Life is colorful. Sometimes it’s just like potato salad; when it’s shared, it became a picnic.
With three young children to bring up, my husband John and I were very _______. "Can we go on a picnic, Mom?" my six-year-old daughter, Becky _______. "Please." I had said no so many times in _______ months, and I decided the usual Saturday morning chores could _______. To her _______, I agreed.
I prepared a few sandwiches and _______ a cooler with ice and drinks and called John _______.
My eleven-year-old twin sons loaded the cooler and the picnic basket in the trunk and off we went to spend some _______ time together as a family.
About the time I got the lunch _______ out on the table, John arrived on the ________. That was one of the happiest meals we ever shared together. The meal was full of ________. We felt a closeness that had been hidden by work and school responsibilities for so many months. John and the boys ________ rocks into the lake, Becky fed the ducks and I sat quietly at the picnic table, ________ God for blessing me with such a wonderful family.
That night as our children went to bed, I kissed their cheeks. It ________ me what a wonderful life I had. As I walked out of the room it dawned on me that even the busiest ________ could become a picnic when it’s shared with the ones you ________. Even though kids have now grown up and ________ from home, I can still remember how I felt that day while sitting at the picnic table.
Maybe today would be a good time to ________ potato salad, call all of my ________ kids, feed some hungry ducks and skipped a few rocks into the lake. Since life is like potato salad, let’s make it a ________.
1.A.patient B.old C.occupied D.poor
2.A.begged B.doubted C.asked D.wondered
3.A.coming B.recent C.following D.late
4.A.last B.approach C.relax D.wait
5.A.disappointment B.sadness C.surprise D.embarrassment
6.A.supplied B.filled C.provide D.compared
7.A.at work B.off work C.on business D.at home
8.A.unhappy B.quantity C.quality D.unfortunate
9.A.cooked B.spread C.taken D.made
10.A.scene B.sight C.view D.scenery
11.A.communication B.expectation C.hope D.laughter
12.A.missed B.took C.skipped D.left
13.A.trusting B.thanking C.praising D.praying
14.A.refreshed B.questioned C.beat D.hit
15.A.lifestyle B.time C.world D.occupation
16.A.love B.enjoy C.own D.have
17.A.left alone B.left behind C.moved away D.ran away
18.A.watch B.appreciate C.plant D.cook
19.A.handsome B.young C.mature D.grown
20.A.picnic B.salad C.life D.purpose
1. People traveled in search of food and shelter or in order to flee from their enemies. Sometimes they were looking for gold or silver in order to become rich. On other occasions they were searching for rich farmland.
This is not to say that no one ever traveled just for fun. Even in ancient times, some pleasure travel occurred. During a typical season, 700,000 tourists. would crowd into the ancient city of Rome, where animals performed and magicians entertained them. 2.
3. International tourist arrivals alone reached as many as 546 million in 1994 and are forecast to rise to 937 million in 2010, according to the World Trade Organization.4. Probably the most common reason for traveling is related to our physical well-being. Actually, traveling to sports events is one of the fastest growing types of travel. In our fast developing, modern society where stress has become part of people’s life, people can rest and relax by having a change of environment and activities.
5. No one seems to doubt that travel broadens the mind. In 18th century Europe, young men would go on a Grand Tour to various countries in order to complete their education. Today the desire to travel to different countries is encouraged by modem mass media. People who travel to other countries can at the same time learn more about their own country and culture.
A. But why do people like traveling so much
B. Throughout history, most travel was not for pleasure
C. So they travel to a lake for a swim or to a park for a hike
D. The improvement in transportation has also encouraged people to travel
E. Wealthy Romans made trips to Greece to take part in the Olympic Games
F. The growth of tourism has become a modern phenomenon experienced by all countries in the world
G. Another important reason for traveling is to satisfy our curiosity about different places and cultures
In the past 50 years, the amount of water in the open ocean with zero oxygen has gone up more than fourfold. In coastal water bodies，including river mouths and seas, low-oxygen sites have increased more than tenfold since 1950.Scientists expect oxygen to continue dropping even outside these zones as Earth warms .
“Oxygen is fundamental to life in the Oceans,” said Denise Breitburg, a marine ecologist with the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. “The decline in ocean oxygen ranks among the most serious effects of human activities on the Earth ’s environment. Actually, it's a great loss to all the support services that rely on recreation and tourism, including hotels and restaurants and taxi drivers and everything else. The reverberations(严重影响) of unhealthy ecosystems in the ocean can be extensive.”
In areas traditionally called “dead zones" , like those in Chesapeake Bay and the Gulf of Mexico，oxygen plummets(大幅下跌) to so low levels that many animals die. As fish avoid these zones, their habitats become smaller and they’ re easier to be attacked or caught. But the problem goes far beyond “dead zones”. Even smaller oxygen decline can prevent growth in animals, hinder reproduction and lead to disease or even death. It also can cause the release of dangerous chemicals such as nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas up to 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. While some animals can boom in “dead zones”，overall biodiversity falls.
Climate change is the key criminal in the open ocean. Warming surface waters make it harder for oxygen to reach the inside of the ocean. Furthermore, as the ocean as a whole gets warmer, it holds less oxygen. In coastal waters, too much nutrient pollution from land creates algal blooms, which use up oxygen as they die and break down.
People's livelihoods are also on the line, the scientists reported, especially in developing nations. Smaller fisheries(渔场)may be unable to relocate when low oxygen destroys their harvests or forces fish to move elsewhere. So we humans have to carry on a war now and win the war.
1.What does the first paragraph mainly talk about?
A.The ocean has been losing its oxygen. B.The amount of sea water is increasing.
C.The coastal water bodies are dangerous. D.The Earth becomes warmer and warmer.
2.What can we infer from Denise Breitburg's words?
A.Different oceans have different levels of oxygen.
B.The decline in ocean oxygen has great influences.
C.The future of tourism relies on the levels of ocean oxygen.
D.The decrease in ocean oxygen is the most serious environment problem.
3.How does the “dead zone" affect sea animals?
A.It offers more food. B.It forms dangerous gas.
C.It reduces their living areas. D.It produces more carbon dioxide.
4.How can we win the war according to the text?
A.By closing smaller fisheries. B.By controlling humans' bad activities.
C.By improving people's living standards. D.By stopping nutrients entering the ocean.
Cameron is no ordinary dog, and not just because he was born on Valentine's Day. To Maggie, a first grader at Burgundy Farm Country Day School, the dog who spends most days on campus is more like a friend. When Cameron is near, Maggie feels "really, really, happy," she said, "I feel safe around him, she added. "He '11 lie down and ask me to scratch his tummy," she explained, because Cameron likes Maggie.
Cameron is one of a handful of dogs at Burgundy, a K-8 private day school in Alexandria, Virginia. Dogs started showing up there when the head of school, Jeff Sindler, brought his clumsy Labrador, Luke, to the main office building where Sindler works. After Luke died, Sindler adopted Cameron and brought him to campus, too, where the dog Maggie described as really cute" became a school favorite.
“They don’t care if you are good at basketball or a great reader, or popular," Sindler said. “They just want to be loved — equal opportunity," he added. "Cameron and the other dogs on campus—are always fastened with a rope and with their owner一go a long way toward improving students' social and emotional well-being," he said. They reduce tension and ease anxiety, and inspire happy feelings from students.
“They bring out some important emotions/' he said, “and are especially helpful to children and adults who struggle in social communication, Children often came from challenging backgrounds: many lived in poverty, or had to travel through dangerous neighborhoods to get to school, or shared a too-crowded home. When these emotionally needy children met the dogs, they relaxed and were more prepared to learn.
Just as important, dogs on school grounds set a positive, welcoming tone. They help preserve the school climate that is accepting, supportive and curious・"Dogs are one way to hold on to Sindler said, adding that "schools should be fun and exciting, and dogs can be a big part of that."
For Sindler, including Cameron was all part of an effort to create a safe environment where learning could flourish.
1.What makes the dog Cameron really special?
A.His rare species B.His particular birthmark.
C.His attractive appearance. D.His friendly nature.
2.How do dogs on campus improve students' social and emotional well-being?
A.By playing fetch together fondly.
B.By offering them comfort equally.
C.By playing basketball together freely.
D.By walking a long way together happily.
3.What docs the underlined word"that" in paragraph 5 refer to?
A.A positive tom. B.The school ground.
C.A welcoming attitude. D.The school atmosphere.
4.What’s the purpose of the passage?
A.To encourage schools to bring in more dogs.
B.To explain why dogs help students with learning.
C.To introduce a way to help students grow healthily,
D.To explore the possibility to challenge no-dog rules.
Growing up, I wanted to be just like my mom. She was kind. People always seemed to feel comfortable in her presence. For years, she was a volunteer in our community. I loved going to the local nursing home with her where she taught a ceramic class.
On one summer day, Mama told me to get changed and meet her at the car.
I had planned to spend the day at the lake with friends. Why did she have to ruin everything? I imagined the cool lake water. Annoyed, I climbed into the car and slammed the door shut. We sat in silence. I was too upset to make conversation.
“Tasha, would you like to know where we are going?” Mama asked calmly.
“No,” I said.
“We are going to volunteer at a children’s shelter today. I have been there before and I think it will benefit you,” she explained.
When we reached the shelter, Mama rang the doorbell. Moments later, we were greeted by a woman. She led us to the front room where all of the children were playing. I noticed a baby whose body was scarred with iron marks. I was told it was because she wouldn’t stop crying. The majority of the children had noticeable physical scars. Others hid their emotional wounds.
As I took in my surroundings, I felt a gentle tug on my shirt. I looked down to see a little girl looking up at me. “Hi. You want to play dolls with me?” she asked. I looked over at Mama for reinforcement. She smiled and nodded. I turned back and said, “Sure.” Her tiny hand reached up and held mine, as if to comfort me.
My mom taught me a worthy lesson that summer. I returned to the shelter with her several times. During those visits, some of the children shared their troubled pasts with me and I learned to be grateful for what I had. Today as I try to instill(逐渐灌输) these values in my own child, I reflect back to that experience. It was a time that I will never forget.
1.The author admired her mom for ________.
A.her kindness to others B.her excellent teaching
C.her quality of honesty D.her positive attitude to life
2.When she was asked to go out with her mom, the author was ________.
A.excited B.surprised
C.angry D.worried
3.From the passage we learn most children in the shelter ________.
A.were often punished by staff B.weren’t allowed to go outside
C.were once treated badly D.all suffered from mental illness
4.The underlined word “reinforcement” in the passage is closest in meaning to “________”.
A.truth B.support
C.comfort D.help
It is quite natural for all of us to want to preserve and protect the foods we purchase. With that in mind, we often think that the best way to do that is by putting them in our refrigerators. However, that is not always the case.
Bread
Nothing dries out bread faster than your refrigerator. In the event that you have made sandwiches with the bread, then you can place them in the fridge. The cold temperature will make the bread tough and chewy.
Tomato
We all love tomatoes for their taste. But putting them in the refrigerator will cause them to lose all of their flavor (口味). Plus, the cold air in the cooler stops the ripening process as well. And as we all know, ripening is what gives every tomato more taste and flavor. For best results, keep tomatoes out, and inside a basket or a bowl on your counter.
Salad
Oil or vinegar based salad can be stored for a long period of time without refrigeration. Moreover, refrigeration of salad dressings brings bad smell. Keep in mind that some salads that are mayo (蛋黄酱) or yogurt based should be refrigerated in order to keep them fine. So if you have some salads that have been already dressed, you can keep them away from your fridge without any hesitation.
Egg
It is a long debate whether you should keep eggs inside your refrigerator or not. One study suggests that keeping eggs whether in a refrigerator or not does not change their normal qualities, so it can be said that if you keep eggs at room temperature, there should not be any problem. There is another study that shows that keeping eggs inside the refrigerators has a bad effect on the natural taste and flavor of eggs, so it is wise to keep eggs outside of your fridge.
1.Which of the following lose(s) water quickest in the cooler?
A.Bread B.Tomatoes.
C.Salad. D.Eggs.
2.What should we do with tomatoes to get the best taste?
A.Put them in the cooler. B.Cook them at once.
C.Make them ripen faster. D.Leave them in the shade.
3.What will go bad easily without refrigeration?
A.Dressed salad. B.Mayo and yogurt.
C.Oil and vinegar. D.Salad dressings.
