I was excited to take my rescue Beagle (比格犬) to the river the other day, as it’s within walking distance of our new home. Having spent her first six years in a cage, Georgie had never seen a body of water, and I wanted to get there before sunset to watch her experience it.
I was growing increasingly impatient about all the stops her little Beagle nose required. She inspected the grass, dirt, and trees, and licked (舔) whatever was stuck to the road. These were all new discoveries for her, and she took her time studying them.
When I accepted that it was fruitless to hurry her along, I whipped out my cell phone and began texting. I thought that I needed something to do while Georgie was slowing us down. Then, for some reason, I heard the cicadas (蝉) ,and I remembered that the sound of cicadas is my favorite sound in the world. That awakened something buried within me that longed for the simple pleasures that had been replaced by technology.
I made a conscious decision to be present, and to enjoy the journey to the river Just like Georgie. Now, I admired the flowers and the winding ivy on our path. I smelled the grass and the flowers, and the dirt and the air. I treasured each one equally, as if discovering them for the first time.
As we neared our destination,1 realized something even more important: It didn’t matter if we even reached the river. Why must there always be a destination? Georgie had no idea that we had a destination. She was present for the journey, and she savored every bit of that sweet experience. There was no race and no finish line.
Now I’m not sure who rescued whom.
1.Why did the author take out the cellphone?
A.To kill time. B.To awaken the simple pleasures.
C.To hurry the dog along. D.To record the sound of cicadas.
2.What is the fourth paragraph mainly about?
A.How I enjoyed the journey. B.What I saw on the way.
C.Why I traveled to the river. D.Whether I reached my destination.
3.What does the underlined word “savored” in the fifth paragraph mean?
A.Smelt. B.Expected. C.Enjoyed. D.Deserved.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Say Goodbye to Cell Phones B.Think like a Dog
C.Learn to Get along with Pets D.Travel toward Destinations
In modern society there is a great deal of argument about competition. Some value it highly, believing that it is responsible for social progress and prosperity. Others say that competition is bad; that it sets one person against another; that it leads to unfriendly relationship between people.
I have taught many children who held the belief that their selfworth relied on how well they performed at tennis and other skills. For them, playing well and winning are often lifeanddeath affairs. In their singleminded pursuit of success, the development of many other human qualities is sadly forgotten.
However, while some seem to be lost in the desire to succeed, others take an opposite attitude. In a culture which values only the winner and pays no attention to the ordinary players, they strongly blame competition. Among the most vocal are youngsters who have suffered under competitive pressures from their parents or society. Teaching these young people, I often observe in them a desire to fail. They seem to seek failure by not trying to win or achieve success. By not trying, they always have an excuse: “I may have lost, but it doesn't matter because I really didn't try.” What is not usually admitted by themselves is the belief that if they had really tried and lost, that would mean a lot. Such a loss would be a measure of their worth. Clearly, this belief is the same as that of the true competitors who try to prove themselves. Both are based on the mistaken belief that one's selfrespect relies on how well one performs in comparison with others. Both are afraid of not being valued. Only as this basic and often troublesome fear begins to dissolve can we discover a new meaning in competition.
1.What does this passage mainly talk about?
A.Competition helps to set up selfrespect.
B.Opinions about competition are different among people.
C.Competition is harmful to personal quality development.
D.Failures are necessary experiences in competition.
2.The underlined phrase “the most vocal” in Paragraph 3 means ________.
A.those who try their best to win
B.those who value competition most highly
C.those who are against competition most strongly
D.those who rely on others most for success
3.What is the similar belief of the true competitors and those with a “desire to fail”？
A.One's worth lies in his performance compared with others'.
B.One's success in competition needs great efforts.
C.One's achievement is determined by his particular skills.
D.One's success is based on how hard he has tried.
4.Which point of view may the author agree to?
A.Every effort should be paid back.
B.Fear of failure should be removed in competition.
C.Winning should be a lifeanddeath matter.
D.Competition should be encouraged.
Walter Peak High Country Farm, on the western shores of Lake Wakatipu is famous in history. Its sheltered bays were used as camping sites by Maori travelling to the Mararoa and Oreti Rivers on Moa hunting and gathering expeditions.
Things to do
Situated on picturesque Lake Wakatipu’s wester shores, the farm is the perfect place to spend a few relaxing hours. The Farm Tour itself is a wonderful experience for the whole family, with something to keep everyone entertained and happy. Our rural host will meet you after you leave the steamboat and take you for a walking tour of the farmyard. The first stop is the holding to help feed the sheep and deer, and even get up close to the Scottish highland cattle. Then walk slowly through the lakeside gardens to the charming Colonel’s Homestead for morning or afternoon tea. Afterwards the farmer will lead you over to the shearing shed (剪羊毛棚) where you can watch the farm dogs rounding up sheep on the hills, and see the farmer cut the wool off a sheep. You will then board the steamboat for your cruise back to Queenstown.
Ticket Information
Child Ticket $ 22. 00
Adult Ticket $ 77.00
Visitor Information
Opening Time: 10 a.m.
Closing Time: 4 p.m.
Additional Information
All tickets purchased at MyFun must make a booking at +64-3441—8166. Please mention your My Fun barcode (条形码) number when making your booking. Please print out your voucher (收据) and take along with you to the attraction. Tickets are valid for 12 months from the date of purchase.
1.What can you do during the Farm Tour?
A.Ride on the farm. B.Feed the chicken.
C.Have morning tea. D.Cut the wool off a sheep.
2.How much should parents with a child pay for the Farm Tour?
A.$99. B.$ 121.
C.$ 176. D.$198.
3.What should the visitor who has bought tickets at MyFun do?
A.Call +64-3441-8166 to print out your voucher.
B.Take the voucher to the Farm.
C.Tell the Farm your MyFun barcode number.
D.Use the tickets after a year.
假定你是李华，你的新西兰笔友Lessie即将来中国做交换生，来信请你给他推荐几个中文名字。请你给他写一封电子邮件，内容包括：
1. 表示欢迎并乐于推荐；
2. 介绍中文名字的特点；
3. 告知他查看邮箱附件中所建议的名字。
注意：1. 词数100左右；2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
邮箱附件E-mail attachment
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每次错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用(＼)划掉。
修改：在错的词下画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
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。
The first person I met in my high school was my deskmate, with that I fell in love at first sight.
She was warm-hearted and always wore a honest smile on her face. I was homesick in the first few days, unable to adjust the new school. It was with her help which I got familiar with the school. However, what impressed me most was her diligence and determine. When faced with a challenge in study, she would try out her best to solve it. Whenever I was in trouble, she would encourage myself and help me out. But for her encouragement, I wouldn’t have progressed so fast and steady.
Have so nice a girl as my friend is great luck for me. May our friendship lasts 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。
If you always hate certain vegetables, you may be more than a picky eater. Instead, you might be a “super-taster”, a person 1. bitter genes (苦味基因). Those people who have the “bitter genes” are 2.6 times more likely to eat 2. (few) vegetables than others, according to a new study 3. (present) at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association.
“We don’t get the taste of food equally,” said professor Duffy, an expert in the study of food taste. “It could explain some of the differences in our food 4. (prefer).”
About half of us can taste bitter and sweet, so we are not especially sensitive to bitter food. Another 25% are called “non-tasters”, to 5. bitter food might actually be a bit sweeter. The rest of us are 6. (extreme) sensitive to the bitterness that some 7.(plant) develop to keep animals from eating them.
Food scientists are trying to develop ways 8. (reduce) the bitterness in veggies, in the hope that we can keep super-tasters from rejecting vegetables. In fact, some vegetables we grow today 9. (be) much sweeter than before.
We might also try to use various cooking methods, either by adding some fat, sweetness, strong flavors like garlic 10.roasting them, to improve the taste of the vegetables.
