Dear Amy，
My husband is a loving, creative and sensitive person who is 15 years my senior. (I am in my mid-30s.)
Now I still struggle with my ups and downs, and he is still broke. I have continually asked my husband to get a job. I know he’s trying, but even a part-time job at a convenience store would make ends meet. His former profession as a freelance(自由职业的) producer dropped off with the economy, and while he tries hard to find work in his field, he is extremely unwilling to accept the fact that he may need to get a “regular”job.
I love him very much, but I can’t continue to keep my frustration(沮丧)bottled up. I tell myself I’m going to leave him if he doesn’t find work, but I really want to stay together. How should I handle this?
Round the Bend
Dear Round,
Having been a freelancer for many years, I assure you (and him) that the true meaning of freelancing is that you have the freedom to accept a variety of jobs, as well as the responsibility to make a living between jobs. Freelancers teach, tend bar, sell things door to door and do anything it takes to bring home the money. Volunteering is also a wonderful way to keep busy and meet new people.
Amy
Dear Amy,
“Joan” was a 50-year-old reader who wants to spend her parents’ gift (money) on a trip to India. Her retirement fund(退休金) is less than half of what she will need for retirement. It’s also clear that she hasn’t budgeted monthly for car repairs and other out-of-pocket expenses. In your answer, you encourage her to go.
She’s 50 and the clock is ticking! How will she feel about the trip she took when she turns 70 when she can’t afford to retire? Maybe there are other ways she can experience Indian food, culture, history and art without spending the entire sum of money. When her “health slows her down.” she may wish she had kept a rainy-day fund.
Realistic Reader
Dear Realistic,
Your argument is very logical and realistic, but there are also times when you have to go for it. I hope she does.
Amy
1.Who might be Amy?
A. A reporter of a health magazine.
B. A kind-hearted friend of Joan’s.
C. An advisor offering people career advice.
D. An editor of “Ask Amy” section of a magazine.
2.What makes Miss Round so upset?
A. Her husband doesn’t love her as much as when they met.
B. Her husband doesn’t earn enough money to support the family.
C. Her husband fails to take the responsibility of feeding his family.
D. Her husband has a hard time finding a “regular” job in his former field.
3.Amy suggested Joan ________.
A. go for her dream of traveling to India
B. experience Indian culture at home
C. save money for retirement
D. refuse her parents’ gift money
4.According to Realistic Reader, when Joan retires she would feel ___ about her trip if she took it now.
A. worthwhile B. regretful C. excited D. sad
Have you ever heard that we humans use only ten percent of our brains? This opinion holds a certain appeal because if it were true, then we could instantly become ten times more intelligent just by firing up that sleepy majority of the brain!
The idea that we use only a small part of the brain dates back to animal experiments in the 19th century. When scientists stimulated (刺激) a specific part of the brain, the animal moved its leg or tail. If a tiny part of the brain could do something so great, what was the use of the rest of the brain? Some scientists assumed that large parts of the brain were simply useless.
Then, in the early 20th century, scientists observed that stimulating certain parts of the brain had no physical effects. They named these seemingly useless parts of the brain the “silent cortex.” Today we know that in humans, much of the “silent cortex” is actually devoted to complex activities like language, learning, and imagining.
Brain scans have shown that different parts of the brain become much more active as we shift (切换) our attention and focus, but even as we sleep, many areas of the brain are extremely active. Would you be smarter if your entire brain constantly worked to maximum capacity (能力)? Interestingly enough, the opposite is probably true. The less brain activity you need to perform a given task, the more the brain as a whole is able to do.
1.Why does the opinion mentioned in paragraph l seem appealing?
A. People wish to become much smarter.
B. People believe it is scientific.
C. People know nothing about the brain.
D. People want to make little use of their brain.
2.What did scientists discover in their experiment in the 20th century?
A. The majority of the brain is sleeping.
B. Animals’ legs and tails have some connection with their brain.
C. Stimulation on some parts of the brain causes no physical reaction.
D. Certain parts of the brain are devoted to language and learning activities.
3.“Silent cortex” has proved to be______.
A. sensitive to stimulation
B. useful in complex activities
C. responsible for physical reaction
D. more active than the other parts of the brain
4.If you need less brain activity to perform a task, _______.
A. you will feel sleepy
B. you must shift your focus
C. you can use your brain to the fullest
D. you will be more productive
Visitor Oyster cards are electronic smartcards that come fully charged with credit. Whether you’re making a one-off trip to London or you’re a regular visitor, using an Oyster travel smartcard is the easiest way to travel around the city’s public transport network. Simply touch the card on the yellow card reader at the doors when you start and end your journey.
Advantages of a Visitor Oyster Card
A Visitor Oyster card is one of the cheapest ways to pay for single journeys on the bus, Tube, DLR, tram, London Overground and most National Rail services in London:
● Save time—your card is ready to use as soon as you arrive in London.
● It’s more than 50% cheaper than buying a paper travel card or single tickets with cash.
● There is a daily price cap—once you have reached this limit, you won’t pay any more.
● Enjoy special offers and promotions at leading London restaurants, shops and entertainment venues—plus discounts on the Emirates Air Line cable car and Thames Clippers river buses.
Buy a Visitor Oyster card
Buy a Visitor Oyster card before you visit London and get it delivered to your home address. A card costs ￡3 (non-refundable) plus postage. Order online and arrive with your Oyster in hand! You can also buy a Visitor Oyster card from Gatwick Express ticket offices at Gatwick Airport Station and on board Eurostar trains travelling to London.
Add Credit to Your Visitor Oyster Card
You can choose how much credit to add to your card. If you are visiting London for two days, you can start with ￡20 credit. If you run out of credit, add credit at the following locations:
● Touch screen ticket machines in Tube, DLR, London Overground and some National Rail stations.
● Around 4,000 Oyster Ticket Stops found in newsagents and small shops across London.
● TFL Visitor and Travel Information Centers.
● Tube and London Overground station ticket offices.
● Emirates Air Line terminals.
1.When can you use your Visitor Oyster Card?
A. After you become a regular visitor.
B. Only when you end your journey.
C. Once you arrive in London.
D. Before you leave home.
2.What can we learn about the Visitor Oyster card?
A. It can reach you before your journey to London.
B. It requires you to pay as much as the daily price cap.
C. It can provide you a 50% discount at a London shop.
D. It can be delivered to your home address free of charge.
3.Where can you add credit to your Visitor Oyster card?
A. On the Internet.
B. At a Tube station ticket office.
C. On Eurostar trains.
D. At Gatwick Express ticket offices.
Dar and I loved to dance. It was probably the first thing we did together, long before we would share our lives.
We grew up in a small Oregon mountain community where dances were held almost every Saturday night. Dar was seventeen and l was thirteen when we first danced. He was one of the best dancers on the floor, and so was I. We always jitterbugged. No slow dancing for us; nothing remotely romantic.
Our fathers would stand along the wall and watch. Every once in a while, Dar’s dad would smile a little and say, to no one in particular, but my dad could hear, “Boy, my kid can sure dance.” My dad never blinked an eye; he acted like he’d never heard. But a while later he would say, to no one in particular, “That girl of mine can sure dance.”
Our dancing together stopped for five years while Dar was in the South Pacific in World War II. When we met again, Dar was twenty-two, and l was eighteen. We began to date and dance again. We were as good together as we remembered, and this time we added slow dancing.
For us, life is a dance, a movement of rhythms, directions, stumbles, missteps, at times slow and precise, or fast and wild and joyous. We did all the steps.
Two nights before Dar died, the family were with us. We all ate dinner together, and Dar sat with us. He hadn’t been able to eat for several days. After dinner, I put on a Nat King Cole tape. Dar took me in his arms, weak as he was, and we danced and smiled. No tears for us. We were doing what we had loved to do for more than fifty years. It was our last dance---forever unforgettable. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.
1.The author first danced with Dar when____.
A. they were still in their teens
B. they began to date each other
C. they began to share their lives
D. Dar returned from the South Pacific
2.What does the author mean by the underlined sentence in paragraph 3？
A. Her dad didn’t like Dar's father.
B. Her dad was not interested in the dance.
C. Her dad was too focused on his daughter.
D. Her dad thought his daughter danced better.
3.How did the author feel when she danced with Dar for the last time?
A. Regretful. B. Content.
C. Heart-broken. D. Concerned.
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A. My Unforgettable Dancing Partner
B. Dance Together to the Last
C. My Last Dance with Dar
D. The Best Dancers
近年来，由于海洋污染和过度捕捞，鱼的数量和种类在急剧地减少。请就此写一篇英语短文，给学校英语广播站投稿。内容要点如下:
1. 海洋渔业资源的现状
2. 分析现状出现的原因
3. 提出解决问题的方法
【参考词汇】 资源 resource
【注 意】 1. 词数100左右
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯
句型结构
阅读下列各小题，根据括号内的汉语提示，用句末括号内的英语单词完成句子。
1.Some people left Harry when he _________________________ (陷入困境), but Joe stood by him all the time. (into)
2.The passengers are in danger. First aid is needed badly and _________________________ (越快越好). (soon)
3.A lot of people dived into the lake _________________________ (寻找) the lost diamond ring. (of)
4.The lady _________________________ (注视) the baby for a while and left the room without looking back. (on)
5.It’s fantastic to swim in the sea, but you have to _________________________ (注意) sharks.
