Taylor Swift was born on December 13, 1989, in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. Swift’s family ran a farm. “I had her sitting on a small horse when she was nine months old,” said Swift's mother. “If my dream had gone well, she’d be in a horse show right now.” The only obvious forerunner (先驱) of Swift's musical talent was her grandmother, an opera singer.
That talent showed itself early: when the family went to see a Disney musical film, Swift would come out of the theater singing all the songs correctly. At the age of 11, she sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” at a Philadelphia 76ers game. The experiences during her pre-teen years encouraged the creativity to go with Swift’s talent. As a child, she attended the academically competitive Wyndcroft School in Pottstown, but then switched to public schools in Wyomissing. Although it was her hometown, she didn’t know any of her classmates, and she was terrified. Swift began to understand the storytelling feature of country songs, and put her feelings into songs of her own.
One of her future hits, “The Outside”, was written when she was only 12. “I wrote that about the scariest feeling I’ve ever felt: going to school, looking at those faces, and not knowing who you’re gonna talk to that day,” she said. “In the music, I could never feel the kind of rejection (拒绝) that I felt in middle school.” Swift's parents quickly realized that they had someone special on their hands. They sold their farm when she was 13 and moved the family to Hendersonville, Tennessee.
Swift had the ability, above all, to put feelings into words with accuracy (准确) far beyond her years. In “Our Song” she wrote, “Our song is the slamming screen door, going out late, tapping on your window.” In the summer of 2006, “Tim McGraw” came out, and almost from the beginning the 16-year-old Taylor Swift was a star.
1.When she was in her childhood, Taylor Swift ________.
A. dreamed of being a horse rider
B. was expected to help on the farm
C. showed her talent for music early
D. learned singing from her grandmother
2.Which of the following can best describe Swift’s school days in Wyomissing?
A. Difficult B. Helpful
C. Competitive D. Satisfying
3.Taylor Swift’s parents moved the family to Hendersonville ________.
A. when she was twelve years old.
B. after “The Outside” became a hit.
C. because she was rejected in school.
D. after they realized her musical talent.
4.Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
A. Swift sang for a Disney movie at a young age.
B. “The Outside” came out when Swift was only 12.
C. Life in Wyndcroft School encouraged Swift's creativity.
D. She tells her stories in her music.
If you have a chance to go to Finland, you will probably be surprised to find how “foolish” the Finnish people are.
Take the taxi drivers for example. Taxis in Finland are mostly high-class Benz with a fare of two US dollars a kilometer. You can go anywhere in one, tell the driver to drop you at any place, say that you have some business to attend to, and then walk off without paying your fare. The driver would not show the least sign of anxiety.
The dining rooms in all big hotels not only serve their guests, but also serve outside diners. Hotel guests have their meals free, so they naturally go to the free dining rooms to have their meals. The most they would do to show their good faith is to wave their registration card to the waiter. With such a loose check, you can easily use any old registration card to take a couple of friends to dine free of charge.
The Finnish workers are paid by the hour. They are very much on their own as soon as they have agreed with the boss on the pay. From then on, they just say how many hours they have worked and they will be paid accordingly.
With so many loopholes (漏洞) in everyday life, surely Finland must be a heaven to those who love to take “petty advantages”. But the strange thing is, all the taxi passengers would always come back to pay their fare after they have attended to their business; not a single outsider has ever been found in the free hotel dining rooms. And workers always give an honest account of the exact hours they put in. As the Finns always act on good faith in everything they do, living in such a society has turned everyone into a real “gentleman”.
In a society of such high moral practice, what need is there for people to be on guard against others?
1.While taking a taxi in Finland, ________.
A. a passenger can go anywhere without having to pay the driver
B. a passenger pays two US dollars for a taxi ride
C. a passenger can never be turned down by the taxi driver wherever he wants to go
D. a passenger needs to provide good faith demonstration before leaving without paying
2.We know from the passage that big hotels in Finland ________.
A. are mostly poorly managed
B. provide meals for any diners
C. provide free wine and charge for food
D. provide meals for only those who live in the hotels
3.Which of the following is NOT true about the workers and the bosses in Finland?
A. The workers in Finland are paid by the hour.
B. The workers are always honest with their working hours.
C. The workers and their bosses will make an agreement in advance about the pay.
D. The bosses in Finland are too busy to check the working hours of their employees.
4.The word “those” in the last but one paragraph probably refers to ________.
A. people who are dishonest
B. people who often have meals in big hotels
C. people who often take taxis
D. people who are worthy of trust
The Opening of the Book Nook
Saturday, October 4, 10 AM to 10 PM
You will not want to miss the opening of your new neighborhood bookstore! Located at 2289 Main Street, the Book Nook is within walking distance of schools, many homes and businesses. Come and check out the Book Nook on Saturday!
Activities will include:
● Live music by local musicians
● One Book-of-the-Month Club membership giveaway (赠送)
Wide Selection
The Book Nook has three floors with books of all kinds---any kind you could want. If we do not have the book you are looking for, we can specially order it for you. You will have it in your hands within two days!
Reading Nooks
We are proud of our children’s reading area on the first floor, as well as our teenagers’ nook on the second floor. Come for the activities and stay for a while! Settle in one of these inviting reading areas; take a seat with a good book and a free cup of hot chocolate. You will discover the perfect way to spend a few hours.
Book Events
The Book Nook will be featuring monthly book signings by different authors, giving you a chance to meet and speak with well-known writers. Don’t miss the experience of hearing these authors read aloud their own books!
The Book-of-the-Month Club
Our Book-of-the-Month Club will feature 12 books each year. As a member, you will be able to select one new book each month. The membership fee is only $10.00 per month. That is a great price for 12 books each year!
So please join us on Saturday and learn about all that the Book Nook has to offer. You can come anytime between 10 AM and 10 PM. Our activities last all day long!
1.What can we learn about the Book Nook?
A. It is a well-located bookstore.
B. Any interesting books can be found right here.
C. It is open from 10 AM to 10 PM every day.
D. The third floor is specially designed for children.
2.What can people do in the Book Nook on October 4?
A. They can have a taste of different kinds of chocolate.
B. They can read aloud together with well-known writers.
C. They can enjoy live music performed by well-known writers.
D. They can become a member of the Book-of-the-Month Club.
3.As a member of the Book-of-the-Month Club, you ________.
A. can buy any books in the Book Nook at a low price
B. may borrow as many as 12 books every week
C. need to pay 120 dollars every year
D. should be over the age of 12
母亲节和父亲节来临之际，人们总会利用这样的机会向自己的父母表达对他们的爱，以及对他们的感恩之情。可是，如今社会上有些人缺乏应有的感恩之心，少数人甚至在父母年老体弱时都不愿意赡养。
请你结合自己的实际谈谈：
1. 父母值得你感恩的地方，请用实例说明；
2. 将来你会做些什么来报答父母的养育之恩。
【注意】
1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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。作文中共有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：在缺词处加一个漏子符号（∧）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。
Time flies! This is a third year that I have been in this school. In the past two and a half years, our school had organized many activities. What impressed me best was an activity called “Learning to Farm”. In an autumn afternoon, we were sent to a farm which we learned to plant potatoes. Having been in the city for so a long time, we were so happy to go to the countryside. After divided into three groups, we started to work. Some students cut potatoes into pieces; some dug holes, and the others put the pieces of potatoes into the hole, put the earth back and push them down hard. We continued doing that until all the work was done. Although we were exhausted, but we felt fulfilled on our way back home.
语法填空
阅读下面材料，在空格处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
Have you ever heard “Tuhao, let’s be friends”? Are you puzzled, wondering 1. it means? Then you’re possibly out of date.
Nowadays, the Chinese words “tuhao” and “dama” have become so familiar 2. many Chinese people that they often play jokes on each other when 3. (chat) about the daily life. For example, if you take your new 4. (fashion) mobile phone, your naughty friends may call you “tuhao”, laughing loudly and happily.
Amazingly, the two wildly popular words have become hot words in English too. Recently, the BBC 5. (produce) a program to introduce “tuhao”. 6. the Internet, “tuhao” can be translated into “new money（暴发户）” in English. Besides, The Wall Street Journal has also borrowed “dama” from the Chinese pinyin 7. (describe) bargain-hunting middle-aged Chinese women, calling 8. “a force in the global gold market”. Experts say 9. Chinese language’s influence on English will continue during the entire 21st century, 10. it is expected that “tuhao” will be welcomed by the Oxford University Press to appear in the new word lists.
