As a dropout myself, I often feel it is my duty to defend my fellow non-scholars. Common wisdom would have you believe we are the “bad kids", the future criminals, the worst sort of people. But not all dropouts are likely to deal drugs,steal goods from a shop, or shoot pool all day.
My own favorite place to go when skipping school was always the public library. My early retirement meant that at last I had the time to read everything I wanted to. I found reading Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow a lot more interesting than reading about Sir Isaac Newton and the falling apple.
Best of all was the time I finally had to myself. I felt liberated. I had been in school nearly my whole life. I wanted to find out for myself who I was,and until I did,everything else felt like a waste of time.
However, after nearly three years, a series of strange thoughts began to make me anxious and unsure. Images of myself at the age of 35 began to haunt(缠扰）me in my sleep. And a voice in my head began asking over and over,"Who is paying the hot water bills? Who buys the microwave pizza?"The answer, of course, was my poor old parents. Sure,I was having an enjoyable time doing plenty of nothing, discovering myself and all, but that's unfair to them. What parents long to see their child drop out of school,with no plans for the future? Could they be expected to support me forever? Certainly not. I immediately moved out of the house and out of town, in search of a future for myself.
And it is here, in my new home of San Francisco, that I have decided to do what was once unthinkable: go back to school. I plan to take adult education classes and then apply for City College. On the one hand, I can hardly believe I'm doing it: a return to desks, chalkboards, and clocks that tell you when to stop thinking about one thing and start thinking about another. But at City College, I'll be able to take film production, semiotics, and sociology—just because I want to know about them.
So next time you see a dropout, be sympathetic. And please don't push him to do something he doesn't want to do. It never works. He'll come around when he's ready.
1.It is commonly believed that dropouts are_____.
A.bad kids from birth
B.interested in studying drugs
C.very likely to commit crimes
D.responsible for defending non-scholars
2.What did the author find most enjoyable after dropping out of school?
A.Living in comfort with his parents.
B.Reading in the public library.
C.Escaping the pressure from school.
D.Having time for self-discovery.
3.Why did the author move to San Francisco?
A.To fight for his own future.
B.To apply for City College.
C.To break away from his parents.
D.To live up to his parents' expectations.
4.What does the author suggest people do to deal with dropouts?
A.Push them to the limit.
B.Open their hearts to them.
C.Try to be understanding.
D.Encourage them to be friendly.
Over the past five decades mosquito populations in parts of the U.S. have skyrocketed by a factor of 10-a situation with worrying implications for the spread of diseases. And some places are apparently more easily affected than others. A new study in the Journal of Medical Entomology found that in Baltimore, low-income neighborhoods bear the biggest burden: they have not only more mosquitoes but also larger ones, which often survive longer. The problem most likely is rooted in the fact that Baltimore has nearly 17,000 abandoned buildings, which are concentrated in economically disadvantaged areas and serve as convenient mosquito-breeding zones.
Compared with prosperous blocks, low-income blocks have more abandoned buildings and are more heavily littered with thrown-away containers that collect standing water. And water that pools in abandoned buildings is protected by shade-which helps mosquitoes grow larger. Some cities take efforts to plant trees in low-income blocks but may actually worsen the problem: trees and bushes not only shade outdoor breeding(繁殖) pools but also shed leaves into the water and feed the mosquito larvae(幼虫), helping them grow bigger. Worse still, climate change could worsen the disease landscape by broadening habitats and lengthening the time every summer that mosquitoes can breed and survive.
Cities may, then, need to focus more mosquito-control efforts on these areas. Urban health departments typically educate homeowners about the importance of emptying water out of outdoor containers. But nobody empties those in or around abandoned buildings. “It is something that is fairly difficult for a city to address because it’s really expensive to go into private belongings and clean them up,” says Dina Fonseca, a molecular ecologist at Rutgers University. Yet if these belongings become breeding grounds not only for annoying mosquitoes but also for dangerous diseases, officials’ concepts may need to change.
1.What does the phrase “a factor of 10” in Paragraph 1 refer to?
A.A major cause. B.A high rate.
C.A big concern. D.A special situation.
2.Why is the spread of diseases relatively more serious in poor neighborhoods in Baltimore?
A.Because people there lack the awareness of waste sorting.
B.Because people there pay little attention to water protection.
C.Because more thrown-away containers are collected for reuse there.
D.Because more abandoned buildings serve as habitats for mosquitoes there.
3.Which of the following solutions is well-intentioned but may result in opposite effects?
A.Planting more trees. B.Changing officials’ ideas.
C.Emptying water containers. D.Cleaning abandoned buildings.
4.What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?
A.To complain about the poor housing. B.To offer some treatments for diseases.
C.To appeal for mosquito-control efforts. D.To introduce a new species of mosquitoes.
When my father was getting ready for work, our house was ruled by knocks and words.
He used to come downstairs to breakfast.
The morning paper lay beside his plate. He always read the ''Deaths'' first, and then he knocked once on the table. One of my sisters brought his bread, already buttered for him. Usually he said nothing, but once I heard him say, ''I love you very much, Edith. I would love more if you buttered my bread on both sides. '' He read the paper all through breakfast.
Two knocks on the table meant ''I am ready for my tea. '' If a single knock followed that meant, ''More bread, please. ''
After breakfast he said, ''Boots. '' The paper was spread (展开) for him over the back of an arm-chair. Yesterday's paper was put on the chair for his feet, and his boots were brought to him, freshly cleaned. He read standing at the same time putting on his boots. With one boot finished he said, ''Bus. '' At that point one of the girls went outside to the garden gate and waited there. Her job was to stop a bus when it came. It came early sometimes and it had to wait for my father. ''Overcoat, hat. '' One of my sisters had already brushed his overcoat. Now she held it open for him. Another girl came with his hat, nicely brushed. ''Handkerchief, pipe (烟斗). '' They were brought and put, with his tobacco (烟草), into his pocket. He looked out of the window and said either ''Walking stick'' or ''Umbrella''. It was handed to him. Ready now, he was still reading the paper. He didn't put it down until he heard the shout ''Bus coming! '' Then he kissed my mother and went out. The girls breathed freely.
How lucky a man was to have a wife and five daughters at home!
1.When the father made the first knock, he meant _______.
A.his breakfast should begin
B.he had begun to read the morning newspaper
C.he was made to feel sad by the ''Deaths'' news
D.he would start to read the other parts of the paper
2.All the daughters were quite busy in the morning because _______.
A.their father never helped them
B.they were not clever or quick enough to do their jobs
C.each of them had to start and finish her job just on time
D.their father always gave different instructions at the same time
3.What was the father's favorite?
A.Giving instructions. B.Reading newspaper.
C.Being clean and tidy. D.Having bread buttered on both sides.
4.From the story we may see that _______.
A.the father was the ''centre'' of the family
B.The father was hated by all his daughters
C.the father was so lazy that he hardly did anything
D.Every girl in the family was afraid to do wrong because they didn't know clearly what to do
The Best Places To Watch Fireworks This Fourth Of July
CALIFORNIA: LIGHTS ON THE LAKE (LAKE TAHOE)
Launched from boats on the shore of Lake Tahoe, this show is considered one of the biggest such displays in the West, which means the fireworks are visible all over town. If you’re worried about getting a seat, park your picnic at the El Dorado Beaches before 9:45 p.m. Or you can take the road less traveled and hike to the top of Mount Tallac for an unforgettable and best view of the display. Just remember you’ll have to hike down, so bring a headlight.
DELAWARE: REHOBOTH BEACH
Launched from the beach south of Rehoboth Avenue, these fireworks are visible up and down the boardwalk and beach. So jump on the Jolly Trolley(观光车) early and spend your whole day at the beach. There’s even live music after the fireworks. Note: This year’s fireworks display is scheduled for July 1, 2018.
FLORIDA: SERTOMA’S 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS (PENSACOLA BAY)
The Gulf Coast knows how to celebrate the Fourth of July. With vendors, arts and crafts, kid-friendly activities and live entertainment, this fun-filled day in Old Seville culminates(达到高潮) with the largest fireworks display in the area. Unfortunately the pony rides and face painting are only for the kids, though.
GEORGIA: DAHLONEGA’S 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION
Pack up your lawn chairs, blankets and coolers and head about an hour outside of Atlanta to the University of North Georgia. It’s even pet friendly — just make sure your dog can take the noise. And if you get to town early enough (11 a.m.), there’s a Fourth of July parade that aims to put all other Fourth of July parades to shame.
1.Where is the best spot to watch the fireworks in Lake Tahoe?
A.At the El Dorado Beaches. B.On the top of Mount Tallac.
C.Anywhere all over the town. D.On the shore of Lake Tahoe.
2.Which display is most suitable for children?
A.REHOBOTH BEACH.
B.LIGHTS ON THE LAKE.
C.SERTOMA’S 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS.
D.DAHLONEGA’S 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION.
3.What do Georgians think of their parade?
A.The best. B.Just so so.
C.Not so bad. D.Very terrible.
假定你是李华，你的英国朋友Tony下周将来你校开始他的国际交换生学习。他发邮件向你询问你校“尊师”传统的有关情况，请你回复邮件。
内容：1.介绍教师节；
2. 日常尊师体现。
注意：1.词数100左右；
2. 开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数；
3. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Tony，
I’m glad to learn you’re coming to my school
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours，
Li Hua
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。每处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:把多余的词用斜线( \ )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 other day, we moved to the new school yard, where lies in the far north of the city. We were all on high spirits. It is much big than the old one. The classrooms are bright and clean. We have a lot of modern equipment, making convenient for students to learn every subject. Now we can have a lot of after-class activity on the new playground. Our teachers often play the basketball and soccer together with us. As spring approached, the flowers newly planting in the yard have just come out. With such many green trees and fragrant flowers around, we feel it less hardly to study and our school life more enjoyable.
