Hi! Welcome to my webpage. My name’s Tom Wood and I’m an English teacher. I 1. (design) this webpage last week so that my students can learn more about me. I think it is important 2. (know) my students well. And it is only fair 3. my students know me well, too.
I was born in London, England, but I’ve lived and worked in China for the past 15 years and I really like living here.
I can speak Putonghua and even a little bit of Cantonese,4. is my wife’s dialect (方言). I practice 5. (speak) Chinese every day and I am improving.6. (fortunate), there are one or two million people in my town who are ready to help me with my Chinese! I particularly enjoy talking to my neighbors.
My favourite sport is football. I play football once a week with some of the other teachers at the school. We’re going to organize a(n)7. (compete) with teams of teachers from other schools this summer.
My other great love is my motorbike. I love getting on my motorbike and riding out to the countryside. But my wife thinks it’s too 8. (noise )and dangerous. If anyone wants to send me an email, just 9. (do) as you like. I’d love to hear 10. you.
When you live in a seasonal environment, you can learn that both outdoor and indoor activities have their place. As the seasons ______, so does your mood. Certain activities become more or less attractive,______ the weather and the length of the day.
Spring is a time of the year when the world starts to ______ from its winter sleep. During this season, I enjoy going on long walks through parks and watching the world come ______.
Many consider summer to be the top of the year. The city comes into full swing ______ the weather becomes warmer and warmer. During the summer, I prefer to spend the daytime anywhere that is air-conditioned. This ______ include the library, a shopping center or a movie theater. I often enjoy spending the ______ evenings sitting on the wide balcony of my house and having drinks with my friends.
Fall, with the,______ of the leaves and the summer heat gradually ______, is probably another ______ time to go on long walks during the day. I love to be ______ during fall and see the life of the city returning to its hibernation (冬眠). Another ______ to go outside during autumn is to ______ the last days of warmth until the next year.
Winter ______ the shortening of days and cooler weather. Outdoor activities tend to become less ______ and sinking down on the sofa with a good book becomes my ______ activity. It is not enjoyable to spend time outside if it is too ______. I only choose to go outside when I want to go skiing.
So, my ______ to spend time indoors or outdoors is vastly dependent on the ______. Different seasons ______ different activities and therefore it is Impossible to choose whether I would spend all of my spare time indoors or outdoors.
1.A. end B. change C. begin D. arrive
2.A. resulting in B. consisting of C. referring to D. depending on
3.A. shake B. circle C. awaken D. wave
4.A. open B. alive C. still D. real
5.A. as B. if C. or D. unless
6.A. should B. need C. can D. must
7.A. dry B. rainy C. warm D. freezing
8.A. growing B. turning C. existing D. darkening
9.A. increasing B. burning C. developing D. disappearing
10.A. busy B. extra C. informal D. excellent
11.A. back B. alone C. outside D. ahead
12.A. rule B. reason C. excuse D. question
13.A. enjoy B. share C. count D. miss
14.A. loses B. finds C. brings D. begs
15.A. helpful B. normal C. expensive D. attractive
16.A. social B. favorite C. last D. creative
17.A. hot B. cold C. wet D. bright
18.A. dream B. duty C. decision D. secret
19.A. life B. feelings C. season D. activities
20.A. give up B. believe in C. come to D. call for
Painting
The art of creating pictures using colors, shapes and lines is called painting. Museums and galleries show the paintings of professional (专业的) artists. But painting is also a popular form of entertainment and creative expression.
1.. Experienced painters usually use a brush to apply oil paints to a canvas cloth surface. Young painters usually use watercolors on pieces of paper. Very young children may use finger paints to create paintings.
Painters can use their art to express devotion to a religion, to tell a story, to express feelings and ideas, or simply to present a pleasing picture. Religious paintings often show a god or a scene from a sacred text (圣典). Other common subjects have been famous legends and events in history, as well as scenes from daily life. Artists also paint portraits (画像), or pictures of people.2.. All of these types of paintings show the human figure in some way.
Some kinds of paintings do not focus on people. In landscape (风景) painting the focus is on scenes from nature. Artists also paint still objects such as fruits and vegetables.3.. Some artists communicate their ideas through pictures that do not represent any object.
4.. Paintings dating back 15,000 years have been found on the walls of caves in France and Spain.5. Samples of painted pottery (陶器) from at least 5,000 years ago have been found in China and Iran. The ancient Egyptians decorated their temples with beautiful paintings. People in ancient Greece painted decorative objects such as vases in addition to the walls of temples.
A. These works are called still-life paintings.
B. These works can communicate a special feeling.
C. Humans have been making paintings for thousands of years.
D. People of all ages create pictures using a variety of materials.
E. Cave paintings generally show animals that early humans hunted.
F. The design of a painting is the plan of its lines, shapes and colors.
G. Sometimes artists make portraits of themselves, which are called self-portraits.
Are you carrying too much on your back at school? You’re not alone. Back experts (专家) in the USA are worried about that young students are having back and neck problems because they are carrying too much in their backpacks .
“It hurts my back when I run,” said Ebelin Reyes, a student in Virginia. “It’s hard to get up the stairs with my backpack because it’s too heavy.” Students have to carry heavy backpacks on their backs for a whole week’s study. Ebelin is one of them. They have regular (固定的) backpacks with two straps (带子) to carry them, but a number of students with heavy loads (负担) have switched to rolling backpacks. The backpacks have wheels and can roll on the ground. Shirley Park’s backpack weighs 10 kilos, and she said, “I’ll change to a rolling backpack because I am starting to have back pain.”
How much is too much? Experts say that students should carry no more than 10% to 15% of their own body weight. A few students have had a good idea to lighten (减轻) the load: less homework.
Doctor’s suggestions:
(1) Lighten the load. Take home only the books the students need that day.
(2) Wide straps are better. They can send out weight over your shoulders (肩) and be sure to wear backpacks with two straps.
(3) The heaviest things should be packed closest to the back.
(4) Bend (弯曲) both knees when you pick up the pack, don’t just bend over the waist (腰).
1.The main idea of the passage is about .
A. the problems made by rolling backpacks
B. the advantage of backpacks
C. the best backpacks for students
D. how to lighten students’ backpacks
2.From what Ebelin Reyes and Shirley Park said, we know .
A. students like to carry heavy backpacks
B. students have to do a lot of homework
C. backpacks with wheels are bad for students
D. students have no time to play because of heavy backpacks
3.The underlined word “switch to” means .
A. use for B. turn over
C. catch up D. begin to use
Stress is a word we hear a lot these days. People have stressful jobs; they feel stressed while studying for exams; even family life can be stressful. Stress can cause headaches and lack of sleep arid research has shown that it is one of the main causes of heart disease. None of us can completely avoid stress. Everyone experiences it.
In ancient times, stress served a different purpose. It kept us alive. When a caveman was walking along and was suddenly faced with a lion, the stress he experienced would make him run away faster than he could usually run. Stress is the state our bodies experience when we need to react to difficult or dangerous situations. While stress saved us back then, and it is still very helpful in difficult situations, we need a break from stress every now and again.
Luckily, there are ways to relax and deal with stress and it seems that music might be our number one cure. A recent worldwide study showed that listening to music is what most people do to relax and reduce stress. The study was based on interviews with 1,000 people in 30 countries and 56% said that listening to music was the best way to relax. Watching TV, at 53%, was the next most popular way of reducing stress followed by taking a shower or bath at 49%. It is not really surprising that listening to music is such a popular way of relaxing. It is cheap and widely available on radio, TV and the Internet.
Of course, musical tastes differ from person to person. Sam might love listening to loud heavy metal music to relax after a hard day’s work, but his neighbour - a fan of Mozart - might find hearing his music extremely stressful. “Sam needs an iPod”, you- might be thinking and you are probably right. Mobile music players can provide music privately whenever and wherever it is needed; We could even call them the stress fighters of the 21 st century. So the next time you fed stressed, take a deep breath, put on your earphones and ... relax..
1.We can conclude from the passage that everyone can meet .
A. happiness B. neighbors
C. stress D. diseases
2.Everyone experiences stress because .
A. the world has always been a stressful place
B. stress is our natural state
C. stress can cause headaches
D. people enjoy it
3.According to the information in the article, which of the following statements is true?
A. More people bath than shower.
B. More people listen to music to relax than take a bath.
C. Less people run to relax than take a bath.
D. Showering is a more popular way of relaxing than watching TV.
4. of people don’t think that listening to music is the best way to relax.
A. 44% B. 49%
C. 51% D. 56%
I suddenly heard an elephant crying as though frightened. Looking down, I immediately recognized that something was wrong, and ran down to the edge of the near bank. There I saw Ma Shwe with her three-month-old calf struggling in the fast-rising water, and it was a life-and-death struggle. Her calf was floating and screaming with fear. Ma Shwe was as near to the far bank as she could get, holding her whole body against the rushing water, and keeping the calf pressed against her huge body. Every now and then the rushing water would sweep the calf away.
There was a sudden rise in the water and the calf was washed clean over the mother’s body and was gone. Ma Shwe turned quickly to reach it and pressed the calf with her head and trunk against the rocky bank. Then with a huge effort, she picked it up in her trunk and tried until she was able to place it on a narrow shelf of rock.
Just at this moment, she fell back into the river. If she were carried down, it would be certain death. I knew, as well as she did, that there was one spot where she could get up the bank, but it was on the other side from where she had put her calf.
While I was wondering what I could do next, I heard the sound of a mother’s love. Ma Shwe had crossed the river and got up the bank and was making her way back as she could, roaring (吼叫) all the time, but to her calf it was music.
1.The moment the author got down to the river bank he saw
A. the calf was about to fall int0 the river
B. Ma Shwe was placing the calf on the rock
C. the calf was washed away by the rising water
D. Ma Shwe was holding the calf against the rushing water
2.How did Ma Shwe manage to save her calf from the fast-flowing water?
A. By putting it on a safe spot. B. By pressing it against her body.
C. By taking it away with her. D. By carrying it on her back.
3.How did the calf feel about the mother elephant’s roaring?
A. It was a great comfort. B. It was a sign of danger.
C. It was a call for help. D. It was a musical note.
4.What can be the best title for the text?
A. A Mother’s Love B. A Brave Act
C. A Deadly River D. A Matter of Life and Death
