The rosebushes were finally in full bloom on that spring morning.
The sight of roses always brings to________Wanda' s childhood memories. Then the family had no _____to buy extra things , so even a tired rose was something to ________ .
Currently, to have a backyard full of different roses is pure ________. And her husband, Dale, devotedly ________the roses. ________that she loves the very first blooms, he picked some on this particular morning.
But as Dale returned, he came across a neighbor who had________ for a quick visit. As the woman turned to go, Dale generously gave the ________ to her. And even though their visitor ______ she didn' t want to take them, she was_______ assured(确信)that the flowers were hers to keep.
Seeing her precious first blooms go out the door________Wanda with regret, and a bit of ________. She knew it was " better to give than to receive. " ________, she wished she could have kept the roses for herself.
Later that day, the couple headed to the post office, where Wanda waited outside in the car.
Then, without_______, an older woman suddenly appeared at the open window, and gave her a bunch of fresh roses ! " These are for you. They ' re my first blooms this spring. "
Completely ________,Wanda thanked the woman and_______ for a moment to breathe in the rich fragrance. When she looked back, the mysterious visitor was gone.
That special______changed Wanda. It made her understand the true meaning of_________gifts. Now, she always_______her first blooms to others , as a(n)________that someone is thinking of them.
1.A. mind B. thought C. mood D. head
2.A. energy B. desire C. courage D. money
3.A. value B. raise C. desert D. water
4.A. business B. enjoyment C. imagination D. memory
5.A. lays B. tends C. studies D. serves
6.A. Anxious B. Aware C. Afraid D. Ashamed
7.A. turned out B. settled down C. stopped by D. broken into
8.A. roses B. wishes C. greetings D. bushes
9.A. recommended B. insisted C. cried D. complained
10.A. hardly B. temporarily C. secretly D. repeatedly
11.A. covered B. supplied C. charged D. filled
12.A. tension B. selfishness C. gladness D. pride
13.A. Instead B. Thus C. Still D. Otherwise
14.A. delay B. thinking C. effort D. warning
15.A. amazed B. confused C. shocked D. relaxed
16.A. waited B. bent C. shook D. nodded
17.A. apology B. discovery C. delivery D. smell
18.A. influencing B. receiving C. giving D. buying
19.A. gives away B. puts away C. takes away D. throws away
20.A. reminder B. duty C. routine D. example
Homework
Do arithmetic problems 15 through 25. State the different forms of the verbs on page 50 of your French workbook. Read pages 12 through 20 of the Shakespeare play, and don't forget to fill in the missing chemical symbols on the worksheet.
Sound like a list of your homework for the next few nights － or maybe even just for tonight? 1. It's your teachers' way of evaluating how much you understand what's going on in class. And it helps strengthen important concepts.
2. It's inviting to start with the easy things to get them out of the way. However, you'll have the most energy and focus when you begin, so it's best to use this mental power on the subjects that are most challenging. Later, when you're more tired, you can focus on the simpler things. If you get stuck on a problem, try to figure it out as well as you can － but don't spend too much time on it because this can mess up your homework schedule for the rest of the night. 3.But don't pick someone whom you'll be up all night chatting with, or you'll never get it done!
Most people's attention spans aren't very long, so take some breaks while doing your homework. Sitting for too long without relaxing will make you less productive than if you stop every so often. Taking a 15-minute break every hour is a good idea for most people. 4.
Once your homework is done, you can check over it if you have extra time. Be sure to put it safely away in your backpack － there's nothing worse than having a completed assignment that you can't find the next morning or that gets ruined by a careless brother or sister. 5. Now you're free to hang out.
A. Homework is a major part of going to school.
B. Luckily, you can do a few things to do less homework.
C. When you start your homework, deal with the hardest tasks first.
D. But if you're really concentrating, wait until it's a good time to stop.
E. If you need to, ask an adult for help or call or email a classmate for advice.
F. And no teacher still believes that "chewed by the dog" line － even when it's true!
G. In conclusion, no one is expected to stay long, and people have very different learning styles.
I start every summer with the best of intentions: to attack one big book from the past, a classic that I was supposed to have read when young and ambitious. Often the pairings of books and settings have been purely unthinking: "Moby Dick" on a three-day cross-country train trip: “The Magic Mountain” in a New England beachside cottage with no locks on the doors, no telephones or televisions in the rooms, and little to do beyond row on the salt pond. Attempting "The Man Without Qualities" on a return to Hawaii, my hometown, however, was less fruitful: I made it through one and a quarter volumes (册), then decided that I'd got the point and went swimming instead.
But this summer I find myself at a loss. I’m not quite interested in Balzac, say, or “Tristram Shandy.” There’s always War and Peace, which I've covered some distance several times, only to get bogged down in the "War" part, set it aside for a while, and realize that I have to start over from the beginning again, having forgotten everyone’s name and social rank. How appealing to simply fall back on a favorite once more into “The Waves” or “Justine,” which feels almost like cheating, too exciting and too much fun to properly belong in serious literature.
And then there’s Stendhal’s “The Red and the Black,” which happens to be the name of my favorite cocktail of the summer, created by Michael Cecconi at Savoy and BackForty. It is easy to drink, and knocking back three or four seems like such a delightful idea. Cecconi's theory: "I take whatever’s fresh at the green market and turn it into liquid." The result is a pure shot of afternoon in the park, making one feel cheerful and peaceful all at once, lying on uncut grass with eyes shut, sun beating through the lids...
1.What can we infer about the author from the first paragraph?
A. He enjoys reading when traveling. B. He shows talents for literature.
C. He has a cottage in New England. D. He admires a lot of great writers.
2.What do the underlined words "get bogged down" in paragraph 2 mean?
A. Get confused B. Make no progress.
C. Be interrupted D. Be carried away.
3.Why does the author say reading his favorite books feels like cheating?
A. He finishes them quickly. B. He has read them many times before.
C. He hardly understands them. D. He is reading something serious.
4.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A. To Read or Not to Read B. My Summer Holidays
C. The Books of Summer D. It’s Never Too Late to Read
Chinese researchers say they have come up with a simple way to find out a person’s biological age —how much the body has aged physically – through a urine (尿) test.
Their findings will help researchers conduct numbers of ageing studies and even predict a person’s risk of age-related diseases, according to a paper published in the journal Frontiers in Ageing Neuroscience.
Another paper by researchers at the Beijing Hospital and the West China Hospital in Chengdu, Sichuan province, said on Tuesday that people aged at different rates due to changes in their genetic make-up and their environment.
Chronological age – which is based on one’s birth date —was not an exact measure of biological age so a more exact method was needed, the team said.
Ageing is driven by the lifelong gradual accumulation(积累) of a broad variety of molecular (分子) faults in the body’s cells. The team said they had identified a matter 8-oxoGsn that indicated increases in oxidative (氧化性) damage in urine as people’s bodies aged.
Cai Jianping, a co-author at the Beijing Hospital, said: “As we age, we suffer increasing oxidative damage and so the levels of oxidative matters increase in our body.” The team tested the levels of 8-oxoGsn in urine samples from 1,228 Chinese people aged two to 90 and concluded the marker helped accurately determine the stage of biological ageing in adults.
They had previously found that 8-oxoGsn levels also increased with age in the urine of animals such as mice.
The team has also developed a rapid analysis technique called ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography(层析法), which can process up to 10 urine samples an hour, according to the study.
1.Scientifically speaking, by what does a doctor judge the stage of a person getting old?
A. His psychology. B. His condition.
C. His biological age. D. His chronological age.
2.What are the outer factors the speed of one’s ageing physically depend on?
A. One’s birth date.
B. The changes in their genetic make-up and their environment.
C. The accumulation of various molecular faults in the body’s cells.
D. The increases in oxidative damage in urine.
3.Which can take the place of the underlined word “marker” in the sixth paragraph?
A. Molecular faults. B. 8-oxoGsn.
C. Oxidative damage. D. Stage of biological ageing in adults.
4.What is the passage about?
A. Why people are ageing.
B. What determines the stage of people’s ageing physically.
C. A rapid method with which to judge how much people are aging physically.
D. How to delay people’s ageing physically.
London (CNN) There is no God -- that's the conclusion of the well-known physicist Stephen Hawking, whose final book is published on Tuesday. The book Brief Answers to the Big Questions, which was completed by his family after his death, presents answers to the questions that Hawking said he received most during his time on Earth.
Other bombshells(爆炸性事件)the British scientist left his readers with include the belief that alien life is out there, artificial intelligence could outsmart humans and time travel can't be impossible.
"There is no God. No one directs the universe," he writes in the book." For centuries, it was believed that disabled people like me were living under a curse by God," he adds. "I prefer to think that everything can be explained another way, by the laws of nature."
While Hawking spoke of his lack of belief in God during his life, several of his other answers are more surprising. "There are forms of intelligent life out there," he writes. "We need to be cautious about answering back until we have developed a bit further."
"Travel back in time can't be ruled out according to our present understanding," he says. He also predicts that "within the next hundred years we will be able to travel to anywhere in the Solar System."
In remarks prepared by Hawking and played at the launch of the book in London on Monday, the scientist also turned his attention to the world he was leaving behind. His greatest concern, his daughter said, "is how divided we've become," adding ,"He makes this comment about how we seem to have lost the ability to look outward, and we are increasingly looking inward to ourselves."
Hawking's final message to readers, though, is a hopeful one. Attempting to answer the question "How do we shape the future?", the scientist writes, "Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet."
1.Which question is NOT probably included in the book Brief Answers to the Big Questions,?
A. Is there alien life? B. Does anyone direct the universe?
C. Is time travel possible? D. Does the solar system exist?
2.Hawking mentioned his disability in his book to________.
A. show his confidence. B. support his disbelief in God.
C. tell readers about his hardship. D. complain of God
3.What was Hawking most concerned about?
A. Artificial intelligence will outsmart humans.
B. Human beings are not united.
C. Technology will destroy the world.
D. Allen life will come to the earth some day.
4.What did Hawking suggest human beings do?
A. Contact alien life. B. Respect artificial intelligence.
C. Develop the earth. D. Explore the universe.
The best bikes for the beginners
When it comes to purchasing your first bike, the choice is endless, making it tough to know what to go for. Here are the best buys on the market right now.
Boardman CX Comp
This is a cross-country bike, and it’s so versatile(多用途的)that you can handle any terrain(地势)on it, making it a great choice for those wanting to try various cycling subjects. If you leave on the thick tires it comes with, it can ride on various paths and can even handle some less demanding mountain bike routes. Alternatively, put on thin, slick tires and treat it as a road bike. It has basket and comes with Shimano Sora gears(齿轮), which are outstanding for its price.
$650, Halfords
Planet X RT-58 v2
Planet X is based in Yorkshire, which means you’d probably have to buy this bike without seeing it. But it’s worth it, because this is an excellent machine at a lower price. Planet X is a highly rated manufacture and this model comes with Shimano Sora gears.
$439, Planet X
Specialized Allez ES
Specialized is one of the biggest and most popular brands in cycling, and this is its hugely popular primary road bike. It comes with solid components from front to back and you’ll look great out on the road.
$575, Evans Cycles
Boardman Road Team Carbon
If you can push budget further still, this bike is worth the extra investment. The frame is made entirely from carbon, which is lighter, faster and more comfortable than the composition metal models above and gives you an all-round more enjoyable ride. It also means that if you get really serious about cycling, you don’t have to upgrade as quickly as you would with a cheaper bike.
$800, Halfords
1.Compared with other bikes, what is the strength of the Boardman CX Comp?
A. Dealing with any terrain B. Its Shimano Sora gears
C. Its outstanding price D. Putting on very firm tires
2.Which is suitable for you if you want to buy at a cheap price but with Shimano Sora gears?
A. Boardman CX Comp B. Specialized Allez ES
C. Planet X RT-58 v2 D. Boardman Road Team Carbon
3.What can we know about the bikes mentioned in the text?
A. The fourth is very expensive but with special material.
B. You should be careful when riding the third.
C. The second has sold out so fast.
D. You can only ride the first on the mountainous road.
