IN China, red is known to be a lucky color. But you may be surprised to know that British culture is also full of the color red. It’s true: Go to Britain and you will see red everywhere.
There are red postboxes on street corners and on the sides of buildings. The British red phone box is famous all over the world. The famous double-decker (双层) bus is red. Red is the color traditionally worn by British soldiers in battle (战争), and there is red in the UK’s Union Jack national flag. Britain even has a famous team of stunt (特技) jet fighters (喷气式战斗机) called “The Red Arrows”.
To go with British culture’s love of red, British nature also features many red animals. A beloved bird is the robin (知更鸟), which has a bright red breast (胸脯). At Christmastime in winter, the bird is commonly found on the greetings cards people send each other. There is also quite a rare animal called the red squirrel (松鼠). Foxes are red, and they used to be hunted by men in red outfits (服装).
But is red considered lucky to British people? A good way to see how a culture looks at a color is to look at the way it uses it in language. The results may surprise you. Even though Britain has a lot of red on its high streets and in its countryside, red is used quite differently as a metaphor (比喻). If someone “sees red”, they are angry. When a person is “red faced”, they are out of breath or blushing (脸红). Red is also a political color: it means a left-winger (blue is the color of the political right). To be “in the red” is to be in debt (someone in credit (存款) is “in the black”).
Look hard enough and you’ll find the color red being used in all countries. For instance the “red heart” symbol (符号) is pretty universal. But whether the British realize it or not, red is everywhere in Britain. It does seem that the country is in love with the color.
1. The article is mainly about ______.
A. the metaphor of red in the English language
B. the preference for red animals in Britain
C. the history of red items in Britain
D. the color red in British culture
2. Someone saying bad words about you behind your back might make you ______.
A. red-faced B. see red
C. in the red D. in the black
3. It can be inferred from the article that ______.
A. red has different meanings depending on the context (情境)
B. the color red is not as popular as it was before in Britain
C. most British people are aware of (知道的) how popular the color red is in British culture
D. British people are often asked to explain the meaning of the color red
4.The main purpose of the article is to ______.
A. compare B. judge C. inform D. argue
I ALMOST failed out of college and it nearly broke my self-confidence. I had been at the top of my high school class, the total golden child. So when I decided that I wanted to attend Columbia University for graduate school, I was sure it would be close to impossible.
My goals were to prove to myself that my years of academic success in secondary school had not happened by chance and prepare for a career in children’s media. But first I had to get in.
So I enrolled (报名) in a GRE test prep course and threw myself into the class. The first part was pretty scary and by the third, I knew it wasn’t going to get any easier. I reconsidered my plan to take the GRE.
For the first time in my life, I considered how I should go about getting into graduate school. What were my special skills? Would any of them get me into graduate school?
I got a job working on a project sponsored by the dean’s (系主任的) office on campus and enrolled in a class. I had a new plan: Be a top student in the class while working on campus, get letters of recommendation from my boss and my professor, then hope that playing to my strengths like writing interesting papers would be enough for my application.
I worked my butt off (很努力工作) that semester. With finals approaching, I felt confident I would get an “A” in the course, so it was time for step two. I asked my boss to write a letter of recommendation. She immediately agreed. But my professor said no. She did not know me well enough and the semester was not completed. However, I decided I just would not take no for an answer. I asked if she would least write a short note unofficially supporting my application. After some uncomfortable conversations, she finally agreed. In the end, I got in!
I revisit that moment of persistence (执着) again and again. I have leapt into many other opportunities since then. Now I am starting a company born out of my graduate school research in children’s media. Our first product is a mobile game for teen girls that breaks down major life milestones (里程碑) into missions (任务). On its surface, the product helps girls connect with each other. But it also helps them develop the tools to live life without limits.
1.The writer stopped taking the GRE prep course because ______.
A. the beginning of the GRE course was really frightening
B. she realized by the third part of her GRE class that her plan wouldn’t work
C. Columbia University would not accept the GRE test
D. she didn’t put all her efforts into the GRE course at first
2. The underlined words “playing to my strengths” in Paragraph 5 probably mean “ ______”.
A. developing my physical power
B. making use of what I am good at
C. doing something to the best of my ability
D. doing something with all the strength I have
3.One of the reasons why the professor refused to write a letter of recommendation was that ______.
A. the author had almost failed out of college
B. the author was not a top student in high school
C. the author was not her favorite student in the class
D. the professor did not know enough about the author
4. The writer succeeded in getting into the graduate school because of ______.
A. her “A” grade
B. her strong letters of recommendation
C. her strong determination and her good plan to make herself stand out
D. her interest in children’s media and outstanding skills in writing interesting papers
Four cinemas in the UK
The Kinema, Lincolnshire
It's a wooden building on the outside and a two－screen cinema on the inside, all nesting among pine trees in a tiny village. The Kinema showed its first film in 1922 and the first six rows were deekchairs(折叠帆布躺椅). Today, it's more richly decorated.
“People come here because it's a fantastic experience，” says manager philip Jones. “Many rooms in the Kinema are simple and not attractive, but we try to remain everything that makes it special. ”
The Cube, Bristol
It's not really a cinema. It is a not－for－profit cooperative run by volunteers, which has been operating for the last 15 years.
They are “unique for what we do, which is to operate seven nights a week and with no funding.” They make many things themselves, such as cola and yogurt.
The Broadway, Nottingham
A cinema has been here since the 1960s, when local fashion designer Paul Smith would come to see arty foreign films, which heavily influenced his career choice. Later, he designed the stripy(条纹的) sofas.
The Broadway was previously used as a church, but locals love it for its independent, art house, and DIY spirit. The Broadway also has a right－on restaurant, with locally sourced vegetables and salads, and even serves its own beer.
The Rex, Hertfordshire
It opened to the public in 1938 and has been named the most beautiful cinema in the UK. There's a varied programme with different films every night. Hot dogs and popcorn are banned. And a real person answers the phone when you call. People speak very highly of the Rex. So do go, if only once, to see just how a cinema should be run.
1.In Philip Jones' opinion, the Kinema may attract people who ________．
A．live in the nearby villages
B．are fond of rich decorations
C．are interested in wooden structures
D．want to experience something special
2.The Cube and the Broadway are similar in the way that they both ________．
A．are non－profit cooperatives
B．show arty foreign films
C．offer homemade drinks
D．use stripy sofas
3.Which of the following has the longest history?
A．The Kinema. B．The Cube.
C．The Broadway. D．The Rex.
根据下列语境，写一篇100词左右的短文。
假设你是星光中学的李华，将参加主题为“Let's Ride Bicycles”的英语演讲比赛。
请撰写一份演讲稿，主要内容包括：
1. 目前汽车带来的空气污染和交通堵塞等问题；
2. 骑自行车的益处，如节能环保、有利健康等。
参考词汇：低碳生活（low-carbon life）；节能（energy saving）
注意：1.词数：120词左右；
3. 演讲稿开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Good morning, everyone,
I am Li Hua form Xingguang Middle School. The topic of my speech is "Let's Ride
Bicycles".______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Thank you!
短文改错
读下面的短文，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；
One cold winter day in 1900, a small boy was called Charles Chaplin was walked along the street in London. He doesn’t have breakfast or lunch. He wanted to buy some bread, and he didn’t have any money. His father died since he was very young. His mother was often very sick, so she could take care of Charles or his brother. All of them had to work to help his mother. He was very young but his dream was very big. He wanted to be great man in the world of films. So he worked very hardly.
语法填空
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
This story took place in 1903. Adam, an American businessman, was carried out to sea by a strong wind. A ship 1._________ (spot) and rescued him, 2.______ was how he got to London by accident . He at once went to the American embassy 3._____ (ask) for help, but was refused. Two rich gentlemen invited him home because of a bet. They asked Adam a few questions, and Adam responded 4._____ a polite manner . They gave him a letter and asked him not to open it until two pm. Adam left wondering 5._______ would happen to him.
