What makes a gift special? Is it the _________you see on the gift receipt? Or is it the look on the receiver's face that determines the _________value? What gift is worth the most?
One evening, I was___________what Christmas gift to give my father. My dad is a _________ person to buy for because he never wants anything. When I pulled out my phone to read a message, my eyes _______ on a photo of a flower underneath a poem by William Blake. The flower, a lone dandelion standing against the bright blue sky,___________ me. Dad had been reciting the_________ to me since I was a kid. That was the_________ reason why I took to writing. I _________that those words would be my gift to my father.
I sent the______________to my computer and: typed the poem on top of it. As I was ____________the details, another poem by Edgar Allan Poe came to____________. The poem was focused around ____________and Dad recited it as much as he did the other. So I typed that out as well and searched online for a ____________to the words of it. After searching I found the ____________ picture. The picture was painted with blues and greens and purples, ____________ together to create the theme and wonder of a dream. As I watched both poems ______________the printer, the white paper being colored with words that ______________my childhood, I felt that this was a gift that my father would__________appreciate.
Christmas soon arrived. The minute I saw the look on my dad's face as he______________those black letters carefully placed in a frame (框), I knew I had given the perfect gift.
1.A.word B.price C.time D.item
2.A.small B.big C.common D.true
3.A.considering B.discussing C.purchasing D.sending
4.A.traditional B.wealthy C.difficult D.silent
5.A.looked B.fell C.relied D.took
6.A.shocked B.occupied C.inspired D.engaged
7.A.poem B.rule C.value D.flower
8.A.same B.very C.economic D.practical
9.A.doubted B.denied C.proposed D.decided
10.A.photo B.message C.gift D.comment
11.A.sharing B.revealing C.arranging D.providing
12.A.life B.power C.light D.mind
13.A.striving B.dreaming C.giving D.writing
14.A.background B.meaning C.translation D.purpose
15.A.impressive B.colorful C.complex D.matching
16.A.pulling B.twisting C.sticking D.drawing
17.A.putting away B.running into C.passing through D.getting over
18.A.shaped B.illustrated C.adjusted D.saved
19.A.hardly B.originally C.patiently D.certainly
20.A.analyzed B.delivered C.unwrapped D.signed
How do you wake up in the morning? Imagine you set an alarm on your phone or clock that goes off like this: beep beep beep. 1. The state is known as grogginess (东倒西歪). So, is there a better way to wake up? A recent study says yes. The answer is music. Researchers say alarms that have a melody can help people feel fresher in the morning.
Sleep inertia (睡后迟钝) is another term for grogginess. 2. Someone even has trouble getting moving again after sleeping. Stuart McFarlane was a lead writer of the study. He said people need to better understand sleep inertia’s harmful effects on human performance later in the day. The grogginess we may feel in the morning has been reported to last from two to four hours.
3. But for those who do, care should be taken when perform duties that require a top performance within this period. 4. The same is true for people like pilots and firefighters. Sleep inertia has been linked to major accidents including airplane and shipping crashes.
What makes musical alarms better for waking up? The researchers think the music may be more successful in reducing sleep inertia because it has several tones, compared to the single tone of a “beeping” alarm. 5.
No matter how you wake up, experts say, the amount of sleep you get also matters a lot.
A.It means a person has a heavy feeling when waking up.
B.This includes dangerous tasks like driving or riding bikes shortly after waking up.
C.That harsh sound may make it harder to shake off the sleepy feeling.
D.Not everyone will experience the full effect.
E.The unpleasant beep is expected to be successful at waking up a person.
F.The changes over time may help increase a person’s attention when waking from sleep.
G.People who wake up to musical alarms feel more awake and alert.
“Outer space is a frontier that inspires us and unites us more than anything else,” declared the US Assistant Secretary for Arms Control, Dr. Yleem Poblete. “And as we continue to push further into our own solar system, new businesses will be built to seize the endless possibilities before us.”
However, there are growing concerns about the possibility of intentional acts of aggression in space, warned Dr. Poblete. The United States has raised concerns for many years that Russia is seeking the development and placement of anti-satellite weapons. As recently as February 2017, a Russian Air Force Squadron Commander stated that Russia is developing new missiles with the intention of destroying satellites. Furthermore, we have read statements from the Russian Ministry of Defense that it is working on creating “a mobile attack anti-satellite system”.
Vladimir Putin (Russian President) has alluded to space weapons being more “acceptable in the political and military respect”. This behavior continues despite Russia stating many times that it places a high priority on the promotion of the draft “Treaty on the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space” or PPWT.
The problem with such a treaty, said Dr. Poblete, is that it's difficult to determine an object’s true purpose simply by observing it on orbit. At this time, there are no means of distinguishing many objects' behaviors from that of a weapon, making outer space arms control measures like those in the proposed PPWT impractical.
In short, said Poblete, the proposed PPWT does not reduce the potential for conflict from extending into outer space. Plus, Russia may be engaging in the very behavior it claims to seek to prohibit.
“We must take concrete steps to strengthen the stability and sustainability of space,” declared Dr. Poblete, “The draft PPWT is not the right approach to accomplishing that. It is a questionable document, proposed by a country [Russia] that has routinely violated its international commitments.”
1.What does America suspect Russia is doing?
A.Launching satellites for spying. B.Trading space weapons illegally.
C.Making profits from exploring space. D.Causing threat to space stability.
2.Which is one common difficulty for controlling space weapons?
A.They are hard to be identified. B.They are not regulated by common rules.
C.There are too many to be managed. D.There is disagreement between nations.
3.What does Dr. Poblete think of PPWT?
A.It is not specific enough. B.It will worsen international relationships.
C.Russia itself fails to observe it. D.We must work together to promote it.
4.What is mainly discussed in the passage?
A.Where the key to space safety lies. B.What alarms the US as to space safety.
C.Why space conflicts are difficult to avoid. D.Who is to blame for the chaos in outer space.
There's no place like home. 'This English saying has much truth in it: the best place to be is surrounded by our treasured possessions and our loved ones and with a roof over our head. And for many young adults, it's the only affordable place to stay; somewhere where they can receive first-class service from mum and dad. But this comes at a price!
According to the UKS Office for National Statistics, about a quarter of young adults aged 20-34 live at home, and that figure has been growing. A survey found that 18% of adult children in the UK said they were moving back home because of debt, compared with 8% last year. More young people had lost their jobs, and others couldn’t afford their rent compared with the previous year. So, it's easy to see why they're increasingly becoming home birds.
The BBC’s Lucy Hooker explains that many returning adult children enjoy home comforts. These include cooked meals, a full fridge and cleaning, as well as their bills being covered by what is commonly called ‘The hotel of mum and dad’. But for the ‘hoteliers’, that's mum and dad, the survey found the average cost to them has gone up sharply, and that they are sacrificing luxuries and holidays to look after their ‘big kids’ Emma Craig from MoneySuper market says, “They’re trying to look after their children more. If your child comes home and you see them struggling financially, you feel more awkward asking them for rent or to contribute. It tugs on your heartstrings more.”
With parents spending around € 1, 886 on takeaway food, buying new furniture and upgrading their Wi-Fi for the benefit of their offspring, it's easy for the returning children to put their feet up and make themselves at home. That’s before they learn a home truth that one day it might be their own kids who'll be checking into the hotel of mum and dad!
1.Why did the author mention the saying in Paragraph 1?
A.To explain a proverb B.To analyze a survey
C.To solve a problem D.To note a phenomenon
2.What is the main reason for the increase of ‘home birds’?
A.The desire for family's concern B.The difficulty in job hunting
C.The pressure of money shortage D.The duty to take care of parents
3.What can we learn about the parents of those ‘home birds’?
A.They are enjoying family members' company.
B.They are spending less money on luxuries.
C.They are charging their kids for accommodations.
D.They are complaining about the poor Wi-Fi.
4.Which can replace the underlined phrase “a home truth” in Paragraph 4?
A.a hidden secret B.a private message
C.an unpleasant fact D.an extra information
Even in the best and most loving of times, families can feel impossibly confined (受限制的). Teens are irritable and furious. Parents are annoying and embarrassing. For Esther and her daughter Chaya, the tiny new coronavirus changed all that.
Esther was born in Wuhan-a dynamic and culturally rich place that she deeply loves but moved to the U.S. During the winter holiday, they went to Wuhan to visit Esther’s parents. Gradually at first, then more frequently, they noticed face masks on city streets. To be safe, they wore their own masks and stopped going to public gatherings. Then, suddenly the city was on lockdown. No one could leave. Their reservations home on a China Southern airlines flight were worthless. “I feared for my daughter’s life,” said Esther, “If it got worse, there could be chaos. She doesn’t speak much Chinese.”
For days, Esther repeatedly called and emailed for help. It was nonstop. She stayed online, checking all the time. Chaya felt distressed and helpless. It's awful seeing her mother go through that-without having anything she could do to help in the hotel.
Their luck changed with one email. For the 1,000 Americans stuck in Wuhan, there were 230 available seats on one outbound flight, it said. Esther bought two $1,100 seats. After a 12-hour wait at the airport, they got clearance to leave, and arrived at March Air Force Base, where they were isolated in two small connected rooms with a shared bath for two weeks. There were daily medical checkups, twice daily temperature checks and a 10 a m. briefing (简报). But there was no WiFi, TV or friends. For emotional support, Esther phoned her husband Haim, an engineering manager for Uber, and their two other children, ages 13 and 11.
Now home, they are basking in (沉浸于) the thrill of phone calls, TV interviews and a caring community. They’ve gotten little sleep. Suitcases remain unpacked. But anyhow, they have survived not just the outbreak of a virus but the unforgettable experience of mother-daughter togetherness.
1.What can be inferred from the second paragraph?
A.The culture and vitality of Wuhan have attracted Esther and Chaya there.
B.The virus has affected people's life in Wuhan.
C.The flight of going back to the U.S. has been postponed.
D.The city was locked down because it was in chaos.
2.What caused Chaya's depressed mood?
A.Seeing her mother suffer from reaching out for help. B.Being kept in Wuhan for poor health.
C.Missing her family and friends at home. D.Being unable to speak Chinese.
3.Why were they isolated after Esther and Chaya arrived at the airport?
A.The concern of their safety as well as the public’s.
B.Their infection of the virus.
C.The lack of flight home.
D.Their emotional problems after the experience.
4.What is the best title of the text?
A.Life in Wuhan: fighting the virus together.
B.Life about people infected by the virus.
C.Life about a mom and teen united by a virus.
D.Life about a mom and daughter from the U.S.
“Frozen 2” , a sequel (续集) to the 2013 Disney animated blockbuster “Frozen”, took in 700 million yuan totally, according to the China Movie Data Information Network.
“Frozen 2” has cast a spell on product categories like toys, clothes and makeup items due to demand for movie merchandise products from young Chinese consumers, Friday’s China Daily reported.
“Frozen 2” merchandise was extremely popular at the Disney Store China in November, 2019, the newspaper cited sources from Disney China as saying.
The dress worn by the movies leading role Elsa was already among the top five selling items on the store weeks ahead of the movie's opening on Nov. 22 in China.
Fashion accessories (配饰) such as the “Frozen 2” brooch and the woolen scarf created by the China team were well received by young adult female consumers.
During Chinas Singles Day shopping spree on No.11, every second 59 Disney products were sold online including Disney’s self-owned retailing platforms or franchised products (特许经营产品), many of which were Frozen- themed products, figures from the newspaper show.
McDonald’s China has joined hands with Disney to launch themed Happy Meals based on Disney movies, with the first free toys featuring “Frozen 2”.
1.What can we learn from the passage?
A.“Frozen 2” is profitably achieved. B.“Frozen 2” is initially made in2013.
C.“Frozen 2” is directed by Elsa. D.“Frozen2” is welcomed by all Chinese.
2.Which ranked the best sellers before the movies opening in China?
A.Elsa’s brooch and scarf. B.Elsa’s makeup items.
C.Elsa’s dress. D.Elsa's toys.
3.“Frozen 2” belongs to a________________.
A.thriller. B.drama.
C.documentary. D.cartoon.
