My wife, daughter, and I moved into our home nine years ago and we spent a lot of time and energy in the yard to get it looking like the way it does today. We live on a corner, higher than street level, and the entire side of the yard is surrounded by a professionally built rock wall. The front of the house though is another story because instead of a wall along the sidewalk, the rocks appear to be just thrown up onto the dirt as if someone were in a hurry to finish.
We did the best we could with what we had to work with and called this area our “rock garden”. Whenever we had leftover flowers or plants, Denise or I would stick them out front, just to bring some color to the area. We would do all of the yard work on our own, even the tiring weed-pulling.
Last summer I had reached the end of the rock garden and found a tiny little plant that I could not immediately identify, I knew I didn’t plant it and Denise claimed that she didn’t either. We decided to let it continue growing until we could figure out what it was.
Weeks passed and as I made my way back to the mystery plant, it appeared to be a sunflower with a tall skinny stalk(茎，杆) and only one head on it. I decided to baby it along and weed around it. As I pulled rocks from the area to get to the weeds, I noticed something unusual. The sunflower had not started where I saw the stalk begin. It actually had begun under a big rock and grown under and around it to reach the sun.
That’s when I realized that if a tiny little sunflower didn’t let a big rock stand in its way of developing, we too have the ability of doing the same thing. Once our environment begins to see that we believe in ourselves like that little sunflower, we can attain the same nourishment(营养) and growth as well.
Stand tall like the sunflower and be proud of who and what you are and the environment will begin to support you. You will find a way to go under or around your big obstacle in order to reach your desires.
1.We can know from the first paragraph that _______.
A. there is a wall along the sidewalk
B. the author’s home is made of rock walls
C. the author finished building his home hurriedly
D. the author’s family have lived in this home for nine years
2.The author found it unusual that_______.
A. the mystery plant turned out to be a sunflower B. the sunflower had a tall stalk and only one head
C. the sunflower grew under and around a big rock D. the sunflower had started where the stalk was seen
3.Which of the following best describes the sunflower?
A. Brave and stubborn. B. Confident and persistent.
C. Optimistic and modest. D. Mysterious and devoted.
4.What can be inferred from this passage?
A. Human beings are able to remove obstacles.
B. The universal truth made the sunflower survive.
C. A big rock blocked out the sunlight of the sunflower.
D. We can achieve success as long as we are self-confident.
We may be only three weeks into December, but artist Jonnie Hartman has been in the holiday spirit for months, designing and building the Grand America Holiday Window Stroll.
The goal with each window stroll is to create playful and uplifting displays (展示), according to Hartman. “I really try to do something lighthearted, something whimsical, that is, something everyone can connect with and maybe not see every day in the real world,” Hartman said.
She designs all of the window displays by hand, starting with pencil sketches, then illustrating the designs on her computer and sending parts of the drawings to be printed. From there, Hartman works with a team of five people to build the displays, creating, sewing and embellishing (润色) many elements by hand.
However, a challenge Hartman has faced over the years as she has designed the displays is making sure all of the measurements are right for elements to fit inside the windows.
“When I was in college, I was an art major, and I thought, ‘I don’t need math. I will never use it. I’m an artist,’ and guess what, it’s the most important thing that I use, ‘‘Hartman said. “If I don’t get that right, then the windows don’t fit, the pieces don’t come together and it just doesn’t work out.”
The holiday window stroll gives Hartman a unique opportunity to hear feedback from those who observe her creations, which is something she doesn’t always get to experience with her other artworks. She said it’s fun to hear people’s reactions as they go through the holiday window stroll.
“It just makes me happy that I can kind of set the tone for people’s holiday season and just maybe bring a smile to their face,” Hartman said.
1.What challenges Hartman most in designing the displays?
A. The pattern. B. The fit. C. The colour. D. The teamwork.
2.What does Hartman think about math now?
A. She values it very much. B. She still thinks it’s useless.
C. It is a piece of cake for her. D. It’s not suitable for her to learn.
3.Why is the holiday window stroll unique for Hartman?
A. It just can make her happy.
B. She has a chance to create by hand.
C. It can help improve her other artworks.
D. She can get some remarks from the viewers.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.What do we know about the travel destination, Costa Rica?
A. It’s suitable for newly-married couples.
B. It’s suitable for old people.
C. It’s family-friendly.
2.What language do Costa Rican people probably speak?
A. English. B. Spanish. C. French.
3.What can travelers see in Costa Rica?
A. Sand beaches. B. Dead volcanoes. C. Fish farms.
4.How much will it cost a family to travel in Costa Rica?
A. 80 dollars. B. 185 dollars. C. Half the cost of a trip to Disneyland.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What is Tina doing?
A. Doing some reading. B. Having a holiday. C. Surfing the Internet.
2.What does the man ask the woman to do?
A. To buy a cake and ice cream. B. To help Sandy. C. To attend the birthday party.
3.Who can’t eat chocolate?
A. Tina. B. Sandy. C. The man.
4.Which place will the woman go to next?
A. The store on Abbey Road.
B. The store on Olive Avenue.
C. The supermarket on Downing Street.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What will the woman do?
A. Sell new game products. B. Make a presentation. C. Give away luggage carts.
2.What is the probable relationship between the speakers?
A. Friends. B. Strangers. C. Colleagues.
3.Where are the speakers?
A. In the company. B. In the hotel. C. In the lecture hall.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Who plans to get more people for the team?
A. Sue. B. Ben. C. Karen.
2.What are going to take place in the near future?
A. Tennis matches. B. Football matches. C. Softball matches.
