I was in the bakery section of a local supermarket the other day when I spotted a huge and delicious-looking chocolate cake on sale. I ____ to put it in my shopping cart, but lately I thought i had been trying to lose weight, ____ I walked on. Just as I was passing it by, a little boy ran up to it and yelled, “ Mommy, let’s ____ the chocolate cake!” His mom walked up and ____ explained that they couldn’t afford that cake on ____ , but maybe they could get a couple of chocolate ____ instead. I expected the little boy to be ____ , but instead his smile grew even ____ as he said, “Yes, I love cookies!”
How I wish I had the ____ of that little boy! As I have gone down life’s path over the years, I had far too often ____ the delightful cookies that had been offered to me because my eyes were ____ on the giant chocolate cake at the end of the road. All the little joys that I could have ____ were ignored because I couldn’t take my eyes off the prize. It took me so many years to ____ that the chocolate cake was only an illusion(幻想) of my own _____.
That chocolate cake was the ____ of what I wanted my life to be, but all of those cookies were the things that life ____ me to live. These days I delight in every one of them. I ____ every chance to do good, to share love, to create joy and to grow into the person I was meant to be. I also know I will see delightful cookies in the ___ of my life.
Don’t miss your cookies for some ____ cake. Enjoy every bite of it. Enjoy the love for you and ____ your own love as well. Make your life a sweet treat for your soul and the souls of people you meet.
1.A. promised B. wanted C. managed D. forgot
2.A. if B. or C. as D. so
3.A. smell B. get C. sell D. bake
4.A. eager B. nervously C. angrily D. patiently
5.A. tour B. duty C. sale D. purpose
6.A. cookies B. eggs C. drinks D. bars
7.A. worried B. surprised C. upset D. glad
8.A. sadder B. thinner C. weaker D. wider
9.A. dream B. wisdom C. trust D. freedom
10.A. bought B. noticed C. refused D. eaten
11.A. depended B. fixed C. called D. based
12.A. demanded B. offered C. gained D. missed
13.A. see B. require C. expect D. imagine
14.A. destroying B. absorbing C. making D. correcting
15.A. reality B. memory C. desire D. balance
16.A. ordered B. warned C. lent D. gave
17.A. throw away B. hold onto C. waste D. ruin
18.A. edge B. corner C. rest D. beginning
19.A. unreal B. useful C. actual D. available
20.A. grow B. return C. share D. find
Like it or not, there will be difficult times in our lives. You might lose your job, fail in your exams or have an illness. 1. Here are some ways not to lose hope during difficult times.
1.1Have faith.
2. No matter how bad the situation is, things will turn out to be good in the end. Several years ago I failed to get my master’s degree. It was a really bad experience.3. It was of much better quality than my previous university. Experiences like this strengthen my belief that having faith is important during difficult times.
2.Be around supportive people.
Going through difficult times is hard, and going through them alone is even harder. You need a group of positive people who can support you. 4. If you don’t, my suggestion is to start looking for one. Don’t wait until you need it, because it will be too late by then. You need the community before difficult times come.
3.Help others.
An additional benefit of being in a good community is that it encourages you to think about other people. It pushes you to help others and, therefore, think about other people. 5. As a result, your situation won’t look as bad as it would be otherwise. Often the situation looks worse than it really is because we give too much attention. Shifting（移开）some of your attention away will put the situation in a better view.
A.Your community helps a lot.
B.Whatever it is, it’s important not to lose hope.
C.However, I changed my attitude towards failure.
D.In this way you shift your focus away from yourself.
E.But I got a scholarship at an overseas university later.
F.You must believe that things will work out well eventually.
G.You should become part of a community that cares for one another.
Weather experts said this year could be one of the strongest EL Nino events in recorded history. El Nino means severe weather conditions in parts of the world. In eastern Africa, for example, Kenya and Uganda are preparing for possible flooding. Yet South Africa and Malawi are already dealing with extremely dry weather.
El Nino is Spanish for “the child”. It usually begins in December, near the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. In fact, the weather event was named in his honor. El Nino develops when winds off the west coast of South America weaken. This permits warm water in the western Pacific to expand toward the east and the Americas. At the same time, clouds and rain over the warm water move east, too. El Nio conditions normally appear only about twice every 10 years. Usually, El Nino conditions continue for about 12 to 18 months. They bring warm weather to some areas. These areas become wetter than normal, while others become drier.
The United Nations Children’s Fund warns that many people are at risk from hunger, disease and water shortages resulting from El Nino. In the east and southern Africa up to 11 million children could be affected. East African countries usually experience heavy rainfall during the El Nino. Southern Africa usually has little rainfall which may lead to wildfires or drought(干旱).
Weather changes caused by El Nino depend on the strength of the condition. In the early 1980s, strong El Nino was linked to dry weather in Australia and Asia, rain and flooding in South America and high temperatures in many parts of the U.S. The years later, smaller El Nino caused trouble in parts of the U.S. It caused severe floods in the Southeast and the Middle West. Tom Di Leberto is a meteorologist(气象学家) at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Washington, D.C. He said this year could be the third strongest El Nino on record. But we will not know for sure until all the weather records are examined.
1.The author writes the text to tell us_________.
A. many countries are preparing for the coming floods
B. Africa will probably suffer a lot form this year’s El Nino
C. this year could be one of the strongest El Nino on record
D. 11 million children could be affected by this year’s El Nino
2.The second paragraph is mainly about ____________.
A. what El Nino actually means
B. how El Nino comes into being
C. when El Nino will occur next time
D. why El Nino causes weather changes
3.Which of the following countries often suffers from flooding caused by El Nino?
A. Kenya B. Malawi
C. Australia D. South Africa
4.The author mentioned the 1980s’ El Nino and the 1990s’ El Nino to ______ .
A. explain why so many countries were affected by El Nino
B. prove weather changes caused by El Nino depend on its strength
C. argue that El Nino conditions usually appear about twice every 10 years
D. show scientists doubt whether this year will have the strongest El Nino
In Shanghai, the historic Bund(外滩)catches much attention---many former banks and trading houses along the Huangpu River, built a century ago in different architectural styles, are monuments to the grandeur(辉煌)of that era. It can also suffocating(令人窒息的)on weekends, with tourists struggling for taking photos.
For local residents, another part of the riverfront now known as the West Bund has become a far more appealing place to spend the weekend. Here, a once industrial area known for aircraft manufacturing(制造)has been transformed into a green corridor where local residents come to ride bikes or enjoy picnics on the grassy riverbank.
In the last two years, museums and galleries have also started popping up as part of the city’s plan to turn the West Bund into a world-class art and culture center.
On one end of the waterfront area, two huge industrial buildings have been transformed into the West Bund Art Center, site of a new annual art exhibition, and the Yuz Museum, focusing on contemporary works. On the other end is another institution exhibiting a mix of classical antiquities(古董)and modern Chinese art, called the Long Museum West Bund.
It’s an ambitious effort. Under a national five-year plan to promote culture by building more museums, Shanghai has set out to transform itself from a commercial center into a cultural one.
To achieve this, the city has built may museum buildings, including the Shanghai Natural History Museum, designed by the American architects, and the Power Station of Art, a Tate Modern-inspired art museum in a former power plant that hosted a show of the Chinese artist Cai Guoqiang’s drawings.
Across the river, two former exhibition halls from the 2010 World Expo have also been transformed into museums---the oversize glossy-red former China Exhibition Hall is the new home of the China Art Museum.
1.Why are the local residents more interested in the West Bund?
A. It attracts the world’s attention.
B. They can visit aircraft industry there.
C. They can enjoy themselves there at weekend.
D. It shows Shanghai’s grandeur int the last century.
2.What does the underlined part in Para.3 mean?
A. Museums and galleries have been transformed greatly.
B. There are many museums and galleries crowded with people.
C. Museums and galleries have taken measures to attract visitors.
D. There are many newly transformed and built museums and galleries.
3.According to the text, the Power Station of Art is _________.
A. inspired by Tate Modern
B. showing contemporary works
C. exhibiting Cai Guoqiang’s drawings
D. located in the former China Exhibitions Hall
4.What could be the best title for the text?
A. An art explosion takes Shanghai
B. The rapid development of Shanghai
C. Shanghai builds the largest exhibition hall
D. Shanghai’s leading role as a commercial center
I was lucky enough to have a chance to study in the United States as an international student from the Ukraine when I was fourteen years old. I went to a wonderful school,West Catholic High School, for my freshman year.
I remember my first day at that school as if it were yesterday. I was very nervous, and I could feel my heartbeat on the tips of my toes. My main fear was that I would not be able to express myself due to the language barrier. I was trying to have as little communication as I possibly could. And I almost succeeded, until we had to introduce ourselves in front of the class.
And the moment the word “international”flew out of my mouth, i was surrounded by thirty people who were asking questions one after another. I remember some of the questions were “Where is the Ukraine? Is it a kingdom?”“Do you have McDonald’s? Does it taste the same?”and “Say something in your language.” It turned out to be the opposite of less communication, but it was so much fun.
During the first three months, I certainly experienced a bit of cultural shock. I think Americans are the nicest people I have ever met in my entire life. They always smile and say, “Hi, how are you?”
One day, I noticed the students looking at me suspiciously. Finally , my classmate came up to my locker and whispered, “Is that true that you are a princess(公主)and that you came to study here so that nobody would recognize you?” At one point, I even had an image of myself wearing a gown and waving at the crowd. What ? People do have a wild imagination!
During my study abroad experience, I saw a totally new world, experienced great culture, met a lot of incredible(不可思议的)people and improved my language. This trip inspired me to learn foreign languages. That is one of the reasons why I speak five different languages today.
1.On the first day of school, the author was afraid that__________.
A. she would be too shy to talk with others.
B. she could not communicate with others well.
C. she would not be able to do well in her studies
D. she would have difficulty learning a new language.
2.When the author’s classmates knew she was an international student, they______________________.
A. made fun of her
B. prepared a special gift for her
C. were eager to make friends with her
D. showed interest in her country’s culture.
3.What does the underlined word “suspiciously” in Para.5 probably mean?
A. Doubtfully B. Excitedly
C. Angrily D. Fearfully
4.What can we learn from the text?
A. The author decided to settle in the USA.
B. The author didn’t want to make herself known.
C. The author always imagined herself as a princess.
D. The author got lots of benefits through studying abroad.
Summer Camps
Make your summer magical with a one-of-a-kind summer camp experience!
Half-day, week-long camps are held from 9 am-12 pm or 1 pm-4pm.
Daily snacks will be provided and even become part of the hands-on fun!
Session 1---Ocean Commotion（暴动）
Set sail for fun and adventure on the deep blue sea!Campers explore uncharted land at The Magic House and discover something fishy as they come into the exciting world of sea creatures.
June 6-10
June 13-17
June 20-24
Session 2---Super kids Explore Earth
Campers become superheroes to the earth as they learn about the environment and discover how to use their super powers to protect it! During this action-packed week, campers will explore the earth from the sky to the sea and participate in fun, earth-friendly activities such as turning trash into treasure.
June 27-July 1
July 11-15
July 18-22
Session 3---Once Upon A Time
At this unique fairy tale-themed camp, campers have a magical, make-believe adventure through the pages of some of their favorite storybooks. Campers experience gaint-sized fun as they use their imaginations to travel to places found only in fairy tales.
July 25-29
August 1-5
August 8-12(am sessions only)
All campers must be registered in advance.
1.What does the underlined word “one-of-a-kind” in Paragraph 1 mean?
A. Long B. Unique
C. Official D. Moving
2.What is the main purpose of Session 2?
A. To encourage reading.
B. To inspire imagination.
C. To develop the spirit of adventure.
D. To raise environmental awareness.
3.What do campers probably do during Session 3?
A. Read fairy stories.
B. Travel the country.
C. Search for treasure.
D. Learn about animals.
