Aerial(空中的)performer Jennifer Bricker was born without legs, but she never let it stop her.
Wrapped in a loop(圈)of red silk hung from the ceiling Jennifer Bricker climbs and twists to the music. Her head hangs down and her strong arms let go as she balances on her back, high above the ground a move that’s all the more daring because she has no legs.
Jennifer was a few months old when she was adopted by Sharon and Gerald Bricker. She had big brown eyes, a bright smile, and huge amounts of energy. When a doctor advised her adoptive parents to carry her around in a kind of bucket(桶), they refused.
Jennifer soon learned to walk — and run — on her hands and bottom, and grew up fearlessly climbing trees and bouncing on the trampoline (蹦床）with her three older brothers. “ My parents didn’t treat me differently so I didn’t grasp the concept that I was different. I knew I didn’t have legs but that wasn’t stopping me from doing the things I wanted to do. "
At the age of three she was fitted with artificial legs, but she never really took to them — she moved more freely without.
In 1996 the Olympic Games took place in Atlanta. Jennifer loved to watch the women’s gymnastics team, and especially adored the 14-year-old Dominique Moceanu who competed for the US. When Moceanu and the women’s team won gold, Jennifer decided she was going to be a gymnast, too. She took up power tumbling, which involves performing floor exercises down a runway. But Jennifer did not want any allowances to be made for her disability.
At the age of 10 she took part in the Junior Olympics and by age 11 she was tumbling champion for the state of Illinois.
Jennifer now travels the world as an inspirational speaker and acts as an aerial performer.
1.What do we know about Jennifer Bricker?
A. She felt embarrassed without legs.
B. She was brought up as a normal child.
C. She was carried in a bucket as a baby.
D. She lost her legs when she was adopted.
2.Why did Jennifer determine to be a gymnast ?
A. She knew that she was different from others.
B. She wanted to make allowances for her disability
C. She was eager to participate in the Junior Olympics.
D. She was greatly influenced by Dominique Moceanu.
3.Which of the following can best describe Jennifer Bricker?
A. Self-respected. B. Cautious. C. Sensitive. D. Clever.
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A. The sufferings of a gymnast.
B. The memory of an aerial performer.
C. The experiences of an adoptive family.
D. The growing process of a disabled person.
假定你是李华， 给你在美国孔子学院任教的英语老师――――刘老师写封邮件，内容包括：
1．询问她在美国的生活和工作情况；
2．告诉她你的学习情况；
3．希望她来信介绍美国学生的生活。
注意：
1．词数100左右；
2．可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
孔子学院 the Confucius Institute
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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；
2．只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
The biggest challenge I have overcome is stepping out of my comfort zone. In the year of 2013 which I was 15, I joined an exchange student program. I sent to Germany alone and lived with the host family.
At first it was a huge failure for me. Thanks for my host mom, she helped me a lot. She told me some tips to make friends, such as joining a sports club and invited my classmates to watch a movie. Surprising, all of the tips she gave me work out! She also suggested that I can introduce my culture to my classmates. To my astonish, they were both interested in Chinese culture.
Gradually, my discomfort zone became a part of my comfort zone.
One day I was driven by a rain-storm to take shelter in a little hut by the road-side, which was_______by a shoemaker as his workshop. The man and his son were_______at their work, and_______saying, “Good-day,” we began to talk together.
Before I had been with them long, the old man_______his son out to get something that he_______for his work. The boy was only five minutes_______, but it was too_______for the active old shoemaker to be idle(懒惰的). He became_______, moved about the room, and_______took up a piece of leather and fell to________it, saying, “You know, sir, it will never do to be idle.”
As soon as the rain was over, I went on my way home, ________what I had heard—“It will never do to be idle.” Some people are ________idle; others are idle only now and then I was one of the latter class. I could work only________. So the old man’s words came home to me. They awakened my________, and I began to feel how wrong it was to ________ so much of my life in idleness.
I had often heard and read that________is a very great evil, but now I began to see that it________far more sorrow than people are________. It is the man who is doing nothing that is drawn into disaster, while the busy man is________. It is only the idle that are unhappy. So I made up my mind to________the shoemaker’s rule for the rest of my life.
1.A. regarded B. treated C. used D. counted
2.A. strict B. nervous C. awkward D. busy
3.A. before B. while C. after D. when
4.A. sent B. took C. picked D. gave
5.A. treasured B. needed C. registered D. delivered
6.A. far B. outwards C. forwards D. away
7.A. short B. chose C. long D. loose
8.A. relaxed B. uneasy C. eager D. hopeless
9.A. at last B. at present C. at first D. at once
10.A. cut up B. work upon C. put on D. carry on
11.A. working out B. going after C. dating from D. thinking over
12.A. always B. sometimes C. once D. nowadays
13.A. in particular B. at length C. at times D. in advance
14.A. enthusiasm B. conscience C. hope D. energy
15.A. waste B. complete C. achieve D. deserve
16.A. patience B. pleasure C. comfort D. idleness
17.A. shrinks B. leads C. causes D. reduces
18.A. aware of B. fond of C. confident of D. crazy about
19.A. tired B. safe C. worried D. anxious
20.A. receive B. promise C. explore D. follow
In a study published in the U. S. journal Science, researchers from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences(CAAS) and the University of Florida identified the chemical combinations and genetic recipe for better tomato flavor(味道).
“In recent years, consumers often complain that the modern tomato is less flavorful than it once was” said co-principal researcher Sanwen Huang. “Our results provide a practical road map for breeding tomato varieties with better flavor.”
For the study, a 170-person consumer group was created to evaluate 160 tomatoes representing 101 varieties, based on qualities such as “overall liking” and “flavor degree”. The results pointed to dozens of chemical compounds of interest, and further research using a statistical model discovered 33 flavor compounds connected with consumer liking, such as glucose(葡萄糖). The reason why modern tomatoes don’t taste good anymore is that a total of 13 of these flavor-associated compounds “were significantly reduced in modern varieties,” their paper wrote. Moreover, the researchers found that smaller fruit tended to have greater sugar content, suggesting that “selection for more sizable tomatoes has cost sweetness and flavor”.
Based on this knowledge, Huang and Professor Harry Klee of the University of Florida studied the whole genomes of 398 varieties of tomato, identifying about 250 positions of genes on a chromosome(染色体), which controlled tomato flavor.
“We’re just fixing what has been damaged over the last half century to push them back to where they were a century ago,” said Klee in a statement. “We can make the supermarket tomato taste noticeably better.” Klee said new tomato varieties with better flavor could be ready in three to four years. In addition, “the genes and pathways identified here in the tomato almost certainly point to pathways worth researching for improvement of flavor quality in other fruit crops,” they wrote.
1.According to the text, the study ________.
A. was carried out just through a survey
B. was conducted by Chinese researchers themselves
C. was completely focused on the genes of different tomatoes
D. was done with the background of declining flavor of tomatoes
2.The researchers have found that ________ in the study.
A. bigger tomatoes are much sweeter
B. some genetic positions affect the taste of tomatoes
C. some chemical compounds make tomatoes less tasty
D. a total of 13 flavor-associated compounds make tomatoes appealing in taste
3.What is the influence of the study according to the text?
A. The study lays the foundation for further researches to improve other fruit crops’ flavor.
B. The study makes it possible for us to have noticeably more tasty tomatoes next year.
C. The study provides a road for where to plant tomatoes with better flavor.
D. The study has fixed all the genes of existing tomatoes.
Tipping isn’t a big part of British culture, unlike in North America, where waiters and waitresses are paid below minimum wage. Tips are usually appreciated, but offering a tip of some services can cause confusion.
In casual restaurants, where you pay for your order at a counter but food is brought to your table, tipping is uncommon. You are welcome to leave a pound or two if you wish. In restaurants where you place your order with a waiter or a waitress and receive your food and bill at your table, it’s customary to tip around 10 percent. In some restaurants, a service charge may be added to the bill automatically, typically 10 or 12.5 percent. In this case, you don’t need to add a further tip. When you pay by credit card, the machine may ask if you want to add a tip. Check your bill to see if a service charge has already been added before paying—if so you don’t need to add a tip on the machine. You can request the service charge be removed from your bill if you are unhappy with the service. In some cases a restaurant may print “service not included” on the bill or menu. This is a request for a tip. You’re not forced to offer anything, but 10 percent would be normal in this situation. Tipping in cafes and fast food restaurant is not expected.
If you use a taxi, round the fare up to the nearest pound shown on the meter. On a journey from or to the airport in a booked minicab you might wish to trip 2 or 3 pounds if the driver helps with your bags.
Be sure to check a country’s tipping culture before you start your tip. For more information, visit TripAdvisor.com.
1.According to the text, ________ in British culture.
A. it is necessary to tip if you are served in cafes
B. it is confusing to tip if you receive your bill at your table
C. it is customary to tip if “service not included” is printed on the bill
D. it is compulsory to tip even if the service is unsatisfying in some restaurants
2.When you pay by credit card, ________.
A. the service charge can be added on the machine
B. the service charge must have been included in the bill automatically
C. the service charge can’t be refused
D. the service charge needn’t be checked before you pay
3.If the British taxi meter shows 58.4 pounds, you are expected to pay ________.
A. 58.4 pounds B. 59 pounds
C. 61 pounds D. 64 pounds
4.What is the best title for the text?
A. Introduction of TripAdvisor.com B. Occasions for Tipping
C. Advice on Tipping in Restaurants D. British Ways to Tipping
