阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
In September, in Britain, you may see a lot of swallows. They are gathering together because, very soon, they will be flying south to much 1. (warm) lands, where they will find plenty of small flying insects on 2. they feed. There are no such insects about in Britain during the winter, as it is too cold 3. them.
The swallows settle, fly off, dash, and settle again. This they do many times, for they are making short practicing 4. (flight) in order to be fit for the long journey ahead of them.
Flocks of these 5. (migrate) birds leave Britain in the autumn. They fly 6. (steady) for hundreds of miles before they reach the warm lands of Africa. But not all the birds get there, for many of them die in the 7. (storm) weather they meet with on the way.
In the spring of the following year they make the long and tiring journey back to Britain. They get 8. (settle) on the same barn or tree in the same district which they 9. (leave) the previous autumn.
Nobody knows exactly how these birds find their way there and back over such vast distance, but it has something 10. (do) with winds and air currents.
I was driving to the grocery store on a warm morning in May. I smiled as I watched the golden sunshine ______ off the leaves. It was such a ______ and heavenly time.
My calm was broken, ______， as I rounded a curve (拐弯处). A huge UHaul truck was coming my way several feet over the center line. I swerved as far onto the side of the road as I could to ______ it. It was followed by not one but two other UHaul trucks just as ______. I wondered if all the stuff inside of them ______ the same person. I slowed down my car and waited for my heart rate to ______. It was then that I ______ a selfstorage business along the side of the highway, building new units for all the people who couldn’t fit their ______ into their houses. I saw a(n) ______ couple carrying boxes into one of the units. It seemed ______ that a couple just out of their teens could already have too much stuff.
I lost my own ______ for owning stuff when a house fire in the middle of the night destroyed everything my family owned. The only thing I had left was the underwear I was wearing. Yet, our whole family had awakened ______ to escape. In the weeks that followed friends and family gave us a lot of stuff to get us back on our feet, but none of it seemed as ______ any more. What was important was seeing Mom’s smile, giving Nana a hug and a kiss, and watching Dad snooze (打盹) in his chair ______ a hard day’s work. What was important was the stuff of ______， not the stuff of this world. Since then I have tried to limit the things I would ______.I didn’t want too much stuff to ______ my life. I wanted to only buy what I needed and to spend my days in learning, growing, and ______ my family and others.
I assumed that only by doing so could I make my ______.
1.A. appreciating B. reflecting C. admiring D. releasing
2.A. refreshing B. delightful C. peaceful D. dynamic
3.A. though B. too C. anyway D. instead
4.A. miss B. reject C. ignore D. desert
5.A. useful B. large C. new D. good
6.A. turned to B. referred to C. reacted to D. belonged to
7.A. beat B. pulse C. accelerate D. follow
8.A. noticed B. thought C. did D. established
9.A. furniture B. boxes C. possessions D. materials
10.A. old B. young C. middleaged D. small
11.A. curious B. apparent C. certain D. obvious
12.A. hope B. talent C. faith D. taste
13.A. in return B. in turn C. in time D. in vain
14.A. affordable B. significant C. beneficial D. practical
15.A. before B. in C. after D. during
16.A. mind B. hand C. head D. soul
17.A. purchase B. donate C. waste D. need
18.A. put up B. crowd up C. bring up D. set up
19.A. helping B. abusing C. loving D. affecting
20.A. name B. day C. world D. way
If you’re a firsttime language learner, you know that emotional (情感的) ups and downs is a normal situation.When you understand a concept or begin to comprehend the language, you may experience feelings of excitement.However, those are often followed by moments of disappointment and discouragement, during which you might feel as if you will never master the concepts and attain the ability to understand and communicate effectively.1.
•Learn vocabulary effectively.
Vocabulary is the most important part of communication.The more words you know, the more you can say and understand.The absolute best way to learn vocabulary is through the use of flash cards that you make yourself.Purchase a set of 3×5 index cards (索引卡片) and cut them in half.2. As you learn more information about each word, e．g.plural forms of nouns and principle parts of verbs, you can add these to the cards.
•3.
Research shows that language students learn more effectively and acquire more when they study frequently and for shorter periods of time than if they study infrequently for extended periods of time.4. This means, doing a few homework exercises each day rather than doing all homework the night before they are due.
•Practice language actively.
5. Say vocabulary words out loud, read passages in the text aloud, do pronunciation activities orally and not just mentally.Write out the answers to activities rather than gliding through them in your mind.Read aloud entire sentences in an activity rather than just reading a fillin response.Transferring language from your mind to your mouth is a skill that requires a great deal of practice.
A．Break study time into smaller periods.
B．Then use flash cards as a learning tool.
C．Try to study each day, and several times a day.
D．The timetested approaches are effective in your learning.
E．Write a word on the front and its English definition on the back.
F．Whenever possible, speak the language aloud rather than reciting silently to yourself.
G．Below are some approaches that will relieve your potential frustration and help you succeed in language learning.
Some people are so rude!
Who sends an email or a text message that just says “Thank you”？ Who leaves a voice mail message rather than texts you? Who asks for a fact easily found on Google? Don’t these people realize that they’re wasting your time?
Maybe I’m the rude one for not appreciating life’s little politeness. But many social agreed standards just don’t make sense to people drowning in digital communication.
In texts, you don’t have to declare who you are or even say hello. Email, too, is slower than a text. Voice mail is a now impolite way of trying to connect.
My father learned this lesson after leaving me a dozen voice mail messages, none of which I listened to. Exasperated, he called my sister to express his dissatisfaction that I never returned his phone calls. “Why are you leaving him voice mail？” my sister asked. “Just text him.”
In the age of the smartphone, there is no reason to ask onceacceptable questions about: the weather forecast, a business’s phone number, or directions to a house, a restaurant, which can be easily found on Google Maps. But people still ask these things. And when you answer, they respond with a thankyou email.
How to handle these differing standards? Easy. Consider your audience. Some people, especially older ones, appreciate a thankyou message. Others, like me, want no reply.
The anthropologist (人类学家) Margaret Mead once said that in traditional societies, the young learn from the old. But in modern societies, the old can also learn from the young. Here’s hoping that politeness never goes out of fashion but that timewasting forms of communication do.
1.What does the underlined word “Exasperated” mean in the fifth paragraph?
A. Worried. B. Surprised.
C. Annoyed. D. Tired.
2.Why didn’t the writer reply to his father?
A. He liked text messages better.
B. He enjoyed checking his voice mail.
C. He didn’t receive any voice mail messages.
D. He didn’t want to talk with his father.
3.Which of the following does the writer agree to?
A. People needn’t learn from one another in traditional societies.
B. Dealing with voice mail should vary with each individual.
C. People needn’t turn to Google for help when in trouble.
D. Declaring who you are or saying hello in texts is necessary.
4.What’s the best title for this passage?
A. Nowadays: what should we do with text messages?
B. Nowadays: do you like leaving others a voice message?
C. Nowadays: what means should we use in communication?
D. Nowadays: do you need a thankyou message?
David Rees runs a truly distinctive business． He charges customers ﹩15 to sharpen their pencils to perfections， using a variety of tools．
I know what you're thinking ﹣ is this a joke？ The 39﹣year﹣old gets asked that question a lot． To clarify everything， he even created a special section on his website telling everyone he's actually providing a real service．
You can supply your own pencil or you can have Rees sharpen one of his own favorite 2B pencils． After that， he mails it to you in a display tube with the shavings in a separate bag， and an authentic certificate which just happens to mention the pencil is so sharp as to be a dangerous object．
To achieve the desired result， the master sharpener uses all kinds of tools， including general sandpapers， pocket knives and even a special﹩450 sharpening machine． "It depends on what the customer wants to use his/her pencil for，" he says． "That determines the most appropriate pencil﹣sharpening technique． Some customers buy pencils as inspirational symbols while others buy them because of their special memories of classic 2B pencils．"
﹩15 to have a pencil sharpened is a bit expensive though， right？ You're not the only one who feels that way， and David's unique business has really angered lots of people， who talk of inequality in America， saying it is so insane for the wealthy to pay﹩15 to sharpen a pencil． But others will say， "This is just our urge to put an end to the welfare state because new ideas arise along with the business．"
David admits his trade is sort of unusual． But there are those who actually value his service， as proven by the over 500 orders he has gotten．
1.How could David make money by sharpening pencils？
A. He invented new tools for the job．
B. He promoted his skill on his website．
C. He saved lots of time for other people．
D. He provided quality service to his customers．
2.2 From his words， we can infer that David Rees ．
A. knows all kinds of pencil users
B. provides personalized services
C. values ideas behind the pencils
D. always write with pencils
3.What does the underlined word "insane"（in Paragraph 5）mean？
A. Deliberate．
B. Rewarding．
C. Unreasonable．
D. Irresponsible．
4.What seems to be the author's attitude to David Rees' trade？
A. It's a fancy service．
B. It has a good reputation．
C. It's awfully expensive．
D. It wastes time and money．
When I was a boy there were no smartphones, and our television only got one channel clearly.Still, I was never bored.The fields, hills, and woodlands around my home were the perfect playground.I can remember once hiking to a nearby lake.At the backside of it I was amazed to find an old dirt road that I had never seen before.It was full of muddy tracks and deep woods bordered it on both sides, but exploring it still seemed like a fine adventure.
I walked on and on for hours.I was sure my guardian angel was whispering in my ear “Turn around and head back home”， but I was stubborn, so I walked on.There was still neither a car nor a house in sight.I noticed that the sun was starting to go down and I grew scared.I didn’t want to end up trapped on this road, and I was worried that it would be dark before I could make my way back to the lake again.
I continued to walk on with something growing inside of me.My heart was pounding and my legs were aching.I was almost in tears when I turned one last curve and saw something in the distance.It was a house that I recognized.I jumped up and down and laughed out loud.It was still over a mile away but my legs felt like feathers and I hurried back to my house in no time.I walked in with a big smile on my face just in time for dinner.
I remembered this recently when I saw a sign that said “All roads lead home”．It is true.In life, all roads, no matter how they twist and turn, can lead us home again.What is important, though, is how we travel them.Are we going to go forth in fear or are we going to go forth in faith? Are we going to make this life a terrible trip or are we going to make this life a joyful journey? The choice is ours.
1.Why did the author hardly feel bored when he was young?
A. Because he could have fun in nature.
B. Because he could watch TV all day.
C. Because he had many friends.
D. Because he used to explore the old dirt road.
2.How did the author feel when he was exploring the dirt road?
A. He thought he would be scolded by his parents.
B. He felt contradictory in mind.
C. He thought he would be trapped in the woods.
D. He was unconscious.
3.What does “something” probably mean in Paragraph 3?
A. Doubt. B. Hope.
C. Courage. D. Fear.
4.What does the author mainly intend to tell us?
A. Always make choices on our own.
B. All roads lead home.
C. It’s our attitude that matters in our life.
D. Every effort is worthwhile.
