become extremely popular among Chinese audience. Those programs, ranging from talent or dating shows to reality shows 1. (receive) both commercial success and public attention.
Their popularity is 2. (main) based on simple facts. First, they care 3. social concerns. Second, without exception, they explore a perfect balance between the international forms and Chinese expressions.
Despite apparent highlights, much room 4. (leave) for improvement. Above all, commercial interests often outweigh 5. （education） purposes, causing many complaints about the 6. (bearable) advertisements. In addition, some sharp remarks, 7. they are eye-catching, may have misleading effects on the youth.
In my opinion, such shows should shoulder more responsibility instead of merely 8. (entertain) the public. 9. is expected, these programs should be positive in their forms as well as functions. Meanwhile, the 10. (medium) should also safeguard the values of our society.
