Last year, I was on a plane with my friend, waiting for it to take off. The pilot’s voice was heard throughout the plane: “Sorry for the delay, ladies and gentlemen. Our engines don’t work. We are going to jump-start them. Once we get them going, we’ll get up in the air and see what happens.”
That was all he said. “See what happens? Shouldn’t we have had a better plan than that?” At that point, I could only laugh nervously. One woman started crying: “Oh, no! We are going to crash!” There are sighs of desperation and anxiety, and we hadn’t even taken off yet.
The pilot even seemed unhappy. He told us one engine was working double time, and his plan was to get up in the air and see what happens! Then we did. We got up in the air, and what happened? Nothing. We arrived in Norfolk, and no sooner had the wheels touched down than applause burst out as everyone on the airplane breathed a sigh of relief.
All too often, people stop achieving their goals just because they don't have a guaranteed result. But success will never be guaranteed. The best thing that you can do is to just get up in the air, and see what happens.
If your aim is to build a business, then get up in the air and see what happens! Don't give yourself all the reasons why you can’t. Do not wait until you have everything you need. You never will.
If your goal is to start a friendship, say “Hello”, get up in the air and see what happens! The results could be very rewarding. If your goal is to learn a new skill, get up in the air and see what happens! It might not be as difficult as you think. It could be fun!
1.How did the author feel when the pilot said the engines didn’t work?
A. Disappointed B. Anxious
C. Curious D. Relieved
2.What can be inferred from the passage?
A. The passengers began crying after the plane took off.
B. The engines often worked double time to get started.
C. The pilot tried to comfort the nervous passengers.
D. The passengers reached the destination safe and sound.
3.The underlined sentences in the last paragraph means “______________”.
A. think carefully before you make friends.
B. start to fly the plane to see what will happen.
C. make an effort even if the result is uncertain.
D. get up from the chair and greet somebody.
4.What can be the best title for the passage?
A. We Will See What Happens
B. I Survived An Adventurous Flight
C. The Pilot Risked Our Lives
D. Making Plans Is Better Than Taking Chances
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：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。
Mark Twain, one of the best-known American writer in the 19th century, who was born in Missouri. His hometown lie on the banks of the Mississippi River, there he spent his childhood. When he grew up, he worked like a pilot on a river boat for some time. Mark Twain is his pen name. He took it from the shout of the sailors measure the depth of the water. Mark Twain wrote a lot of novels, but one of them is The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. It brought his fame and honor. Some of his writings have translated into many languages. He and his works are deep loved by readers throughout the world.
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。
There are all kinds of festivals and 1.__________(celebrate) around the world, which are held for different reasons. The ancient festivals were 2.________ (main) held at three times a year. Some festivals are held 3.______(honor) the dead or satisfy 4. _____ ancestors in case they might return either to help or to do5._____(harmful),while other festivals are held to honor famous people or the gods, such as Dragon Boat Festival and Columbus Day. Harvest and Thanksgiving festivals are happy events because the food6.________ (gather)for the winter and the 7._________(agriculture)work is over. And the most
energetic and important festivals are the ones that look forward to the end of winter and to the 8.______(come) of spring, such as the Lunar New Year, at9._____ people have a very good time.
Some 10._________(west) countries have very exciting carnivals. Festivals let us enjoy life.
完形填空
On a hot summer day in America, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. He dived into the cool water, Not _________that as he swam towards the middle of the lake, a crocodile (鳄鱼) was swimming toward him.
His mother _________was looking out of the window and saw the two as they got closer and closer. In great _________ , she ran toward the water, _________ to her son as loudly as she could. Hearing her voice, the little boy became_________ and made a U-turn to swim to his mother. _________ , it was too late. Just as he reached her, the _________ reached him. From the shore, the mother _________ her little boy by the arms just as the crocodile snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war (拔河) between the _________ The crocodile was much _________ than the mother, but the mother wouldn’t _________ . A farmer _________ to drive by, heard their screams, raced from his truck, took aim and _________ the crocodile.
_________ , after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His 55 were extremely scarred(留下疤痕) by the attack of the animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches(抓痕) where his mother's fingernails dug into his flesh in her effort to hang on to the son she loved.
The newspaper reporter, who _________ the boy, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his legs. And then, with obvious _________ , he said to the reporter, “But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them _________ my Mom wouldn’t let go.”
Never judge another person's _________ , because you don't know _________they were made.
1.A. understanding B. imaging C. realizing D. balancing
2.A. behind the house B. in the house C. in the lake D. on the shore
3.A. fear B. anger C. sadness D. joy
4.A. beating B. frightening C. screaming D. apologizing
5.A. alarmed B. amazed C. calm D. hopeful
6.A.Thus B. So C. therefore D. However
7.A. author B. hunter C. mother D. crocodile
8.A. hugged B. stared C. grabbed D. combined
9.A. two B. three C. scene D. journey
10.A. fiercer B. stronger C. faster D. heavi er
11.A. cut down B. take chances C. go ahead D. let go
12.A. happened B. predicted C. pretended D. bet
13.A. gathered B. gained C. shot D. cut
14.A. importantly B. beneficially C. surprisingly D. Fortunately
15.A. arms B. legs C. fi ngers D. spot
16.A. helped B. saved C. interviewed D. consulted
17.A. pride B. satisfaction C. strength D. gratitude
18.A. where B. because C. unless D. while
19.A. appearance B. limit C. debt D. scar
20.A. when B. how C. where D. as
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Food safety is a problem in all places around the world and people in different areas of the world prepare foods in different ways. The WHO released (发布) five simple rules for preparing food in a safe way. They call these rules the “Five Keys to Safer Food”.
Key 1: Keep clean
1.. People should wash their hands often — before touching food and while they are preparing food. People should wash all surfaces and equipment used for preparing food.
Key 2: Separate raw (生的) and cooked
Raw foods should not touch prepared foods. 2..
Key 3: 3.
People should cook eggs and meat especially carefully. These foods may carry more micro-organisms (微生物) than other foods. Food like soup must be boiled for at least a minute to make it be cooked completely. It is also important that people re-heat cooked food completely.
Key 4: Keep food at safe temperatures
When people finish eating, they should keep the left food in a refrigerator below 5℃and shouldn’t store it for too long. At room temperature, about 20℃, the amount of micro-organisms can increase very quickly. But temperatures above 60℃ or below 5℃ control the growth of micro-organisms. 4..
Key 5: Use safe water and raw materials
5.. Damaged or old food may develop harmful chemicals as it gets older.
A. Cook completely
B. This key tells about the importance of washing
C. Eat healthily
D. They can live where we make food
E. People should use safe water and choose fresh foods
F. They cannot grow as quickly in a very hot or very cold environment
G. People should use separate equipment and tools for touching and preparing raw foods
Retirement (退休) should be time of joy and freedom. However, for some people retirement comes with feelings of depression (沮丧), which makes life difficult for them.
Retirement is a major life change. Even good changes usually involve some kinds of loss. When you retire, you find yourself lacking whatever working used to provide. That could include, for example, 1. knowing you’re working for society, 2. getting admiration from your skills, 3. having “aha” moments when you solve problems, 4. having people to socialize with, and 5. simply having a place to go and a reason to get out of bed every day. For most people, there’s a financial loss, too. Also, retirement age is a time when a lot of people have to deal with losing their parents or having serious health problems of their own.
Because of all these, retirees are more likely to get depressed.
Depression is very harmful. First, depression can make physical health problems worse. Second, it takes a toll on relationships, because it can make people angry. Third, it’s hard to get much done when you’re depressed.
What can we do to overcome (克服) the feelings of depression? First, do all the things that help depression in general: drink enough water, exercise, talk to friends, have a hobby, laugh, and spend time in nature. If you feel depressed more often than not, it’s probably time to talk to a doctor about your feelings. Second, it’s important to keep busy and get out of the house when you can. Make specific plans with friends. Take a class Volunteer. Or just make sure you start each day with some kind of goal. Third, try to focus on what you’ve gained by retiring. Think about what you may have now that you wished you had before you were able to retire. For example, days that are less stressful, a chance to rest and take better care of your body, more time for your family and yourself. To write, to start a hobby and to learn something new are all new possibilities. Finally, tell your story. You’ve lived a long time and you become an oral historian each time you talk with someone about your experiences. You can also write in a journal or make a video recording of your memories. Telling your stories can help you look back on your life and career with a sense of wholeness and achievements.
1.People may find life very hard after they retire because of ___________.
A. freedom B. nervousness
C. discouragement (losing heart) D. hard work
2.All the following can cause the retirees’ unpleasant feelings EXCEPT _______________.
A. they will suffer from financial loss
B. they have to support their parents
C. they may lose the reason to get up early
D. they may have fewer people to socialize with
3.The underlined sentence in Paragraph 4 means ________________.
A. it makes people’s relationships unusual
B. it makes people’s relationships in peace
C. it makes people’s relationships in danger
D. it makes people stay in touch with each other.
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Depression and Retirement
B. Depression During Retirement Is Harmful
C. Reasons for Depression During Retirement
D. How to Overcome Depression During Retirement
