Energy independence. It has a nice ring to it. Doesn’t it? If you think so, you’re not alone, because energy independence has been the dream of American president for decades, and never more so than in the past few years, when the most recent oil price shock has been partly responsible for kicking off the great recession(经济衰退).
“Energy independence” and its rhetorical (修辞的) companion “energy security” are, however, slippery concepts that are rarely though through. What is it we want independence from, exactly?
Most people would probably say that they want to be independent from imported oil. But there are reasons that we buy all that old from elsewhere.
The first reason is that we need it to keep our economy running. Yes, there is a trickle（涓涓细流）of biofuel（生物燃料）available, and more may become available, but most biofuels cause economic waste and environmental destruction.
Second, Americans have basically decided that they don’t really want to produce all their own oil. They value the environmental quality they preserve over their oil imports from abroad. Vast areas of the United States are off-limits to oil exploration and production in the name of environmental protection. To what extent are Americans really willing to endure the environmental impacts of domestic energy production in order to cut back imports?
Third, there are benefits to trade. It allows for economic efficiency, and when we buy things from places that have lower production costs than we do, we benefit. And although you don’t read about this much, the United States is also a large exporter of oil products, selling about 2 million barrels of petroleum products per day to about 90 countries.
There is no question that the United States imports a great deal of energy and, in fact, relies on that steady flow to maintain its economy. When that flow is interrupted, we feel the pain in short supplies and higher prices, At the same time, we derive massive economic benefits when we buy the most affordable energy on the world market and when we engage in energy trade around the world.
1.What does the author say about energy independence for America?
A. It sounds very attractive.
B. It will bring oil prices down.
C. It ensures national security.
D. It has long been everyone’s dream.
2.What does the author think of biofuels?
A. They keep America’s economy running healthily.
B. They prove to be a good alternative to petroleum.
C. They do not provide a sustainable energy supply.
D. They cause serious damage to the environment.
3.Why does America rely heavily on oil imports?
A. It wants to expand its storage of crude oil.
B. Its own oil reserves are quickly running out.
C. It wants to keep its own environment undamaged.
D. Its own oil production falls short of demand.
4.What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?
A. To justify America’s dependence on oil imports.
B. To arouse Americans’ awareness of the energy crisis.
C. To stress the importance of energy conservation.
D. To explain the increase of international oil trade.
It is true that good writers rewrite and rewrite and then rewrite some more. But in order to work up the desire to rewrite，it is important to learn to like what you write at the early stage.
I am surprised at the number of famous writers I know who say that they so dislike reading their own writing later that they even hate to look over the publishers' opinions. One reason we may dislike reading our own work is that we're often disappointed that the rich ideas in our minds seem very thin and plain when first written down. Jerry Fodor and Steven Pinker suggest that this fact may be a result of how our minds work.
Different from popular belief，we do not usually think in the words and sentences of ordinary language but in symbols for ideas (known as ‘mentalese’ )，and writing our ideas down is an act of translation from that symbolic language. But while mentalese contains our thoughts in the form of a complex tapestry (织锦)，writing can only be composed one thread at a time. Therefore it should not be surprising that our first attempt at expressing ideas should look so simple. It is only by repeatedly rewriting that we produce new threads and connect them to get closer to the ideas formed in our minds.
When people write as if some strict critics (批评家) are looking over their shoulder，they are so worried about what this critic might say that they get stuck before they even start. Peter Elbow makes an excellent suggestion to deal with this problem. When writing we should have two different minds. At the first stage，we should see every idea，as well as the words we use to express it，as wonderful and worth putting down. It is only during rewrites that we should examine what we excitedly wrote in the first stage and check for weaknesses.
1.What do we learn from the text about those famous writers?
A. They often regret writing poor works.
B. Some of them write surprisingly much.
C. Many of them hate reading their own works.
D. They are happy to review the publishers' opinions.
2.What do people generally believe about the way human minds work?
A. People think in words and sentences.
B. Human ideas are translated into symbols.
C. People think by connecting threads of ideas.
D. Human thoughts are expressed through pictures.
3.What can we conclude from the text?
A. Most people believe we think in symbols.
B. Loving our own writing is scientifically reasonable.
C. The writers and critics can never reach an agreement.
D. Thinking and writing are different stages of mind at work.
In his new show, Evan Ruggiero plays guitar, sings pop standards and shows everybody his fine footwork. What makes all of these especially unusual is that Ruggiero, 24, has only one leg.
When he was a 19-year-old musical theater student at New Jersey's Montclair State University, Ruggiero had a rare bone cancer in his right leg. Finally his leg would have to be amputated（截）below the knee.
Such a setback could have easily ended the career of a less tough person, but Ruggiero, who has been dancing since he was five, now puts the experience into his performance. His show, "The One-Legged Song and Dance Man: Volume 3", explains how he returned to dance just 18 months after the amputation. His dance now relies on the use of a peg leg(假肢),he explains.
The secret to his surprising success, he says, was being a "stubborn" patient who refused to give up on his dance and performing studies, despite the advice of his doctor.
“It was a real setback, but after it was all over, I said, ' You know what? I need to pick up right where I left off and continue my career, '” Ruggiero said.
Ruggiero has come to view his peg leg as an instrument. "Tap dancers-they're always calling themselves musicians, and their feet are their instrument, " he said.
Noting that many audience members will never have seen a one-legged dancer before coming to his show, Ruggiero says he won't shy away from the physical "weakness" his performance shows because of his condition.
"A lot of people have come up to me, and they always say, 'You're such a role model and an inspiration, ' "he said. "I'm honored when people say that, of course, but I'm just trying to get on with my life."
1.What makes Ruggiero's new show unusual?
A. One-legged dance. B. His own artworks.
C. The use of instrument. D. Songs of pop standard.
2.According to the passage, it is true that__________.
A. Ruggiero is a tough person with a strong will
B. the setback has ended Ruggiero's dance career
C. Ruggiero is dancing relying on others' support
D. his doctor agreed he kept on dancing and studying
3.When audience attend his performance, they may notice_______.
A. Ruggiero plays piano, sings and dances
B. Ruggiero is a dancer with the help of a peg leg
C. there are many tap dancers in the performance
D. Ruggiero pretends to be a physically normal person
4.What's the author's attitude to Evan?
A. Worry B. Sympathy
C. Encouragement D. Pity
King's College Summer School
King's College Summer School is an annual training program for high school students at all levels that want to improve their English. The teachers of King’s College and other colleges in New York give courses. Trips to museums and culture centers are also organized. This year's summer school will be from July 25 to August 15. More information is as follows:
Application (申请) date ●Students in New York should send their applications before July 18, 2017. ●Students of other cities should send their applications before July 16, 2017. ●Foreign students should send their applications before July 10, 2017. | Courses Spoken English: 22 hours Reading and Writing: 10 hours ●American History: 16 hours ●American Culture: 16 hours |
Steps ●A letter of self-introduction ●A letter of recommendation ●The letters should be written in English with all the necessary information.
| Cost ●Daily lessons: $200 ●Sports and activities: $100 ●Travels: $200 ●Hotel service: $400 ●You may choose to live with your friends or relatives in the same city. |
1.You can most probably read the text in _____.
A. a newspaper B. a travel guide
C. a textbook D. a telephone book
2.Which of the following is true about King's College Summer School?
A. Only top students can take part in the program.
B. Only the teachers of King' s College give courses.
C. King' s College Summer School is run every other year.
D. Visits to museums and culture centers are part of the program.
3.If you are to live with your relatives in New York, you will have to pay the school _____.
A. $200 B. $400
C. $500 D. $900
4.What information can you get from the text?
A. The program will last two months.
B. You can write to Thompson only in English.
C. You can get in touch with the school by e-mail or by telephone.
D. As a Chinese student, you can send your application on July 14, 2017.
假如你是李华，因为大雪天气，在上学的路上滑倒，摔伤了左腿，不能上学。请根据以下要点向口语课外籍教师Mr Smith写一封信。要点如下：
1.因缺课而致歉；
2.讲述滑倒摔伤的经过；
3询问作业并表示期待返校；
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2.开头和结尾已给出，但不计入总词数；
3.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Mr Smith,
I’m writing to you because _________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Best wishes!
Yours,
Li Hua
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（＼）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。
Last weekend, our class went hiking. Early in the morning, we gathered at People’s Square in the city center and then head for the South Mountain, which was 8 kilometers away. Our goal was to climbing to the top, from which we could enjoy a good view.
It was an exhausted hike and the heats consumed all our energy. Therefore, when we finally reached to our destination, the view took our breath away. It was well wroth walking such long distance. Because I not only got relaxed by enjoying the beauty of nature but also learned the truth which our efforts will always pay off in the end.
