For years I have had no idea what I have been doing with my life. I was a 30-year-old lawyer in New York. But being a lawyer was never my dream or goal in life. I honestly wanted to be a writer. I have a great imagination and would write amazing stories in my head. But I always knew that being a writer was never possible for me because it was a better financial decision to stay a lawyer.
Recently, I couldn’t fall asleep at my usual time of 10 p. m. and when I did fall asleep I had the same dream over and over again. The dream starts with me in the ocean trying to go for a swim and I’m searching for something, but I start to drown and have no control over my body. Then a light shines through the waters and when I look up all I can see is myself in a bright white room writing a novel. Then I hear a voice say repeatedly, “Now is the time to try something new!”
It wasn’t just a dream; it was my opportunity to make something good out of my life. That afternoon, I quit my job at the law firm and I couldn’t have been any happier. My life started at 30, and every day since that point I haven’t stopped enjoying life. I started to write and have been on the best-sellers list for the last two months. Things have definitely turned around.
Change is a good thing; it gives us an opportunity to take a chance. So my two favorite words I live by and so should you are “change and chance”.
1.From the first paragraph, we can know that ________.
A.the author is now 30 years old
B.It is impossible for the author to become a writer
C.a lawyer can be likely to earn more than a writer
D.the author prefers to be a lawyer rather than a writer
2.The second paragraph mainly talks about the author’s ________.
A.difficulty in sleeping at night. B.strong desire to become a writer
C.wish to have a swim in the waters D.terrible swimming experience in the ocean
3.The underlined part in the 3rd paragraph probably means the author ________.
A.regretted having quitted his job as a lawyer
B.was unhappy after giving up his job as a lawyer
C.was upset because he had to give up his job as a lawyer
D.was pretty happy when he quitted his job as a lawyer
4.The best title of the text might be _________.
A.Lawyer or Writer B.Change and Chance
C.Change and Regret D.Risk or Opportunity
In the United States, it is important to be on time , or punctual , for an appointment , a class, a meeting, etc. However, this may not be true in all countries. An American professor discovered the difference while teaching a class in a Brazilian (巴西的) university. The two-hour class was scheduled to begin at 10 A.M. and end at 12. On the first day , when the professor arrived on time, no one was in the classroom. Many students came after 10:30 A.M. Two students came after 11 A.M. Although all the students greeted the professor as they arrived, few apologized for their lateness.Were these students being rude? He decided to study the students’ behavior.
The professor talked to American and Brazilian students about lateness in both an informal and a formal situation:at a lunch with a friend and in a university class, respectively.He gave them an example and asked them how they would react, If they had a lunch appointment with a friend,the average American student defined lateness as 19 minutes after the agreed time. On the other hand, the average Brazilian student felt the friend was late after 33 minutes.
In an American university, students are expected to arrive at the appointed hour.In contrast, in Brazil,neither the teacher nor the students always arrive at the appointed hour.Classes not only begin at the scheduled time in the United States,but also end at the scheduled time.In the Brazilian class, only a few students left the class at 12:00;many remained past 12:30 to discuss the class and ask more questions.While arriving late may not be very important in Brazil , neither is staying late.
1.The word‘punctual’ most probably means________.
A.leaving soon after class B.coming early
C.arriving a few minutes late D.being on time
2.Why did the professor study the Brazilian students’ behavior?
A.He felt puzzled at the students’ being late.
B.He felt angry at the students' rudeness.
C.He wanted to make the students come on time later.
D.He wanted to collect data for one of his studies.
3.It can be inferred from the professor’s study of lateness in the informal situation that ________.
A.American students will become impatient if their friend is five minutes late
B.neither Brazilian nor American students like being late in social gatherings
C.being late in one culture may not be considered so rude in another culture
D.Brazilian students will not come thirty-three minutes after the agreed time
4.What is the main idea of this passage?
A.It is important to be on time for class in the United States.
B.The importance of being on time differs among cultures.
C.People learn the importance of time only from their own culture.
D.Students being late for class should explain the reason to their teacher.
Have you heard about Post Office Cats in Britain? They are mouse hunters. The post office has actually employed cats since 1868. They are not employed to sort or deliver mail, of course, but to protect the mail and keep the population of mice under control. They make sure your morning post arrives free from damages caused by rats and mice.
London post offices were the first to try out the experiment. Within a few months the population of mice had shrunk sharply. Other post offices all over the country were soon using cats in the war against rats and mice as well. Within ten years the pay of the cats was improved from one and a half old pence a day to six or nine pence a day. Now the average rate of pay is about a few pounds a month.
Some of the hard-working cats have become quite famous. In 1980, a cat named Lucky stopped an attempted robbery in a Worcestershire post office on her own. As the two burglars made their way in through the window, Lucky started an attack and they fled empty-handed. Another excellent cat was Jerry, of Earls Court post office in London. He served the building for 16 years and was on duty for 24 hours every day. He drove all the mice away.
However, there are fewer cats employed by the post office than at any time in the past. With the faster movement of the mail and better surroundings, post office cats are not always needed. But many post offices still employ them and they become great friends with the postmen. According to the post office, there is no plan for their services to be discontinued in the foreseeable future.
1.Cats were introduced to British post offices to ________.
A.help sort and deliver mails and papers
B.guard the building against thieves
C.keep mails and papers undamaged
D.search for certain dangers in mails
2.The underlined word “shrunk” in the second paragraph probably means “________”.
A.decreased B.increased C.narrowed D.expanded
3.The cat named Lucky became famous because________.
A.She served the post office for 16 years around the clock.
B.She alone drove two burglars away from the post office.
C.She protected mails from being bitten by mice.
D.She was employed to sort and deliver mail.
4.We may learn from the last paragraph that________.
A.the duty of the cats has been replaced by machines
B.all the post offices are now completely mice free
C.cats are now considered of little use in post offices
D.cats will still be seen in service for quite a long time
Do you have cold feet in winter? But now if you wear a pair of UGG boots, you won’t be troubled by that.
UGG means Australian Sheepskin Boots. UGG boots became popular among shearers (剪羊毛的人) in the 1920s.The shearers sheared the sheep and grabbed a bit of dead sheep, wrapped it around their feet and called them “Ugly Boots”. Good old Australian slang shortened Shearers Ugly Boots to UGG boots. Thus UGG Boots date back as far as the 1920s in Australia.
UGG boots became so popular because of the amazing amount of comfort they bring to the feet. The sheepskin is made incredibly soft so the boots are warm and comfortable. UGG boots felt more like socks than shoes, yet they are tough enough for outdoor wear.
Our UGG boots are handmade with Australian sheepskin of the highest quality by our factory of UGG Original Pty Ltd.
We can wear UGG boots in cold weather or summer. In cold weather, the thick wool of UGG boots provides a preventing layer of warmth by trapping your body heat. In the heat of summer, the natural fibres of the wool will actually cool your feet by absorbing sweat. UGG boots are made to be worn barefoot to maximize the cushioning and warmth provided by the sheepskin.
Why not pick up your phone and contact us right now at www.uggoriginal.com.au.?
1.Who made the first pair of UGG boots according to the passage?
A.Shearers. B.Travelers.
C.Workers. D.Campers.
2.Which of the following words can be used to describe the UGG boots?
A.Ugly and hard. B.Comfortable and warm.
C.Strong and warm. D.Cheap and tough.
3.The purpose of writing the passage is to ________.
A.persuade B.advertise
C.inform D.instruct
很多父母太溺爱孩子，导致一些孩子缺乏基本的生活自理能力。你班正准备就这一话题召开一次主题班会，请你依据下表用英语准备一篇发言稿，要点如下：
原因 | 1、父母只关注孩子的学习，忽视其他能力的培养 2、父母包办过多，为孩子安排好一切 |
结果 | 1、缺乏基本的生活自理能力 2、经受不住困难的考验 3、以自我为中心，比较自私 |
建议 | （至少两点） |
1. 对所给提示，不要简单翻译，可适当增加细节，使行文连贯。
2. 词数150左右。开头己给出，不计入总词数。
Nowadays, many parents try their best to give their children a happy and meaningful life.
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下面短文中有10处语言错误。请在有错误的地方增加、删除或修改某个单词。
增加:在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在该漏字符号下写上该加的词。
删除:把多余的词用斜线( \ )划掉。
修改:在错的词下划一横线，并在该横线下写上修改后的词。
注意:1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；2. 只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
I have been fond of playing chess for many years and I have made a rapid progress, for which I am proud. However, I came across the chess player on the Internet several days ago. While played, I was so eager to win. But because of my carelessness, I failed in the end, what got me crazy. I burst into tear. My parents looked at me in silence. Only when I calmed down they tell me that it was no use get angry when we met with failures. What we should do is learn to control our emotions or try to do better next time. I was ashamed of what I did. “Never will I lose my temper again.”I told me.
