Two of the saddest words in the English language are “if only(要是……就好了)”. I live my life with the goal of never having to say those words, because they convey regret, lost opportunities, mistakes, and disappointment.
My father is famous in our family for saying “Take the extra minute to do it right.” I always try to live by the “extra minute” rule. When my children were young and likely to cause accidents, I always thought about what I could do to avoid an “if only” moment, whether it was something minor like moving a cup full of hot coffee away from the edge of a counter, or something that required a little more work such as taping padding (衬垫) onto the sharp corners of a glass coffee table.
I don’t only avoid those “if only” moments when it comes to safety. It’s equally important to avoid “if only” in our personal relationships. We all know people who lost a loved one and regretted that they had foregone an opportunity to say “I love you” or “I forgive you.” When my father announced he was going to the eye doctor across from my office on Good Friday, I told him that it was a holiday for my company and I wouldn’t be here. But then I thought about the fact that he was 84 years old and I realized that I shouldn’t give up an opportunity to see him. I called him and told him I had decided to go to work on my day off after all.
I know there will still be occasions when I have to say “if only” about something, but my life is definitely better because of my policy of doing everything possible to avoid that eventuality. And even though it takes an extra minute to do something right, or it occasionally takes an hour or two in my busy schedule to make a personal connection, I know that I’m doing the right thing. I’m buying myself peace of mind and that’s the best kind of insurance for my emotional well-being.
1.Which of the following is an example of the “extra minute” rule?
A.Start the car the moment everyone is seated.
B.Leave the room for a minute with the iron working.
C.Wait for an extra minute so that the steak tastes better.
D.Move an object out of the way before it trips someone.
2.The underlined word “foregone” in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to______.
A.take up B.stay away
C.run out of D.give up
3.The author decided to go to her office on Good Friday to _______.
A.keep her appointment with the eye doctor
B.meet her father who was already an old man
C.join in the holiday celebration of the company
D.finish her work before the deadline approached
4.What is the best title for the passage?
A.The Peace of Mind B.The Most Useful Rule
C.The Two Saddest Words D.The Emotional Well-being
This is my son Matthew's last night at home before college. I know that this is good news. I feel proud that Matthew will go to a great school. I know that this is the finest hour. But looking at the suitcases on his bed sends me out of the room to a hidden corner where I can't stop crying.
Through the sorrow, I feel a rising embarrassment. “Pull yourself together!” I tell myself. There are parents sending their kids off to battle zones. How dare I feel so shocked and upset?
One of the great gifts of my life has been having my boys, Matthew and John. Through them, I have explored the mysterious, complicated bond between fathers and sons. As My wife and I raised them, I have discovered the love and loss between my father and me. After my parents' divorce，I spent weekends with my dad in Ohio. By the time Sunday came around, I was unable to enjoy the day's activities because I was already afraid of the goodbye of the evening.
Now, standing among Matthew’s accumulation of possessions, I realize it's me who has become a boy again. All my sadness and longing to hold on to things are back, sweeping over me as they did when I was a child.
His bed is tidy and spare. It already has the feel of a guest bed. In my mind I replay wrapping him in his favorite blanket. That was our nightly routine until one evening he said,” Daddy，I don't think I need a blanket tonight.” I think of all the times we lay among the covers reading. I look at the bed and think of all the recent times I was annoyed at how late he was sleeping. I’ll never have to worry about that again, I realize.
For his part, Matthew has been a rock. He is treating his leaving as just another day at the office. And I'm glad. After all, someone’s got to be strong. I’m proud that he is charging into the first chapter of his adult life with such confidence.
1.What does the writer mean by “Pull yourself together!”?
A.Cheer up. B.Get up.
C.Pull up. D.Wake up.
2.We can infer from the passage that___________.
A.the writer is used to sleeping early
B.Matthew is ready for his new life
C.Matthew doesn't get on well with his father
D.the writer wasn't brave enough to face his parents' divorce
3.How does the writer feel about his son's leaving for college?
A.Bittersweet. B.Grateful.
C.Pleasant. D.Worried.
Now is the best time for Hong Kong shopping lovers, as most shops and markets are having their seasonal sales. With the same amount of money, you can find different kinds of foods in this city. Women, young and old, rarely resist the attraction of this shopping paradise(乐园,天堂) at this time of year. Lovers will surely have an exciting Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations at the Time Square or in the western styled bars. Spending your holiday in Hong Kong will be easy too, as several package tours are available from GZL Travel Service, with four-day tours for less than 15 000yuan.
● Tour package 1(3200yuan):a four-day-tour including three nights’ accommodation(膳宿供应), scenic helicopter flight, night ferry tour of Victoria Harbor and shuttle bus to the Peak to view the city at night.
●Tour package 2 (1880yuan): a four-day-shopping-tour including three nights’ accommodation, tours to Golden Beach and the Vexwork Museum, shuttle bus to the Peak and shopping opportunities.
● Tour package 3(1480yuan):a four-day-DIY-tour including three nights’ accommodation in a four-star hotel and total freedom to do what you want.
1.This advertisement is given by__________.
A.a Travel Service Company B.a shopping center
C.a hotel D.Hong Kong government
2.If you want to decide by yourself you’d better choose________.
A.Tour package 1 B.Tour package 2
C.Tour package 3 D.Tour package 2 and 3
3.According to the text, if you want to visit the Victoria Harbor at night with the tour guide, you can choose _____________.
A.Tour package 2 B.Tour package 1
C.Tour package 3 D.Tour package 1 and 2
假定你是李华，你校外教Mr. Hall给你发邮件,询问有关中国春节贴对联的习俗,请你给他回复,作简要介绍。内容包括:
1.对联的内容;
2.贴对联的意义。
注意: 1.词数100词左右;
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇:贴对联: paste couplets
Dear Mr. Hall,
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
假定英语课上英语老师要求同桌之间互相修改作文，请你修改你同桌的以下作文。
文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在该词下面写出该加的词。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1、每处错误及修改均仅限一词。
2、只允许修改10处，多者（从11处起）不计分。
On the first day during the winter vacation, my classmates and I went to the Nursing Home and did some voluntary works. On our arrive, we visited the elderly in their rooms, presented them with flowers and self- made cards to show our respect and love. Then we did some cleaning or washing for them under the help of the nurses. Having been done all these, we sat in the yard chatting with the elderly people. We talked about our old days, changes of our city, and anything they were interested. When it was time for us to leave, the elderly people thank us for our kindness. They said it was so a beautiful day that they would remember it forever.
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
I am the Third Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Kenya. It is a great pleasure to take my1.(one) trip to China. In Beijing, we 2. (visit) the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and so on,3. (get) a view of the traditional culture, its booming economy and technology, as well as its achievements in poverty alleviation(扶贫) I read the special reports ''Tracing the Origin of China's Targeted Poverty Alleviation Efforts'' in the July issue of China Today. The report series is a window for foreigners4.(understand) Chinese government policy of targeted poverty alleviation. The multiple ways of how to achieve future 5. (goal) inspire. me to introduce them back to my country and the poor people in Africa 6.have a strong desire7.development. The key to China's success is to inspire those8.(suffer) from poverty to make their inner motivation to serve the establishment of9.stable long-term poverty alleviation system. Through guidance and policies, poverty-stricken people will become responsible shareholders and their sense of10. (participate) will be improved.
