At the age of ten, my greatest desire was to own a pogo stick. With the Christmas season____,I told my mother again my desire. Mother told me it was too expensive and that we______ couldn’t afford one. One Saturday afternoon, parents and I went to Sears to pay our credit bill. While my mother and I were at the______ , my dad said, “I’ll be right back. I’ll see something in the ______ department.” After the bill was______, we went outside waiting for my dad. Soon he came with a long box. I remember______at that very moment if it was a pogo stick in it.
When we arrived back my dad put the box in the barn（谷仓）. While my parents were_______with housework, I______ into the barn and found the box. I knew that as soon as I opened that_______box my bright, shiny pogo stick would appear.
No such_______! Inside the box was a_______old broom. Christmas morning was both great and________I got some nice gifts_______I didn’t get the present that I really wanted.
After all the______ was cleaned up my dad said he needed to______ something in the barn. When he returned, he was______ my beautiful pogo stick. I couldn’t believe how they were able to scrape the money together for it and how they_______ me with the broom. I was so______ that I couldn’t let the pogo stick out of my_______
Although we didn’t have much money, my parents gave me the most important gift of all, a(n)_______of love.
1.A. reflecting B. turning C. approaching D. distributing
2.A. hardly B. simply C. narrowly D. particularly
3.A. desk B. store C. service D. counter
4.A. book B. toy C. tool D. food
5.A. taken care of B. glanced through C. confirmed D. guaranteed
6.A. realizing B. doubting C. wondering D. fancying
7.A. occupied B. crazy C. content D. patient
8.A. slid B. broke C. jogged D. burst
9.A. enormous B. magic C. heavy D. fragile
10.A. pity B. luck C. promise D. chance
11.A. silly B. relevant C. clumsy D. precious
12.A. fulfilling B. awful C. awesome D. frustrating
13.A. and B. but C. so D. while
14.A. wrapping paper B. dirt C. food D. work
15.A. keep up B. pay for C. tend to D. think about
16.A. delivering B. sheltering C. fixing D. carrying
17.A. treated B. rewarded C. presented D. tricked
18.A. embarrassed B. excited C. grateful D. frightened
19.A. reach B. sight C. scene D. distance
20.A. abundance B. number C. diversity D. total
Every single decision we make shapes our current reality 1. So if you're unsatisfied with your life right now，making the effort to change your decisions will be the key to creating the life you want to have in the future．
Realize the power of decision making．
2. When you decide to pick up a cigarette，that decision might result in you picking up another later on．But if you decide no to smoke that first cigarette and make a decision to focus your attention somewhere else，your desire will eventually weaken and you will become smoke-free．
3.
When you make a decision，act on it．Commit to making a real decision．What's a real decision？It's when you decide on something，and that decision is carried out through action．It's pointless to make a decision in your head，but not doing anything about it．That's the same as not making a decision at all．
Tell others about your decisions．
Sometimes telling other people what we're going to do will make us follow through．I've been trying to become an early riser but waking up early without falling back asleep felt impossible．So I made the decision to tell people that I would wake up at 6a．m．and stay up． 4.
Have fun making decisions．
5. I know decision-making might not be a fun thing，but when you do it often，you'll learn a lot about yourself on the way，and you'll become more confident，and making decisions will just become easier that you won't even think about it．
A．Enjoy the process．
B．Carry your decision out．
C．Examine the decision you now have．
D．Any decision you make causes a chain of events．
E．Within two days，I was able to accomplish doing this．
F．But we often go through life unaware what actions we are taking．
G．Before making a decision，you have to understand what the decision means.
Pollution’s disastrous effects on the environment have become more obvious in recent years, leading to a movement to promote energy efficiency, less reliance on fossil fuels and a reduction in air and water pollution. Most scientists agree that such changes are necessary to protect our environment from further harm.
The construction industry consumes a large quantity of energy and resources and creates a huge amount of pollution. In the United States, building and development account for 39 percent of the country’s total energy use, 12 percent of total water consumption, 68 percent of total electricity consumption and 38 percent of carbon dioxide emissions, according to the Environment Protection Agency.
Green buildings use less energy, water, create less waste and are healthier to live, work and go to school in than standard buildings. Builders of green buildings use techniques that use resources more efficiently during the entire building cycle — construction, restoration, operation, maintenance (维护) and demolition (拆毁) — than those who construct more regular buildings.
The environmental benefits of building green include the protection of ecosystems and biodiversity, improved air and water quality, less waste flowing into streams and the conservation of natural resources. Green buildings can also result in lower operating costs because they typically use less energy and fewer materials and improve indoor air quality, improving the health of people who live there.
The process of building green includes technical and artistic planning with nature conservation in mind. Building designs often reflect the surrounding environment and natural resources and use renewable building materials such as bamboo and straw. In addition, recycled resources found locally are used for green buildings, reducing the cost and air pollution associated with transporting materials long distances.
Careful site selection is important to minimize (最小化) human impact on the surrounding environment. For example, placing a structure in an area that allows it to take advantage of cool breezes (微风) and sunlight can reduce energy use and expenses. More energy and expense are needed for larger buildings as well, so it is important to build small.
Green roofs are another feature of green houses that reduce energy use and cost. These roofs are partially or completely covered with plants, which helps to keep heating and cooling costs low, prevent water running off and deal with pollutants.
Other features of green buildings often include energy and water conservation, recycling and waste reduction. In addition, renewable energy sources such as solar power, hydropower (水能) and wind power are used for heat and electricity, which greatly reduces costs and decreases the impact on the environment.
1.What is the text mainly about?
A. The necessity of promoting energy efficiency.
B. The process of building green buildings.
C. Green buildings’ effects on the environment
D. The benefits and features of green buildings.
2.According to the text, green buildings refer to the buildings that .
A. use energy and resources more efficiently B. only use clean energy
C. are made of recycled materials D. produce no waste
3.Which of the following statements is TRUE about green buildings?
A. They rely on fossil fuels and solar power for heat and electricity.
B. Small buildings are less efficient in energy use than larger ones.
C. The ecosystem has to be considered when building a green building.
D. They are difficult to maintain and thus need more operating costs.
4.Green roofs are used because .
A. they fit the surrounding environment well
B. they can help to control the temperature in the building well
C. they can keep natural water for use in everyday life
D. they are cheaper than other kinds of roofs
Feathers are not just for flight. They keep birds warm, and attract mates. And for one Australian bird, feathers even help produce an important sound—an alarm.
“People had long noticed these birds produced these loud sounds.” Trevor Murray, a researcher at the Australian National University said. “My supervisor Rob Magrath and May Hingee thought they were used as an alarm. So they did some playbacks and they could show quite strongly that if you play back these sounds to other birds, they flee straightaway. So I was really interested in how they produce the sound, whether it is actually a signal, and whether it’s a reliable signal.”
The team focused their experiment on specific feathers in the pigeon’s wing. “We were able to target the eighth primary feather, which is unusually narrow. And then we also removed, on different sets of birds, those neighboring feathers, the ninth primary feather and the seventh primary feather. And we were able to see when the eighth primary feather was missing, the high note had completely disappeared. So the eighth primary feather produced that high note and the ninth primary feather actually produced the low note.”
And if the birds are fleeing from danger, they produce a louder and higher sound than they do during a normal takeoff. The study is in the journal Current Biology.
Murray and his colleagues did another experiment where they used the recordings they made to observe the reactions of other pigeons. “We were able to see the unusual eighth primary feather was important for signaling the alarm. When that eighth primary feather was missing, they very rarely responded. They almost never fled. Whereas when the ninth primary produces the sound, they fled just as much as to normal alarms. This shows us this unusual primary feather is important for signaling alarm.”
That makes birds of a feather flee together.
1.What does the underlined word “they” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A. The birds B. Rob and May
C. The feathers D. The loud sounds
2.What did Rob Magrath and May Hingee find out about the birds?
A. They fly away as a group. B. They produce different notes.
C. They send alarms with feathers. D. They attract mates with feathers.
3.Why did the team remove different feathers?
A. To record the notes they produce. B. To keep the pigeons stay in cages
C. To compare their width and length. D. To observe other pigeons’ reactions.
4.According to Murray and his colleagues, why does the unusual feathers matter most?
A. It keeps the pigeons warm B. It responds to alarms
C. It helps birds fly more quickly D. It sounds alarms of danger.
Reese Witherspoon was born on March 22,1976 in New Orleans, Louisiana. She is the second child of the family. Reese spent the first four years of her life in Wiesbaden, Germany, where her father John served in the US Army Reserves. Shortly after, John moved the family back to the United States, settling in Nashville, Tennessee.
Reese was introduced to the entertainment industry at a very early age. At age 7, she began modeling. This led to appearances on several local television commercials. At age 11,she was placed first in a Ten-State Talent Fair.
In 1990, she landed her first major acting role in The Man in the Moon(1991). Her role as a 14-year-old tomboy earned her good reviews. Roles in bigger films such as Jack the Bear(1993) and A Far Off Place(1993) followed shortly after.
Following high school graduation in 1994, Reese decided to have a pause in her acting career and attend Stanford University where she would major in English literature. However, her plans were shortly stopped when she accepted roles to star in two major movies. Although neither film was a huge box-office success, they did help to make Reese a rising star in Hollywood and open the door for bigger and better film roles.
Her breakthrough role came as Elle Woods in the 2001 comedy Legally Blonde. In box office terms, the movie was a great success and made Reese one of the top female stars in Hollywood. In the year 2014, she produced both Gone Girl and Wild, for which she got nominated(提名) for a best actress Oscar again for her role.
Reese is actively involved in children’s and women’s advocacy organization.She is a longtime supporter of Save the Children,an organization that helps provide children around the world with education, health care and emergency aid.
1.Why did Reese stop her studies at Stanford University?
A. Because she starred in two successful films.
B. Because she was more famous in Hollywood.
C. Because she didn’t want to get higher education.
D. Because she couldn’t balance studies and acting.
2.Which film made Reese most famous?
A. Man in the Moon B. Legally Blonde
C. A Far Off Place D. Jack the Bear
3.What is the author’s attitude toward Reese?
A. Caring B. Admiring
C. Critical D. Defensive
4.How does the passage develop?
A. Giving examples B. Using figures
C. Following the order of time D. Making comparison
Harlequino: Onto Freedom
Date:Nov.19-20 7:30 p.m.
Venue:Beijing Comedy Theater
Price:80-680 yuan
The drama discusses the true essence(本质) of are with the humor of Italian improvisational(即兴的 ) comedy. The performers discuss the purpose of art, reflect on how history is written and survey what is funny and what needs to be liberated.
Plastic Fantastic--Minirichi in Shanghai
Date:Nov.17 7:30 p.m.
Venue:Shanghai Dancing Theater
Price:100-380 yuan
Four Ukrainian “kidult” comedians decide to throw a wild party using plastic of all shapes and colors. Plastic Fantastic delivers a series of short comic stories that mix improvisation, mime, clown art and sound to draw you into their crazy world.
The Collection of American Modern Dance from Paul Taylor
Date:Nov.19 7:30 p.m.
Venue:National Center for the Performing Arts
Price:100-480 yuan
Paul Taylor, one of the most accomplished artists this nation has ever produced, has continued to shape America’s homegrown art of modern dance since he became a professional dancer and pioneering choreographer in 1954. Taylor first presented his choreography with five other dancers in Manhattan on May 30,1954. That modest performance marked the beginning of a half-century of unmatched creativity,and in the decades that followed, Mr.Taylor became a cultural symbol and one of the history’s most famous artists .
The little Singers of Paris in Suzhou
Date:Nov.30 7:30 p.m
Venue: Zhangjiagang Poly Theater
Price: 30-480 yuan
The boys’choir Les Petits Chanteurs a la Croix de Bois was created in 1907 and is now famous worldwide. Each world tour is a huge success. The choristers are between 9 and 15 years old and are proud of their choir’s long history of over 100 years and are still fulfilling childhood dreams. They have to leave their families in order to be part of this extraordinary adventure: traveling, sharing their passion for singing and enabling others to discover the joy of music.
1.Tourists are likely to appreciate American modern dance in ________.
A. Beijing Comedy Theater B. Shanghai Dancing Theater
C. Zhangjiagang Poly Theater D. National Center for the Performing Arts
2.Which of the following may appeal to those who are crazy about short comic stories?
A. Les Petits Chanteurs a la Croix de Bois B. Italian improvisational comedy
C. Plastic Fantastic D. Harlequino: Onto Freedom
3.With the cheapest admission ticket, tourists can have access to the performance____.
A. on Nov.30 B. on Nov.20
C. on Nov.19 D. on Nov.17
