I had driven home to celebrate my 38th birthday with my mother. When I arrived, I found her _______ proudly at the kitchen table, a chocolate cake and two boxes wrapped orange ribbon (丝带) in front of her. “Happy birthday!” she said, _______ at the boxes. “Open them.”
As she knows me _______ than anyone, she’d gotten me exactly what I wanted—running clothes. I _______ her and thanked her and proceeded(接着) to eat the cake.
“Too many _______,” I said, not really caring.
“You’ll run them off tomorrow,” Mom said.
Many adult children with a parent suffering from _______ memory will tell you there was one day that _______ to them that their relationship with their mother or father would be forever changed.
For me that day _______ two weeks later, when I drove back for another short _______. I came upon exactly the same ________: my mom sitting at the kitchen table; a chocolate cake resting next to two ________ wrapped in curly ribbon. The ribbon was green this time. That was the only ________ “Happy birthday!” my mom said.
I was totally ________. “What’s going on?” I asked.
Mom smiled. “Can’t I celebrate my daughter’s birthday?”
This was no ________. This was real life, and since my mother clearly only wanted to make me ________, I pushed aside my fear and fulfilled my role as the ________ daughter. I hugged her, thanked her and ________ the clothes... I did not mention to her that we’d done all this two ________ ago.
My house is her world now. My mother and I have the ________ conversation roughly 10 times a day. ________, I consider it a pleasure, because every minute is new for her.
1.A.cooking B.sitting C.singing D.dancing
2.A.shouting B.running C.staring D.gesturing
3.A.earlier B.longer C.better D.less
4.A.paid B.hugged C.comforted D.ignored
5.A.calories B.presents C.decorations D.candles
6.A.sad B.lasting C.failing D.past
7.A.signaled B.added C.appealed D.contributed
8.A.ended B.came C.changed D.disappeared
9.A.memory B.birthday C.party D.visit
10.A.day B.idea C.scene D.celebration
11.A.boxes B.bags C.dresses D.hats
12.A.color B.choice C.attraction D.difference
13.A.moved B.confused C.embarrassed D.excited
14.A.pleasure B.trouble C.trick D.end
15.A.happy B.shocked C.puzzled D.upset
16.A.friendly B.successful C.forgetful D.grateful
17.A.admired B.washed C.declined D.wrapped
18.A.days B.weeks C.months D.years
19.A.previous B.annoying C.only D.same
20.A.Therefore B.Instead C.However D.Moreover
Try This at Home!
Are you looking for a new pastime that will create a balance between physical activity and relaxation? Then yoga may be the perfect choice for you. Yoga can be practiced by people of all ages and levels of fitness.1. It's a great way to strengthen your muscles and become more flexible.
In the 1930s, Indian Sri Tirumali and K. Pattabhi developed one of the most popular forms of yoga practised worldwide today. They worked together using an ancient Sansknt text called Yoga Korunta to create a set routine of yoga movements and breathing exercises. 2.
Ashtanga is different from other forms of yoga. It is a very powerful form of aerobic (有氧的)exercise which creates deep heat in the body. 3. In other forms of yoga, however, the routine can change each time and the stretching exercises aren't aerobic.
4.As well as making you stronger and more flexible, it can also help you to stay calm. By focusing on your breathing while doing physical exercise, you are able to get a balance between mind and body. In addition, yoga helps to make us healthier so we are less likely to get common illnesses like colds.
Furthermore, yoga encourages you to think about what you're doing. Often you will close your eyes while doing certain movements.5.After a few lessons you'll stop looking at what the others around you are doing. You will stop comparing yourself and start focusing on yourself.
A. It can also be done anywhere at any time.
B. The result of their co-operation was ashtanga yoga.
C. Whatever kind of yoga you choose, there are many long-term benefits.
D. This allows you to concentrate better and it makes you less competitive.
E. Every time someone practices ashtanga, he or she does exactly the same movements.
F. If you're interested in yoga, but can find a class near you, then it might be an excuse to travel.
G. Recently, it has become extremely common for beginners as well as advanced yoga students to go on yoga holidays.
The world's first hydrogen-powered trains have begun running in Germany. They began carrying passengers Monday in Germany's northern Lower Saxony state. The new train will run 100-kilometer trips and can travel up to 140 kilometers an hour.
A French railroad company called Alstom built the two trains. Team in Germany and France cooperated on the project, which was supported by the German government. The new train model ,called the Coradia ilint, signals the beginning of efforts in Germany and other nations to move away from pollution-producing diesel(柴油) trains.
The Coradia iLint is designed to run on non-electrified train lines with low levels of noise.
It uses a process that combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electrical power. If the system produces more energy than the train needs at that time, it can store the extra energy in batteries. The only emissions (排放物) are water and steam.
A single tank of hydrogen can run a Coradia iLint train for about 1,000 kilometers. This is very similar to the distance a diesel-powered train can run on with a single tank.
Hydrogen-powered trains cost more than diesel trains to build. But Alstom officials say the operating costs are much lower. The company plans to provide another 14 Coradia iLint trains to Lower Saxony by 2021.
The head of railroad operations in the area, Carmen Schwab, praised replacing diesel trains with hydrogen. She said the move was an important first step in using clean-burning technologies to reach climate protection goals.
Officials say the area's many wind turbines (涡轮机)will produce part of the energy to create the hydrogen to power the trains.
Alstom says several other European countries have also expressed interest in developing hydrogen train systems. France has already said it wants its first hydrogen train to be operating by 2022.
1.Why did Germany build the new trains?
A. To replace diesel trains.
B. To carry more passengers.
C. To make traveling much easier.
D. To develop friendship with France.
2.What is one advantage of the Coradia iLint?
A. It runs without making any noise.
B. It doesn't use electrical power.
C. It costs much less to run.
D. It is cheaper to make it.
3.It can be concluded that hydrogen trains________.
A. are widely used
B. are environmentally friendly
C. can stop air pollution
D. can produce water and oxygen
4.What might be the best title for the text?
A. Saving Natural Resources
B. Efforts to Reduce Emissions
C. World's First Hydrogen Trains
D. A New Way to Make Electricity
Being highly successful in any field is pretty rare. It takes a combination of natural talent, luck, determination, and plenty of outside support for someone to make it big in sports, entertainment, or business. But what if competing is all that matters to you, whether you are likely to succeed or not? This was the goal of Michael Eddie the Eagle Edwards, and that he reached that goal was an amazing achievement.
Born in the U.K. in 1963, Michael was an enthusiastic downhill skier whose dream was to compete for Britain in world-class competitions. He would have liked to represent his country in the 1984 Winter Olympics, but there were a large number of downhill competitors, and Edwards didn't qualify. Seeing his chance elsewhere, he switched to ski jumping. Ski jumping didn't cost nearly as much, and there was almost no competition for a place on the Britain team.
But number of hurdles (障碍)could have meant the end of Edwards' dream. He weighed more than most competitors, which put him at a disadvantage. He had no financial support for his training. Poor eyesight meant that he had to wear glasses under his goggles (护目镜)- not a good thing when they steamed up at high altitudes. But he couldn't let any of this discourage him. He saw himself as a true lover of the sport who simply wanted the chance to compete. Winning wasn't the point. Having the opportunity to try was all he cared about. And nothing could stop him from trying.
In the end, Edwards took 55th place in the 1987 World Championships. He then went on to the Calgary Olympics in 1988, where he finished last in both of his events. Many athletes would have been embarrassed by this result, but he is proud of his achievement to this day. His determination to fight against all the odds made him a global hero, and in 2016, the inspiring film Eddie the Eagle was made about his life.
1.What is the purpose of the first paragraph?
A. To add some background information.
B. To uncover the secret of success.
C. To expect an answer from readers.
D. To introduce the topic.
2.Why did Michael Edwards choose ski jumping?
A. It took less skill.
B. The equipment was cheaper.
C. There was little competition.
D. It was easy to win the championship.
3.After the Calgary Olympics, Edwards _________.
A. felt he had reached his goal
B. was embarrassed by his results
C. switched to film making
D. was glad it was over
4.What made Michael Edwards outstanding?
A. His determination to win.
B. His enthusiasm for the sport.
C. His attitude towards the Olympics.
D. His ability to overcome physical disabilities.
Lebanese filmmaker Nadine Labaki has become the first female artist in the Arab world to be nominated (提名)for an Academy Award ,or Oscar.
Labaki directed the film Capernaum ,a film about a Syrian refugee (难民)boy and a Kenyan baby who live without parents on the streets of Beirut. It was nominated for best foreign language film.
Labaki wil1 be one of the few female directors to compete for an Oscar this year. She told the Associated press "I wish there were a lot more women filmmakers this year represented, nominated in the Oscars. But I am sure in a few years we won't be having this problem anymore."
Unlike in the West, women filmmakers are industry leaders in Lebanon.
Capernaum received a 15-minute standing ovation (热烈欢迎)at this year's Cannes Film Festival. It won the Jury Prize—the third-highest award given at Cannes.
The United Nations has publicly praised the film. Lebanon's Foreign Minister said.
Capernaum put a Lebanese touch on the international film industry.
The Oscar nomination of Capernaum is the second for Lebanon in two years in the film group. It demonstrates the country's rising star power.
Labaki called making the movie a life-changing experience. She said Capernaum helps humanize the real struggles of refugees only briefly talked about in the news.
We can't help but acknowledge that there is a fear of refugees in general around the world and there are these walls we are building, and this fear that keeps growing," Labaki said.
Capernaum will compete against four other films for the Oscar, including awards season favorite Roma. Directed by Mexico's Alfonso Cuaron, it earned 10 Oscar nominations, including for best picture.
1.Where does Labaki come from?
A. Syria. B. Kenya
C. Lebanon. D. Mexico.
2.What do we know from Labaki's words in Paragraph 3?
A. Few women directors have been nominated in the Oscars.
B. She was the first female artist to compete for an Oscar.
C. More women directors will enter for Oscar this year.
D. Female directors have problems with their films.
3.Which of the following best describes Capernaum ?
A. It is the best foreign language film.
B. It shows the rising power of women.
C. It has won the first prize at Cannes.
D. It is highly thought of.
4.What does the underlined 'it' in the last paragraph refer to?
A. Capernaum. B. The Oscar.
C. Roma. D. Best picture.
If you're looking to fully experience Africa's breathtaking scenery, and have an eye for adventure, then there's only one place to be. Here, inside Africa picks four of the best hikes from across the continent.
1.Kilimanjaro
Make it to the top of Tanzania's 5,895-meter Kilimanjaro, and you'll be standing at Africa's highest point. The mountain is Africa's most-visited hiking destination, attracting tens of thousands of tourists and adventures every year.
You don't have to a technical climber to climb Mount Kilimanjaro; you just need not be pretty physically fit. There are six routes to choose from difficulty, scenery and success. No special equipment
2.Atlas mountains
The High Atlas is an impressive mountainous range in central Morocco that hosts North Africa's highest peak. Mount Toubkal, at 4,165 meters. There's a variety of routes to follow during your climb but inexperienced climbers should note that the hike through the mountain's challenging zones is quite demanding.
3.Mount Kenya
A long-extinct volcano. Mount Kenya is Africa's second-highest peak, at 5,199 meters.
Lying just south of the equator, the mountain's deep valleys and diverse wildlife will guarantee you wonderful scenery and a fantastic hiking experience.
The climb, however, to the mountain's steep ice-capped peaks is quite challenging, making it the most technical, probably, in that East African area.
4.Mount Meru
Mount Meru may forever exist in the shadow of its neighbor, Kilimanjaro, but Tanzania's second-highest mountain (4,565 meters) has its own devotees.
It's less known, but Mount Meru is for the true enthusiast who wants to experience what very few people actually do.
Mount Meru is often used by mountaineers to accustom themselves before trying to conquer Kilimanjaro, or by those wanting a hike with the local Massai.
1.What do we know about Kilimanjaro?
A. It's comparatively easy to climb.
B. It's Africa's second highest mountain.
C. Its six routes are equally difficult.
D. It lies to the east of Tanzania.
2.Why do mountaineers climb Mount Meru first before they do Kilimanjaro?
A. To avoid big crowds of climbers. B. To hike with the local Massai.
C. To get used to the situation. D. To experience what most people do.
3.Which is the lowest of the four?
A. Kilimanjaro B. Atlas mountains
C. Mount Kenya D. Mount Meru
