In 1848 gold was found in California. Thousands of people rushed there to get some. Many people liked living there. But there wasn’t a whole lot between California (CA) and Missouri (MO), where the nearest trains ran. The train line to California wasn’t finished until 1869.
In I860 and 1861, the Pony Express was the fastest way to get news to and from the West. The trail that they rode was around 2000 miles long. It took most people weeks or months to ride that far. The Pony Express could make the trip in just ten days. Those speeds were unheard of at the time. So how did they do it? Well, they had a good system.
The Pony Express had 184 stations along the trail. The stations were around ten miles apart. This is about how far a horse could run at a gallop (疾驰) before tiring. The rider would switch to a new horse at each station. He would only take his mail pouch (邮袋) with him. Every 75-100 miles, the rider would get to a home station. At each home station, riders would rest. The mail never stopped moving, even while the horses and riders rested.
It was tough to ride for the Pony Express. Each rider had to weigh less than 125 pounds. Speed was the key. Most of the riders were teenage boys. They rode at a fast pace for up to 100 miles a day. If there were an emergency, one might have to ride 200 miles in a day.
The Pony Express filled an important role for a time, but it did not last. The Civil War started in April of 1861. On October 24th, 1861, the first telegraph line to California was finished. This linked them to the rest of the country. People could send messages in an instant. Two days later the Pony Express closed.
1.Which happened first?
A.The Pony Express was started. B.The American Civil War broke out.
C.The train line to California was finished. D.Settlers rushed to California to find gold.
2.How long did it take the Pony Express to send mail from CA to MO?
A.About 24 hours. B.About ten days.
C.About twenty days. D.About one month.
3.What would a rider do at the home station?
A.Give his mail to a new rider. B.Rest a while and go on riding.
C.Collect new mail for customers. D.Feed the horse and check the mail.
4.What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?
A.To prove communication industry develops rapidly.
B.To explain why horses were used to deliver mail.
C.To describe the I860 - 1861E Fastest Mail Service.
D.To tell the brave stories of the Pony Express.
KIMBOLTON, CAMBRIDGESHIRE (K&C); ￡274,995 Lying in the popular town of Kimbolton, this modern house has got an entrance hall and a downstairs cloakroom. On the ground floor, there is a kitchen with breakfast room and a dining room. It has got a study and a playroom. On the first floor there is a living room and the master bedroom with a shower room. On the top floor, there are two bedrooms and the family bathroom and you can enjoy the scenery outside. There is a drive and a double garage to the front and large rear (后面) garden. |
BRAMPTON, CUMBRIA(B&C); ￡399,995 Lyingon Pipers Lane in Brampton, this classic cottage has got two floors. On the ground floor, there is a kitchen with a breakfast room. There is also a sitting room, a dining room and a cloakroom. On the first floor, there are four bedrooms and a family bathroom. There are gardens to the front and rear and a garage with a drive to the side. |
GODMANCHESTER, CAMBRIDGESHIRE (G&C); ￡152,500 Lying in the heart of Godmanchester, this house has got three storeys. On the ground floor, there is a kitchen with a dining area and a sitting room with a fireplace. On the first floor there are two double bedrooms and a family bathroom. There is a master bedroom with a shower room on the top floor. There is a rear garden and a storage shed. |
LITTLE PAXTON, CAMBRIDGESHIRE (L&C); ￡149,995 Set on the banks of the River Ouse, this modem flat has got an open-plan accommodation with dining, living and kitchen area. There is a balcony with views over the river. There are two double bedrooms with separate bathrooms. There is a parking lot on the basement. |
1.What can we know about K&C?
A.It has three storeys in total. B.It lies near a river with a rear garden.
C.Of the four it’s the 3rd most expensive. D.On its top floor, people can overlook the city.
2.What do B&C and G&C have in common?
A.A double garage on the ground floor. B.A sitting room on the ground floor.
C.A cloakroom beside the bedrooms. D.A garden to the front of the house.
3.Which house has an underground parking garage?
A.K&C B.B&C
C.G&C D.L&C
阅读下面短文，根据其内容写一篇60词左右的内容概要。
Not all education can and should happen within the classroom. Sometimes, traveling is the best form of education, as students can get a number of personal and educational benefits from travel. From learning about other cultures first-hand to seeing where historical events took place with their own eyes, educational travel gives students the opportunity to deepen their understanding of art, science, history, and culture in many ways.
Educational becomes a whole new experience when students can see lots of tools and equipment for themselves by traveling to different places. The tools and equipment could be used by scientists decades or even centuries ago to make discoveries that make our modern world possible. Educational travel brings the materials off the pages and into reality, allowing students to connect themselves with them in a more meaningful way.
No matter where students go, it’s almost guaranteed that they’ll find some kind of food that is unique to that place or done better than anywhere else. If someone gets Chicago-style pizza in Chicago, they’re going to have a different tasting experience than they would if they were getting the same type of thing in, say, Texas. At the same time, getting chili in Texas would be a whole different experience from getting chili in New York or Chicago. Students can learn a lot about a culture by what they eat on a daily basis and what they consider a special meal, so it’s good to take a taste of the local food and learn through all of the senses.
Being away from family, home, and familiar ground is a courageous and independent adventure in its own right. Educational travel provides that opportunity to allow students to open their minds regarding how they choose to live life, which can be extraordinarily helpful in preparing students for college and adulthood. Traveling – with the combined social skills and perspectives(视角) it teaches – really allows students to better understand how they can operate on their own.
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假定你是李华，得知外教Mr. Smith喜欢中国传统文化，想邀请他到你家过端午节。请给他写一封信，内容包括：
1. 时间；
2. 一同过节的家人；
3. 活动。
注意：1. 词数80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
We touch our faces all the time, and it had never seemed to be a big problem – until COVID-19 arrived. 1. (touch) our faces – the “T-zone” of our eyes, nose and mouth in particular – can mean giving ourselves the 2. (dead) virus. This is why 3. (organization) like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have suggested that we avoid touching our faces. “Just stop this simple behavior,” William Sawyer, founder of Henry the Hand, a nonprofit organization that promotes hand hygiene(卫生), 4.(tell) The Washington Post. “It’s the one behavior 5. would be better than any vaccine ever created.”
Yet, stopping this “simple” behavior might be harder than you think because it’s already hardwired(固有的) into our system. Some face touching is automatic – like when there is 6. itch on your nose, you’ll scratch it without thinking. Moreover, face-touching is subconscious, 7. means it’s very hard to change because you don’t even know you’re doing it. 8.you’re not alone. In a 2015 study, where a group of medical students 9. (film) in class, it was found that they touched their faces an average of 23 times an hour – with 44 percent of the touches being in the “T-zones”. That was particularly surprising since medical students were supposed 10.(know) better. Since it’s so hard to shake the habit, maybe the easiest way is to wash our hands more often. This way, we can be sure that our hands are free from the novel coronavirus.
Catherine decided to rescue Khan after seeing him at the animal shelter. Khan was a (an) _______ dog with a broken leg from being beaten. _______ her family heard about dogs and babies not getting along, to their _______, Khan walked right over to their 17-month-old daughter Charlotte when they were _______. The two sat on the grass and played _______, forming a bond that the family hoped would continue for the rest of Khan’s life.
One day, _______, Khan seemed to be slightly aggressive towards Charlotte. He even _______to push her away from where she played. The family kept a close eye on Khan and that’s when _______ caught their attention. A _______ was hiding right near Charlotte. Khan tried numerous times to push her out of the way but it didn’t ________ and the snake was determined to ________. Wang The family screamed ________ as their daughter’s life was in danger.
In one last ________, Khan grabbed Charlotte by the back of her shirt and ________ her over his shoulder. She ________ more than 3 feet away and the family ran over to her. As it ________, Khan had been bitten as he tried to get in between Charlotte and the snake.
While Khan was at the ________, a local newspaper was covering the incident. They couldn’t ________ an abused rescue dog who had only been with this family for four days would be so heroic. ________ after a couple of days in the hospital, Khan was ________ to return home and he was doing much better.
1.A.experienced B.abused C.fierce D.trained
2.A.As B.Because C.Since D.Although
3.A.regret B.shame C.disappointment D.surprise
4.A.blamed B.warned C.introduced D.teased
5.A.cheerfully B.sadly C.separately D.skillfully
6.A.however B.instead C.therefore D.otherwise
7.A.remembered B.pretended C.managed D.attempted
8.A.nothing B.everything C.something D.anything
9.A.baby B.snake C.dog D.mouse
10.A.fit B.continue C.work D.matter
11.A.strike B.rush C.dive D.hide
12.A.in relief B.in amazement C.in horror D.in excitement
13.A.test B.try C.pull D.fight
14.A.passed B.held C.put D.threw
15.A.landed B.climbed C.jumped D.waited
16.A.got out B.worked out C.turned out D.came out
17.A.shelter B.hospital C.gate D.backyard
18.A.believe B.know C.notice D.accept
19.A.Surprisingly B.Interestingly C.Naturally D.Thankfully
20.A.forced B.allowed C.invited D.persuaded
