There was something in the elderly woman's behavior that caught my eye. Although slow and unsure of step, the woman moved with deliberation, and there was no hesitation in her gestures. She was as good as anyone else, her movements suggested. And she had a job to do.
The elderly woman had walked into the store along with a younger woman who I guessed was her daughter. The daughter was displaying a serious case of impatience, rolling her eyes, huffing and sighing, checking her watch every few seconds. If she had possessed a belt, her mother would have been fastened to it as a means of dragging her along to keep step with the rush of other shoppers.
The older woman detached from the younger one and began to glance over the DVDs on the nearest shelf. After the slightest hesitation, I walked over and asked if I could help her find something. The woman smiled up at me and showed me a title scrawled(潦草地写) on a crumpled piece of paper. The title was unusual and a bit unfamiliar. Clearly a person looking for it knew a little about movies, about quality.
Rather than rushing off to locate the DVD for the woman, I asked her to walk with me so I could show her where she could find it. Looking back, I think I wanted to enjoy her company for a moment. Something about her deliberate movements reminded me of my own mother, who'd passed away the previous Christmas.
As we walked along the back of the store, I narrated its floor plan: old television shows, action movies, cartoons, science fiction. The woman seemed glad of the unrushed company and casual conversation.
We found the movie, and I complimented her on her choice. She smiled and told me it was one she'd enjoyed when she was her son's age and that she hoped he would enjoy it as much as she had. Maybe, she said with a hint of eagerness, he could enjoy it with his own young children. Then, reluctantly, I had to return the elderly woman to her keeper, who was still tapping her foot at the front of the store.
I accompanied the older woman to the queue at the cash register and then stepped back and lingered near the younger woman. When the older woman's turn in line came, she paid in cash, counting out the dollars and coins with the same sureness she'd displayed earlier ...
1.What does "she had a job to do" (Para. 1) mean according to the context?
A.She had a regular job in the store. B.She wanted to ask for help.
C.She wanted to buy a DVD. D.She was thinking of what to buy.
2.What does the title of the DVD reveal according to the shop assistant?
A.The elderly woman had some knowledge about movies.
B.The elderly woman liked movies for young children.
C.The elderly woman preferred movies her son liked.
D.The elderly woman liked both old and new movies.
3.While looking for the DVD with the old woman, the shop assistant was ______.
A.hesitant B.casual
C.cautious D.considerate
4.What is the main purpose of this passage?
A.To describe what a movie nut is like
B.To remind readers to spending more time accompanying family
C.To stress the importance of company and understanding.
D.To explore the key aspects of current parental-child relationship
Ecology is a complicated thing. Given the facts that elephant damage often kills trees and bush fires often kill trees, it would be________to assume that a combination of the two would make things worse. Contrary to this assumption, ________, as the recently-published research by Benjamin Wigley shows, if a tree has already been damaged, fire can________help to make things better.
One common way in which elephants harm trees is by stripping(剥) them of their bark(树皮). Dr Wigley, who did indeed start from the obvious________, set off to find out how much worse bush fires would make the effects of this bark stripping. To serve this purpose, he set up a study in the Kruger National Park. Since 1954, the Kruger has been the site of experiments in which plots of land have been burned________, to understand the effects of fire on plain ecology. In these experiments, Dr Wigley looked at trees in three different zones, in one of which, the trees were burned every year; in the second, they were burned every other year, while the third zone, by contrast, was actively________fire. To keep things consistent, he looked at the fate of the same tree species, the marula(马鲁拉树), in all three zones. He picked marulas because they are particular________of elephant activity. Their fruit are delicious, and prized by elephants and people alike. But elephants also seem to enjoy eating their bark. In July 2016 he and his colleagues identified 20 marulas in every zone and used special tools to________from each of them a circular section of bark 5 cm in diameter. Having imposed this damage, they________the wounds over the course of the following two years, to see what would happen. To their________, they discovered that the wounds of trees in fire zones recovered far better than those of trees that had seen no fires at all. Wounded trees in the annual burn zone re-grew 98% of their lost________during the two years of the study. Those living in the biennial(两年一次的) burn zone re-grew 92% of it. But those in the zone where fires were________re-grew only 72%.
The researchers also found something else when they were measuring the trees’ wounds: ants. Ten of the 20 trees in the fire-prevention zone developed ant colonies in their wounds. The ants in question were a species that is known to damage trees and is supposed to________tissue healing. By contrast, only five trees in the biennial burn zone and three in the annual zone developed ants’ nests in their wounds. It looks, therefore, as if bush fires are treating trees’ wounds by killing ants that might________colonize and damage them. Though such fires are surely harmful to healthy trees, it seems, in an example of two negatives making a positive, as if they are actually________to sick ones.
1.A.difficult B.reasonable C.necessary D.awful
2.A.however B.therefore C.furthermore D.somehow
3.A.uniquely B.barely C.actually D.merely
4.A.phenomenon B.evidence C.imagination D.assumption
5.A.equally B.regularly C.severely D.purposely
6.A.burnt with B.protected from C.covered by D.exposed to
7.A.participants B.partners C.victims D.friends
8.A.mark B.remove C.hit D.measure
9.A.regulated B.checked C.healed D.monitored
10.A.disappointment B.surprise C.joy D.relief
11.A.vitality B.height C.bark D.strength
12.A.controlled B.prevented C.started D.boosted
13.A.disturb B.promote C.impact D.quicken
14.A.therefore B.nevertheless C.then D.otherwise
15.A.beneficial B.unbelievable C.effective D.cruel
Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.
Ancient Myth---A Hit With Modern Audiences
This summer’s surprise hit at movie theaters across China was the re-telling of the ancient myth of Nezha. The animated film 1.(take) in over four billion yuan at the box office and become one of the country’s most successful films ever. It proved that China could produce animated films comparable to 2.produced in Hollywood and Japan.
The film, directed by Yang Yu, was a massive undertaking(任务) from start to finish. He spent two years writing the script(剧本) and three more years making a film which required the efforts of 1,600 animators. But for Yang, it was a way to prove to himself that he 3.change his fate and inspire others to change their fate as well.
“I used to suffer from a lot of prejudice after changing my career,” said Yang, “Since then I have thought about making an animated film to encourage young people to persist in their dreams.”
4.(convey) the message that “your fate is in your own hands,” Yang made some changes to the original myth. Nezha was born a devil(恶魔),5.(fate) to cause mischief(恶作剧), but he decides to overcome his fate and to save the people of his hometown from being destroyed by Ao Bing, the third son of the Dragon King.
6.the ancient myth being very clear about the differences between the good and the bad guys, in Yang’s film, all of the characters are treated with empathy, and even the “bad” people are also victims of their fate,7., actually, have the potential to change and become good.
Over the years, I have come across a few students labeled as “devils.” Although some misbehaved simply 8. they were not mature enough, others were trouble-making and uncooperative when they were in a bad mood. Those students need to know they were not doomed to be bad. As they grew up, they would have the power to change their circumstances.
If you have seen Nezha, you know 9.a terrific, entertaining film it is. But an important lesson is also conveyed in the film10.we should not judge ourselves or others too harshly, so as not to allow those negative judgments to control our fate.
假设你是李华,你校外事处招募暑假“志愿家庭”,接待来你市参观访问的美国中学生代表。请用英文写份承接申请,内容包括;
1.介绍家庭成员及居住、交通条件;
2.说明英语交流沟通水平;
3.安排美国朋友参加的家庭活动。
注意:1.词数不少于100
2.可以适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
Dear Sir,
I sincerely hope that my family can have the honor to be a host family.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
Can you believe everything that you read? It seems as if every day, some new articles come out about a new discovery about this or that. For example, water is bad for you, or good for you. The answer depends on which scientific study has just come out. People cannot decide which food items are healthy, how pyramids were constructed, and why dinosaurs disappeared. When we look for answers we sometimes can believe persuasive researches and scientists. But how trustworthy are they really? Here are two examples of scientific hoaxes (骗局).
As far back as 1726, Johann Beringer was fooled by his fellow scientists into thinking he had made an amazing discovery. The fossils of spiders, lizards, and even birds with the name of God written on them in Hebrew were unlike anything that had been found before. He wrote several papers on them and was famous for those only to have it revealed that they were planted by jealous colleagues to ruin his reputation.
When an early human being was discovered in 1912, scientists at this time were wild with excitement over the meaning it had for the theory of evolution. There were hundreds of papers about this Piltdown man over the next fifty years until it was finally discovered to be a complex hoax. The skull (头骨) of a man had been mixed with the jawbone of an orangutan (猩猩) to make the ape (猿) man.
The next time you read the exciting new findings of a study of the best scientist, do not automatically assume that it is true. Even qualified people can get it wrong. Though we certainly should not ignore scientific research, we do need to take it with a grain of salt. Just because it is accepted as the truth today does not mean it will still be trustworthy tomorrow.
1.What is the reason why Johann Beringer was fooled?
A.His fellow scientists wanted to make fun of him.
B.His workmates are eager to become famous too.
C.These scientists made a mistake because of carelessness.
D.His colleagues was jealous of him and did so to destroy his fame.
2.The excited scientists thought that this Piltdown man ________.
A.was in fact a complex hoax
B.was a great scientific invention
C.contributed to the theory of evolution
D.had the skull like that of an ape
3.What does the underlined phrase “with a grain of salt” in Paragraph 4 mean?
A.Happily. B.Generally.
C.Doubtfully. D.Completely.
4.What can we learn from the passage?
A.Hebrew is probably a kind of language.
B.Truths of science will never be out of time.
C.People believe scientists because they are persuasive.
D.We are advised to believe famous scientists.
第二部分:阅读理解(共15小题:
阅读下列短文, 从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中, 选出最佳选项, 并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
The ability to do several things at once has become one of the great measures of self-worth for 21-century Americans. It is called multitasking, and it takes many forms. As one example, why go out to lunch when you can eat at your desk, talk to a client on the phone, scroll through your e-mail, and scan a memo simultaneously? And why simply work out on treadmill (单调的工作) when you could be watching television and talking on a portable phone at the same time? What a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment --- three activities for the time commitment of one! Ah, such efficiency. No wonder those who turn “to do” lists into a time-management art form tend to boast (自夸): “Look, me, how many things I can accomplish at once. If I’m this busy, I must be important.”
Yet last week the New York Assembly struck a blow against multitasking, at least behind the wheel, when it approved a bill banning drivers in the state from using handheld cellular phones. Too dangerous, the assembly said, citing research showing that drivers are four times more likely to have a collision when they are talking on a cellphone.
No one can argue against using time effectively. But accompanying the supposed gains are losses. Consider the woman out for an early-morning walk in a suburban neighborhood. She strides briskly, head down, cellphone clamped to her ear, chattering (喋喋不休) away, oblivious of the birds and flowers and glorious sunshine. Did the walk have any value?
More than a decade ago, long before multi-tasking became a word in everyday use, a retired professor of theology(神学) in Indiana with whom I corresponded (通信) made a case for what might be called uni-tasking — the old-fashioned practice of doing one thing at a time.
Offering the simplest example, he said, “When you wash the dishes, wash the dishes.” Good advice, I’ve found, whatever the task.
Perhaps, too, the ban on phoning-on-the-road will even spark a move away from other forms of dual activity. Who can tell? It could mark the first step in a welcome reconsideration of what really constitutes productivity and accomplishment.
1.The author thinks that multitasking has become one of the great measures of self-worth because ________.
A.it helps people to use time effectively
B.it makes people feel they are important
C.it means the ability to do several things at once
D.people worship speed and desire
2.The bill approved by the New York Assembly is mentioned in the second paragraph in order to ________.
A.demonstrate the danger of multitasking
B.show the high efficiency of multitasking
C.introduce the legislation system in America
D.argue against using time effectively
3.Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word “oblivious” in the third paragraph?
A.serious B.absorbed deeply
C.not noticing D.forgetting
4.We learn from the passage that uni-tasking is ________.
A.the new fashion for 21-century Americans
B.accepted by most residents in Indiana
C.created by a retired professor of theology
D.the traditional act of doing one thing at once
5.In the eyes of the author, multi-tasking ________.
A.could not be avoided in this fast-changing age
B.should be taken the place of by uni-tasking
C.robs people of time to focus and reflect
D.should not become a word in everyday use